Accreditation
How to Verify Montana School Accreditation
Montana's higher education system is anchored by the Montana University System under NWCCU accreditation. Seven tribal colleges serve Native American communities with separate accreditation through AIHEC. Verify private institutions through the Montana Board of Regents.
Key takeaway
Montana's regional accreditor is NWCCU. The Montana University System (MUS), governed by the Montana Board of Regents, includes six campuses: University of Montana (Missoula), Montana State University (Bozeman), MSU Billings, MSU Northern (Havre), UM Western (Dillon), and Montana Tech (Butte). Five two-year colleges are also part of MUS. Montana hosts seven tribal colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) through the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). Carroll College (Helena) is the notable private institution. Montana law requires Board of Regents authorization for any degree-granting private institution.
Montana's accreditation landscape
The Montana University System is the dominant provider. University of Montana (Missoula) is the flagship liberal arts and graduate research university. Montana State University (Bozeman) is the land-grant university with engineering, agriculture, and sciences strengths. MSU Billings, MSU Northern (Havre), UM Western (Dillon), and Montana Tech (Butte/STEM focus) round out the four-year options. City College at MSU Billings, Flathead Valley Community College, Great Falls College MSU, Helena College UM, and Missoula College UM are the community college components.
Montana's seven tribal colleges include Blackfeet Community College (Browning), Chief Dull Knife College (Lame Deer), Fort Belknap College (Harlem), Fort Peck Community College (Poplar), Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency), Salish Kootenai College (Pablo), and Stone Child College (Box Elder). Most are accredited by HLC.
Carroll College (Helena) is the most prominent private institution, holding NWCCU accreditation. Rocky Mountain College (Billings) and University of Providence (Great Falls) are additional private options. All must be verified against NWCCU's directory individually.
The right database for each institution type
| Institution type | Database to use |
|---|---|
| Montana University System campuses | MUS institution list + NWCCU directory |
| Tribal colleges | AIHEC member list + HLC directory |
| Private institutions | NWCCU directory + MT Board of Regents authorization |
| Unknown/unfamiliar school | VerifyED search |
Step-by-step verification
Step 1 — Search VerifyED
Start at VerifyED. Search 912,000 institutions including all Montana public and tribal colleges.
Step 2 — Check NWCCU for regional accreditation
NWCCU (nwccu.org) accredits all regionally accredited Montana degree-granting institutions. Check the member directory for any institution you're verifying.
Step 3 — Verify tribal college accreditation separately
Montana's tribal colleges are typically accredited by HLC (hlcommission.org), not NWCCU. Check the AIHEC member list (aihec.org) and then confirm HLC accreditation for the specific tribal college.
Step 4 — Check Board of Regents for private institution authorization
Montana law requires private postsecondary institutions to obtain authorization from the Montana Board of Regents (mus.edu). Any private institution without NWCCU accreditation should be verified against the Board of Regents' authorized institution list.
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