“Montana's oldest college — a tri-denominational liberal arts community with the state's only collegiate aviation program, taught against the backdrop of the Rimrocks and the Yellowstone region.”
Rocky Mountain College (RMC) is Montana's oldest college, founded in 1878 and shaped by a 1947 merger of Intermountain Union College and Billings Polytechnic Institute. Today it is a small residential liberal arts college of roughly 990 students set on a 60-acre campus on the western edge of Billings, Montana's largest city — within an hour's drive of the Beartooth Mountains and a few hours from Yellowstone National Park. RMC is one of the few US colleges jointly affiliated with three Protestant denominations — the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ — a tri-denominational heritage that grounds an open, ecumenical campus culture rather than a doctrinal one. Academically, RMC punches well above its size in three signature areas. Its Aeronautical Science program, accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International (one of only ~30 such programs in the US), is the only collegiate aviation program in Montana and trains professional pilots, aviation managers, and uncrewed-aerial-systems operators using the college's own Piper and Beechcraft aircraft out of Billings Logan International Airport — with a 100% checkride pass rate every year since 2019 and 97% of recent graduates placed in aviation jobs within a year. Its Equestrian Studies program is one of the broadest in the country, offering five majors plus a pre-vet track that span equitation, equine management, breeding, and therapeutic riding. And its Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS), accredited by ARC-PA, anchors a strong Health Sciences pipeline aimed at primary care for the rural and underserved Intermountain West. Life at RMC is small and residential: students typically live on campus in Widenhouse and other residence halls, eat together on the carte-blanche meal plan, and play in the NAIA Frontier Conference as the Battlin' Bears (men's basketball won the NAIA Division I national title in 2009). The combination of liberal arts core, hands-on professional programs, and a Yellowstone-region setting gives international and out-of-state students an unusually distinctive American small-college experience.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Regional Colleges West
US News Best Colleges 2024 (tier; verify current placement)
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admission (Fall)
RMC uses rolling admissions; apply any time. Earlier applications get earlier scholarship and housing decisions.
International I-20 deadline (Fall)
Final date for international students to be admitted and have I-20 issued in time for fall.
International I-20 deadline (Spring)
Final date for international students to be admitted and have I-20 issued in time for spring.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$37,006
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
RMC operates the only collegiate aviation program in Montana, accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International. Flight training takes place in college-owned Piper and Beechcraft aircraft and full-motion simulators at Billings Logan International Airport. 100% of graduates passed all four required FAA checkrides every year since 2019.
A pre-professional pipeline anchored by the ARC-PA-accredited Master of Physician Assistant Studies (26 months) — focused on primary care and underserved rural communities in the Intermountain West. Strong pre-med, pre-PA, pre-nursing, and biomedical advising tracks.
One of only a handful of US programs offering this breadth — five equestrian majors plus a pre-vet track covering equitation, equine management, breeding, and therapeutic riding. RMC owns its own herd and equestrian facilities.
The traditional liberal-arts core of RMC, covering humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and fine arts in small classes. Particularly strong in Environmental Science, Psychology, Biology, and Education — all paired with field experiences across Montana's mountain and Yellowstone-region landscapes.
Career-oriented BS programs in Business Administration, Accounting, and Computer Science, designed to pair with RMC's pre-professional and aviation programs.
4 years
Montana's only collegiate aviation degree and one of ~30 AABI-accredited US programs. Students earn all major FAA certificates within four years, fly the college's Piper Archers and Beechcraft Barons out of Billings Logan International, and post a 100% checkride pass rate every year since 2019. 97% of graduates land aviation jobs within their graduation year.
4 years
Five majors — including equine management, equitation instruction, therapeutic riding, and a pre-veterinary option — built around RMC's own equestrian center and herd. One of the broadest equestrian degree portfolios at any US liberal arts college.
2.2 years
26-month ARC-PA-accredited graduate program preparing PAs for primary care, with a clinical focus on rural and underserved communities across Montana, Wyoming, and the broader Intermountain West. Caps the college's Health Sciences pipeline.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $35,582
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
