Which Montana University is Better? The Results are In

School is in session. Both the University of Montana and Montana State University classes are underway. Students not only come from around the state, but they are coming from all parts of the country. Recently while on the MSU campus, I saw license plates from New York, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey and Colorado. On the University of Montana campus I saw plates from North Carolina, Wyoming, California, Alaska and Texas. I am sure if I had spent some more time on both campuses, I would have spotted plates from almost every state in the country.

Both schools offer a good education and both are located in some pretty amazing places. I have a confession to make: I have a child attending each university, so I have found myself in the position of trying not to be biased about one school over the other.  But one school does rank higher than the other.

According to U.S. News & World Report they have announced the rankings of "The 2025 Best Colleges". The best "National University" is Princeton University in New Jersey. The best "National Liberal Arts College" is Williams College in Massachusetts.

Montana's two universities are on the list. Coming in at number 296 in National Universities and 161 in top Public Schools is Montana State University. The University of Montana comes in at 377 in National Universities and 200 in top Public Schools.

This year the University of Montana has seen one of its biggest enrollment jumps in over a decade.

Read More: UM Enrollment Boasts Its Largest Leap in the Last 15 Years

The rivalry between the University of Montana and Montana State University runs deep and has been around for generations. These rankings will probably only add to the storied rivalry.