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Student Life

Student gather on the Oval for an event at the sunset illuminates the sky.

The UM student experience

College is way more than the sum of your classes. It’s also an opportunity to immerse yourself in all that UM’s campus life has to offer. There’s a lot to do. Time to get started.

Find Your Community Find Your Community Housing Housing Dining Dining Supporting the Whole You Supporting the Whole You Spaces on and Around Campus Spaces on and Around Campus The Vibe The Vibe
Find Your Community

Finding friends and building a community is a key factor in student success, retention and persistence to graduation. Connect with the resources here to help you (and your family) build a support network before you start classes.

Welcome to the Grizzly Den

No one likes to enter a party alone. That's why we welcome all new Grizzlies to campus life through student orientation where you will do adult stuff, like register for classes, but also party with fellow students, live the Big Sky Life and settle into campus life.

Connect with your incoming class

Connect with other incoming students before arriving on campus through the ZeeMee app. Once you are accepted to UM, be sure to join the University of Montana Admitted Students community.

Go Greek, Go Far

UM's Greek Life community is small but mighty. Students in this tight-knit squad are service-minded and active on campus and around Missoula. With a focus on academic achievement and networking for career success, our fraternity and sorority members go on to big things.

Welcome, Parents and Families

Help your student make the most of their UM Admissions experience by tapping into a host of resources designed especially for you. Visit the Parents and Families webpage on the Admissions website for more resources.

'I found my dream school'

UM offers the academic excellence that honors student Katherine Wendeln was seeking, but it was the welcoming vibe on campus and in the community that sealed the deal. As a student she's interned with a local nonprofit, joined several student clubs and served as a backpacking trip leader.
The College Tour: Why You Should Choose UM

Connect and elevate

UM is home to a thriving and active honors community of 800 students. Benefits include small class sizes, specialized faculty mentorship and extensive support for out-of-classroom experiences. Plus, the honors student lounge has the best napping couches on campus.

Into LARPing? We've got a club for that.

With more than 180 student organizations on campus, you're certain to find a club that suits your passions. Join a student group that aligns with your long-standing interests or branch out and try something new! View photos and videos of student clubs in action from the staff of the Montana Kaimin, UM's student newspaper.

Housing

Planning to live on campus? Great! Residential students find a lot of opportunities to connect with people from around the world and get an extra few minutes of sleep before they have to get to class. 

We don't call them dorms

Our residence halls are more than a place to crash at night. They’re a home where you’ll make new friends, take a needed break between class and learn to separate your dark laundry from the whites. We offer lots of options to suit your needs.

Shared values, shared living space

Share your passion for exploring social issues, connect with a like-minded community and make lifelong friends who share a vision of creating a better future. Students in our Living Learning Communities live together in a designated floor of our residence halls and share common classes.

From resident to RA

Like many students, Josh Martelon felt nervous about moving far from home to attend college, but living on campus gave him the community support to thrive. Inspired by his on-campus living experience, Josh became a resident assistant and helps other students find their place at UM.
The College Tour: Living on Campus

Apartment Living

Lewis and Clark Village features 2- and 3-bedroom apartments with private bedrooms. Each resident in the apartment has an individual rental contract. Students must have earned at least 24 credits to be eligible to live in Lewis and Clark Village.

Teeter Totter, anyone?

UM’s University Villages is an apartment community that welcomes students with families who are looking for a kid-friendly lifestyle close to campus with access to everyday necessities like laundry machines, bus service, bike racks and play areas.

Dining at UM

You're going to need high quality fuel to get you through busy days of classes, studying and adventuring. Explore the many food options we serve up for our campus community.

Eat your heart out.

Grizzlies have big appetites. That's we've got a smorgasbord of meal plans and dining options to suit your dining preferences. Check out our brand-new dining center, The Lodge, that opened in fall 2024. 
A drone fly-through of UM's new dining facility, The Lodge

Nut allergies? We've got you covered

Eating right is key to your academic success. That's why Campus Dining offers free nutritional counseling to all students with a meal plan. Let us help you navigate your food allergies, religious requirements, medical restrictions and dietary needs.

Green thumbs. Great eats.

When you live in a beautiful place, being earth friendly just comes naturally. UM’s Campus Dining serves locally grown produce – some from our own garden – and reduces waste through extensive recycling and composting efforts.

Food is fuel

Whether dining on campus or venturing around town in search of the best breakfast burrito, fueling up for the day is a major part of the college experience. At UM and around Missoula, there are plenty of options to fill your plate.
The College Tour: The Food Scene
Supporting the Whole You

Supporting your academic journey means supporting all of you. Find the resources you need to find well-being and keep your mind and body healthy.

A culture of well-being

At UM, we recognize that well-being is essential to our success as individuals and as a university. By building a culture of well-being that is embedded into all aspects of campus life, together we can thrive.

Elevate your education

Explore career pathways, grow from enriching out-of-class experiences, set and embrace professional goals and prepare for your desired career path through ElevateU, UM's signature career readiness program.

Healthy bodies. Healthy minds.

UM's Curry Health Center is your one-stop-shop for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, mental health and wellness needs.

Fighting Food Insecurity

The UM Food Pantry provides food and hygiene products to students and community members in need. The Food Pantry can also help connect students with resources like SNAP benefits.

Spaces on and around campus

Spanning 156 acres and encompassing more than 60 buildings, there are several corners of campus that will play an important role in your UM experience. Have a look at some of the highlights here, then check out our Visit page to see our virtual tour and plan your personal visit to Missoula.

Student Central

The University Center is where UM students get things done. From picking out your textbooks to mailing a package to getting your student ID to grabbing a burger to ... well, you get the idea.

Whispering not required.

UM's Mansfield Library is a hub of scholarly activity, with thousands of books, high-tech recording studios, group and individual study spaces, IT support and friendly faces at the checkout desk.

Mountain of Soul

How many universities have a wild mountain as part of their main campus? For us, Mount Sentinel is more than just a place to hike the M Trail. It’s rooted into the soul of our community. And it’s our collective responsibility to sustain this resource for future generations.
Encompassing 600 acres of grassland and forest, it is home to one of Montana’s most popular hiking trails, Mount Sentinel often sees 1,000 visitors a day. Now, UM is helping to preserve it for future generations.

A lodge for learning

The Payne Center Native American Center is home to UM's Native American Studies program and American Indian Student Services. The building incorporates several design elements that represent Native American culture and Montana’s Indigenous tribes.

Not all dens are for hibernating

UM Gaming Den is the campus epicenter for friendly competition, from its bank of billiard tables to its gaming consoles and board games. And in the winter, we can hook you up with a nice pair of ice skates.
The Vibe

There's a feeling at UM that can be hard to describe, but once you set foot on campus, you'll get it. In fact, ask any Griz how they knew UM was right for them, the most common answer you'll hear is: "It just felt right."

There is no place like Missoula

You will find it all here: A vibrant downtown with restaurants and retail, a world-class public library, our own surf wave in the Clark Fork River, four distinct shopping districts throughout town, top-notch concert venues, public art, open space and beautiful views in every direction.

Be the Change

Every day at UM, students with visions for a better future are boldly pursuing public service, activism and social justice. The result is a campus culture that sparks lives of impact.

Life as a Griz

Attending UM is about more than coursework, class schedules and textbooks. UM students are active throughout Missoula's vibrant community and can be found exploring all corners of Montana.
The College Tour: Life as a Griz

Thriving in winter

Curious about what winter is like in Missoula, Montana? Check out a new post on the UM blog to find our tips for surviving - and thriving - during the winter months.

Traditions That Make Us Montana

Our traditions aren't like the usual stuffy university traditions, they're cool traditions. Like the president delivering pizzas to the student section in the stadium, an ice rink on the Oval, tubing down the river and bonfires of varying sizes.
THE VIBE: STUDENT SCENES
Image Gallery
Students play a lawn game on the Oval during WelcomeFeast.
WelcomeFeast brings students to the Oval for games and free lunch each fall.
Students pet a dog during a Stress Less event in the UC.
If you like dogs, you're in luck. There's a dog every wherever you look in Missoula, including this guy who attended a recent StressLess event during finals week.
A student ice skates on the rink on the Oval. Main Hall stands in the background.
Sharpening your skating skills and show us your moves on UM's ice rink.
Students sing and dance during Orientation karaoke.
Orientation karaoke has been known to get a little crazy.
A student sings into a microphone while playing guitar on the Oval.
Missoula's concert scene is fire, but our favorite shows involve students on the Oval.
Two students dance at the Foresters' Ball.
They say the Foresters' Ball is a "swingin good time" and they aren't wrong. Head to this annual party held in a replica western town built by forestry students to to cut a rug, get married (or divorced), go to jail and flex your flannel.
Three students in white lab coats share a laugh
First-year pharmacy students work to make a hard candy compound during a lab.
A student walks a slackline between two trees.
You'll know spring is near when students break out the slacklines.
A student takes a rest while ice fishing
It's definitely OK to take a quick nap while ice fishing.
A dancer rehearses before a performance
Students in the School of Theatre and Dance rehearse for the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Benefit Concert.
A student reads a hardback book in the University Center.
The University Center is a favorite spot to take in some greenery in the dead of winter.
A cross-country skier skates the groomed trails at the UM Golf Course.
The groomed cross-country ski trails at the UM Golf Course are a popular option in winter.
An art student draws while sitting outside
It's tradition on campus to take class outside as soon as the weather warms up.
A person takes in student art work displayed in the Gallery of Visual Arts
The Gallery of Visual Arts displays student artwork throughout the year.