<p>I am currently a junior in Montana and I'm leaning towards a physics major in college. I was wondering how Montana State University matched up for physics major with other colleges in the country. It looks like I may end up there due to money.haha And maybe some other school suggestions to look at would also be appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Any ideas?</p>
<p>Hi kjsdude. You certainly picked a good department at Montana State (you are referring to Bozeman right?). The department has a robust graduate program, which is a good indicator of the quality of a program. There are some 20 or 30 faculty, which provides a great diversity of topics. They seem to have significant funding through the NSF and DOE. Their areas of strength seem to be solar, optics, astrophysics and solid state physics. If those seem like your cup of tea, then you are in great shape. </p>
<p>There is no question that Montana State outshines Univ of Montana for physics though if you are also looking for other universities to compare and cost is an issue. Check out the Western Undergraduate Exchange for schools that offer something along the lines of reciprocity for residents of western states. I particularly suggest that you check out Univ of New Mexico which is considered among the best in applied physics and nuclear engineering (included in the WUE program). Best of luck.
[WICHE</a> - Student Exchange Programs](<a href=“http://wue.wiche.edu/]WICHE”>http://wue.wiche.edu/)</p>
<p>Thanks guys. That takes a lot of worry away.lol</p>
<p>D is a horse enthusiast from NJ, possibly an animal science major. Does not ski, but thinks Montana State would be a good fit. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>We are not from Montana but know of 2 kids who are there and love it.</p>
<p>The school sounds great but am worried about the distance. Where are the 2 kids from?</p>