Samuel Stebbins,  24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square

 Deciding where to go college is the first major life decision many Americans make. And while there are many factors to weigh when selecting a school – including cost and distance from home – many of the 16.6 million American college students today chose to enroll in the best school they could get into.

It is generally believed that graduates of elite colleges and universities are better positioned for higher-paying careers later in life. And there is plenty of evidence to back this claim. According to one study conducted between 1996 and 2014, about 38% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 45% of billionaires attended elite post-secondary schools.

Because elite colleges and universities offer high quality and rigorous academic programs, they receive far more applications each year than they can accept. As a result, many of the best schools in the country are also the most selective. It is worth noting that those who graduate from top-tier institutions are high achievers to begin with, and therefore, any career success cannot be attributed to their college education alone.

Based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, of the six colleges or universities in Montana with available data, The University of Montana-Western, located in Dillon, ranks as the hardest school to get into. Only 33.3% of applicants for the fall 2021 semester were admitted, and the median SAT score among enrolled students in the 2020-2021 academic year was 1005 out of a possible 1600.

The average cost of attending The University of Montana-Western as a full-time student is $17,790 for one academic year. Average annual cost of attendance is only for full-time, first-time, undergraduates who receive Title IV aid.

All schools in each state with at least 1,000 applicants in fall 2021 were ranked.