GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Great Falls College MSU is growing — and the numbers back it up.
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The college has 1,614 students enrolled this fall, up 8.3% from 1,490 students a year ago, according to the school. Since 2022, headcount enrollment has grown 35.4%, climbing from 1,192 students to where it stands today. Full-time equivalent enrollment has also risen, from 884 students last fall to 949 this year — a 7.3% gain.
For second-year student Jazmyn Ramos, who grew up in Valier with a graduating class of seven kids, the choice to attend GFC came down to something simple.
"It was close enough to family, but also far enough away from family that I still could reach out if I needed the help," Ramos said. "I could still be independent enough and do everything that I needed while also having them close by so I could go to them for help."
CEO and Dean Dr. Leanne Frost says affordability is driving the growth — especially as the cost of living rises across Montana.
"I think as inflation is increasing and cost of living is going up, a lot of students are looking for an affordable option that will still help them achieve their goals," Frost said. "And they're hearing the message that Great Falls College is that choice. You'll get a good education; it's affordable."
Frost added that it's not just new students fueling the numbers. The college recorded 569 continuing students this fall, up 8.4% from 525 a year ago — a sign that students are staying and finishing what they started. Dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college classes, also increased.
Classes at GFC are capped at 25 students, a contrast to larger universities where introductory courses can seat hundreds. Frost says that environment makes a difference.
Beyond degree programs, the college's Career and Technical Education department served 354 additional learners last year through noncredit workforce trainings in areas including Certified Nursing Assistant, structural welding, Commercial Driver's Licenses, basic floor installation and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.
And starting in January, GFC launches an electrical grid operator training program — the first of its kind on any campus in the nation — backed by a Berkshire Hathaway Foundation grant. Graduates who pass their certification exam can enter the workforce immediately.
"When you have Goldman Sachs Foundation, Berkshire Hathaway Foundation — those are large, international, national companies — recognizing that even though Great Falls College is not that big, what we do, we do really well," Frost said.
For students like Ramos, GFC is a launchpad, not a final destination. The plan: start here, build a foundation, and transfer to a four-year university when the time is right.
Anyone interested in the grid operator training program can contact the Career and Technical Education department at 406-268-3734 or cet@gfcmsu.edu.
