Our Purpose
![Looking down on Main Hall from a drone directly above the building](/_resources/img/drone-main-hall.jpg)
Our mission is Montana
Founded in 1893, the University of Montana continues to innovate through the courageous
creativity of those who call it home.
Today, Montana is proud to have over 10,000 Grizzlies across a variety of fields,
all of whom contribute their passion and practicality toward stewardship and sustainability
for the world around us.
![A UM student plants a tree in the forest](/_resources/img/tree-planting.jpg)
It’s simple: a top-ranked education you can afford. In one of the most gorgeous locations on Earth. With endless student experiences. And a close-knit community that’s dedicated to helping you find success, whatever your success looks like. That’s Montana. And we’re remaking the world, one Grizzly at a time.
![A student takes in a colorful sunset from the M on Mount Sentinel](/_resources/img/sentinel-sunset.jpg)
Helping students like you craft their future ethically and courageously is what we do here. It’s the grizzly way of life in Montana, and also our Latin motto: “Lux et Veritas,” meaning “Light and Truth.”
![Students at Commencement smile while holding beach balls as the student on the right snaps a selfie of the group](/_resources/img/commencement-beach-balls.jpg)
The University of Montana lies within the aboriginal territories of the Salish and Kalispel people. Today, we honor the path they have always shown us in caring for this place for the generations to come.
![A sage bushel burns during a ceremony outside the Payne Family Native American Center at UM.](/_resources/img/sunrise-smudge.jpg)