Best Online Accounting Programs in Great Falls, MT (2026)

Great Falls, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering accounting programs, with tuition ranging from $3,610 to $13,607 per year for indexed programs. Great Falls has a population of about 60,412. Median household income is $63,934 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Great Falls, MT metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $131,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to Great Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer accounting programs near Great Falls, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Great Falls city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Great Falls. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 71.1 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 50.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,738
Avg net price $11,593/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,146
Out‑of‑state$11,318
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stone Child College

Box Elder, MT 85.7 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 34.9
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $24,555
Avg net price $4,424/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Highlands College of Montana Tech

Butte, MT 123.5 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 40.9
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,329
Avg net price $14,962/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 127.4 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 51.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,263
Avg net price $22,499/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,460
Out‑of‑state$33,287
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 133.9 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 43.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,511
Avg net price $16,784/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,552
Out‑of‑state$33,671
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 148.9 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 54.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,520
Avg net price $8,099/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,912
Out‑of‑state$11,659
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Montana State University Billings

Billings, MT 176.7 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 33.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $16,524/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,280
Out‑of‑state$22,897
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Miles Community College

Miles City, MT 268.9 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 65.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,862
Avg net price $10,405/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,818
Out‑of‑state$10,626
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana accounting page.


Accounting Wages Near Great Falls

Great Falls is part of the Great Falls, MT metro area (BLS area code 24500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Montana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$72,510Great Falls, MT$74,907
Financial Manager$131,420Great Falls, MT$135,764
Financial Analyst$99,190MT statewide$102,469
Budget Analyst$79,700MT statewide$82,335
Tax Preparer$63,080MT statewide$65,165
Tax Examiner and Collector$63,610MT statewide$65,713
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$45,890Great Falls, MT$47,407

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Great Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population60,412Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,934Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Cascade County214 workers, 76 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Great Falls-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Great Falls, MT?

Accredited schools offering accounting programs near Great Falls are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Great Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Great Falls are: Financial Manager ($131,420), Financial Analyst ($99,190), Budget Analyst ($79,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Montana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Helena instead of Great Falls?

Helena, MT is 71.2 miles from Great Falls and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Great Falls an affordable place to study accounting?

Great Falls’s median household income of $63,934 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Great Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Montana public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Great Falls

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Great Falls:

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.