Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Butte, MT (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Butte, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,146 to $33,287 per year for indexed programs. Butte has a population of about 30,584. In Montana, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $103,720 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Butte

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Butte, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Butte 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 Butte. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 56.9 miles from Butte
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.2 BOC Score
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: 16

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 79.2 miles from Butte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.3 BOC Score
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: 108

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Providence

Great Falls, MT 127.9 miles from Butte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 50%
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,296
Avg net price $17,649/yr
Tuition
In‑state$30,448
Out‑of‑state$30,448
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 178.9 miles from Butte
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.5 BOC Score
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: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT 183.8 miles from Butte
  • 4 year
29.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 14%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $22,953
Avg net price $5,410/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Montana State University Billings

Billings, MT 199.1 miles from Butte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
33.7 BOC Score
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: 60

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Montana State University-Northern

Havre, MT 229.5 miles from Butte
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,505
Avg net price $12,664/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,982
Out‑of‑state$21,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar, MT 383.2 miles from Butte
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
33.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $14,747
Avg net price $400/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,250
Out‑of‑state$2,250
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Butte

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Montana, statewide)
Attorney $103,720
Judge or Magistrate $84,630
Police Supervisor $89,380
Detective or Criminal Investigator $92,410
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $70,050
Correctional Officer $49,180
Probation Officer $59,750
Forensic Science Technician $82,200
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $57,290
Information Security Analyst $81,950

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.

Other Butte-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Butte, MT?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Butte. The closest is Helena College University of Montana in Helena, MT (56.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montana State University (79.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles in Montana?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles in Montana are: Attorney ($103,720), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($92,410), Police Supervisor ($89,380). Wages for Butte workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Helena instead of Butte?

Helena, MT is 56.8 miles from Butte and has its own set of local criminal justice programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Criminal Justice Programs

Other Programs Available in Butte

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Criminal Justice Schools in Montana (2026)