Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Butte, MT (2026)

Butte, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice 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 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Butte. Distances are calculated from Butte city center.

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.

#1

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 56.9 miles from Butte BOC Score50.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 77.8 miles from Butte BOC Score51.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Butte

OccupationMedian 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 (77.8 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: June 11, 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.