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

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Helena, Montana has 3 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Helena has a population of about 33,126. Median household income is $69,341 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Helena, MT metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $108,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Helena

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Helena. Distances are calculated from Helena 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 Helena. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 0.2 miles from Helena BOC Score50.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Providence

Great Falls, MT 71.2 miles from Helena BOC Score53.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 78.6 miles from Helena 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 Helena

Helena is part of the Helena, MT metro area (BLS area code 25740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Montana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$108,410Helena, MT$113,281
Judge or Magistrate$84,630MT statewide$88,433
Police Supervisor$97,850Helena, MT$102,247
Detective or Criminal Investigator$73,950Helena, MT$77,273
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$75,430Helena, MT$78,819
Correctional Officer$52,140Helena, MT$54,483
Probation Officer$59,750MT statewide$62,435
Forensic Science Technician$82,200MT statewide$85,893
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$64,210Helena, MT$67,095
Information Security Analyst$81,950Helena, MT$85,632

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.

Helena at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population33,126Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$69,341Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Helena-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Helena. The closest is Helena College University of Montana in Helena, MT (0.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montana State University (78.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Helena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Helena are: Attorney ($108,410), Police Supervisor ($97,850), Judge or Magistrate ($84,630). 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 Butte instead of Helena?

Butte, MT is 56.8 miles from Helena 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.

Is Helena an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Helena’s median household income of $69,341 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Helena 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 Criminal Justice Programs

Other Programs Available in Helena

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

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.

Back to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Montana (2026)

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