Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Missoula, MT (2026)

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

Missoula, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,146 to $15,819 per year for indexed programs. Missoula has a population of about 75,600. Median household income is $65,329 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Missoula, MT metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Police Supervisor at a median $113,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Missoula

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

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

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#1

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 95.0 miles from Missoula
  • 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

#2

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 96.2 miles from Missoula
  • 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

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#3

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT 125.2 miles from Missoula
  • 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

#4

University of Providence

Great Falls, MT 135.6 miles from Missoula
  • 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

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#5

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 164.0 miles from Missoula
  • 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

#6

Montana State University-Northern

Havre, MT 231.7 miles from Missoula
  • 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

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#7

Montana State University Billings

Billings, MT 271.9 miles from Missoula
  • 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

#8

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar, MT 420.2 miles from Missoula
  • 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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Missoula

Missoula is part of the Missoula, MT metro area (BLS area code 33540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Montana statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $100,490 Missoula, MT $104,243
Judge or Magistrate $84,630 MT statewide $87,790
Police Supervisor $113,990 Missoula, MT $118,247
Detective or Criminal Investigator $99,560 Missoula, MT $103,278
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $77,610 Missoula, MT $80,508
Correctional Officer $79,720 Missoula, MT $82,697
Probation Officer $59,750 MT statewide $61,981
Forensic Science Technician $82,200 Missoula, MT $85,270
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $50,670 Missoula, MT $52,562
Information Security Analyst $76,360 Missoula, MT $79,212

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.

Missoula at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 75,600 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,329 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 51.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Missoula-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Missoula. The closest is Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, MT (95.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Helena College University of Montana (96.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Missoula are: Police Supervisor ($113,990), Attorney ($100,490), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($99,560). 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 Missoula?

Butte, MT is 92.8 miles from Missoula 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 Missoula an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Missoula’s median household income of $65,329 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Missoula 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 Missoula

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

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)