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

Missoula, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice 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.

#1

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 95.3 miles from Missoula 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

#2

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 96.3 miles from Missoula 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

#3

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT 125.3 miles from Missoula BOC Score 29.4
  • 4 year
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: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Providence

Great Falls, MT 135.5 miles from Missoula BOC Score 53.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 19

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 162.8 miles from Missoula 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

#6

Montana State University-Northern

Havre, MT 232.4 miles from Missoula BOC Score 44.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 21

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Montana Bible College

Billings, MT 268.8 miles from Missoula
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Tuition
In‑state$14,640
Out‑of‑state$14,640
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Montana State University Billings

Billings, MT 272.0 miles from Missoula 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

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.

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

MetricValueSource
Population75,600Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,329Census 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?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Missoula 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 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: 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.