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

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

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 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Missoula. Distances are calculated from Missoula 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 Missoula. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 95.3 miles from Missoula BOC Score54.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 96.3 miles from Missoula BOC Score50.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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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.

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?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Missoula. The closest is Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, MT (95.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Helena College University of Montana (96.3 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: 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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