Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Billings, MT

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

Billings, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $1,960 to $17,734 per year for indexed programs. Billings has a population of about 118,321. Median household income is $71,855 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Montana, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $47,590 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Billings

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Billings, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Billings 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 Billings. 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

Chief Dull Knife College

Lame Deer, MT 91.7 miles from Billings
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
13.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 13%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $20,073
Avg net price $14,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,960
Out‑of‑state$1,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 120.8 miles from Billings
  • 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

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#3

Stone Child College

Box Elder, MT 183.6 miles from Billings
  • 4 year
34.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $24,555
Avg net price $4,424/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Harlem, MT 186.5 miles from Billings
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
27.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,528
Avg net price $7,887/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,080
Out‑of‑state$3,080
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT 202.1 miles from Billings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,229
Avg net price $16,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,670
Out‑of‑state$20,130
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dawson Community College

Glendive, MT 202.9 miles from Billings
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,951
Avg net price $9,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar, MT 225.5 miles from Billings
  • 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

#8

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 269.5 miles from Billings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
43.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,511
Avg net price $16,784/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,552
Out‑of‑state$33,671
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 152

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 early childhood education page.

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Billings

Billings is part of the Billings, MT metro area (BLS area code 13740). 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)
Preschool Teacher $37,090 Billings, MT $39,668
Kindergarten Teacher $47,590 MT statewide $50,898
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $44,950 Billings, MT $48,075
Teaching Assistant $32,140 Billings, MT $34,374

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.

Billings at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,321 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $71,855 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Billings, MT?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Billings. The closest is Northwest College in Powell, WY (71.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chief Dull Knife College (91.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Billings?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Billings are: Kindergarten Teacher ($47,590), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($44,950), Preschool Teacher ($37,090). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Montana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Is Billings an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Billings’s median household income of $71,855 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Billings 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 Early Childhood Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Billings

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

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.

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