Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Great Falls, MT (2026)

Great Falls, Montana has 1 accredited school offering early childhood education programs. Great Falls has a population of about 60,412. Median household income is $63,934 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Montana, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $48,140 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Great Falls

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

#1

Stone Child College

Box Elder, MT 85.7 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 34.9
  • 4 year
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: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT 107.3 miles from Great Falls 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

#3

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 127.4 miles from Great Falls 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

#4

Salish Kootenai College

Pablo, MT 131.1 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 53.5
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,725
Avg net price $7,945/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,311
Out‑of‑state$11,583
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 133.9 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 43.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 100

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 148.9 miles from Great Falls 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

#7

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT 170.8 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 50.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 21

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Little Big Horn College

Crow Agency, MT 224.8 miles from Great Falls BOC Score 20.6
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $21,152
Avg net price $8,331/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,200
Out‑of‑state$3,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana early childhood education page.


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Great Falls

Great Falls is part of the Great Falls, MT metro area (BLS area code 24500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Montana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$35,270Great Falls, MT$36,436
Kindergarten Teacher$46,230Great Falls, MT$47,758
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$48,140MT statewide$49,731
Teaching Assistant$34,830Great Falls, MT$35,981

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.


Great Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population60,412Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,934Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Great Falls-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Great Falls. The closest is Stone Child College in Box Elder, MT (85.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Stone Child College (85.7 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Great Falls are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($48,140), Kindergarten Teacher ($46,230), Preschool Teacher ($35,270). 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 Helena instead of Great Falls?

Helena, MT is 71.2 miles from Great Falls and has its own set of local early childhood education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Great Falls an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Great Falls’s median household income of $63,934 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Great Falls 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 Great Falls

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.