Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Helena, MT (2026)

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

Helena, Montana has 2 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $8,460 to $33,671 per year for indexed programs. Helena has a population of about 33,126. Median household income is $69,341 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.4% 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 Helena

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

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 79.3 miles from Helena
  • 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

#2

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 94.7 miles from Helena
  • 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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#3

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT 100.4 miles from Helena
  • 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

#4

Salish Kootenai College

Pablo, MT 120.3 miles from Helena
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
53.5 BOC Score
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: 27

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT 142.8 miles from Helena
  • 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

#6

Stone Child College

Box Elder, MT 154.2 miles from Helena
  • 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

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#7

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, MT 156.0 miles from Helena
  • 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

#8

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Harlem, MT 200.4 miles from Helena
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana early childhood education page.

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Helena

Helena is part of the Helena, MT metro area (BLS area code 25740). 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 $35,440 Helena, MT $37,032
Kindergarten Teacher $47,590 MT statewide $49,728
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $48,140 MT statewide $50,303
Teaching Assistant $35,210 Helena, MT $36,792

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.

Helena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 33,126 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,341 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Helena-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Helena. The closest is Montana State University in Bozeman, MT (79.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Montana (94.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Helena are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($48,140), Kindergarten Teacher ($47,590), Preschool Teacher ($35,440). 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 Helena?

Butte, MT is 56.8 miles from Helena 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 Helena an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Helena’s median household income of $69,341 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Helena 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 Helena

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

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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