Best Environmental Science Schools Near Great Falls, MT (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Great Falls, Montana has 1 accredited school offering environmental science 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 environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $100,140 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Great Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science 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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Stone Child College

Box Elder, MT 85.7 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

#2

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 127.3 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

#3

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT 133.6 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

#4

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Harlem, MT 135.7 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

#5

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT 170.8 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

Rocky Mountain College

Billings, MT 175.6 miles from Great Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
41.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,036
Avg net price $19,751/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,582
Out‑of‑state$35,582
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Little Big Horn College

Crow Agency, MT 224.8 miles from Great Falls
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
20.6 BOC Score
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: 9

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar, MT 286.4 miles from Great Falls
  • 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

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana environmental science page.

Environmental Science Wages Near Great Falls

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Montana, statewide)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$80,260
Conservation Scientist$73,920
Environmental Engineer$100,140
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$78,850

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 Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Great Falls, MT?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering environmental science 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 environmental science roles in Montana?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles in Montana are: Environmental Engineer ($100,140), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($80,260), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($78,850). Wages for Great Falls workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

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 environmental science 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 environmental science?

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 Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Great Falls

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

Data verified: September 1, 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 Environmental Science Schools in Montana (2026)