Missoula, Montana is home to about 75,600 residents. 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 forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $99,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Missoula
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Missoula, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Missoula 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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.
Acceptance rate
50%
Graduation rate
36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,296
Avg net price
$17,649/yr
TuitionIn‑state$30,448
Out‑of‑state$30,448
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 19
Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Montana schools on the Montana forensic science page.
Forensic Science 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $82,200 | Missoula, MT | $85,270 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $99,560 | Missoula, MT | $103,278 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $77,610 | Missoula, MT | $80,508 |
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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 75,600 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $65,329 | Census 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 Forensic Science Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Missoula?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Missoula are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($99,560), Forensic Science Technician ($82,200), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($77,610). 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 forensic science 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 forensic science?
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 Forensic Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Missoula
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Missoula:
- Business Development programs in Missoula, MT
- Construction Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Economics programs in Missoula, MT
- Financial Technology programs in Missoula, MT
- Forensic Accounting programs in Missoula, MT
- Health Information Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Hospitality Management programs in Missoula, MT
- International Business programs in Missoula, MT
- Organizational Leadership programs in Missoula, MT
- Management Information Systems programs in Missoula, MT
- Nonprofit Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Operations Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Public Administration programs in Missoula, MT
- Real Estate programs in Missoula, MT
- Recreation Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Retail Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Risk Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Statistics programs in Missoula, MT
- Taxation programs in Missoula, MT
- Corrections programs in Missoula, MT
- Crime Analysis programs in Missoula, MT
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Missoula, MT
- Criminology programs in Missoula, MT
- Cybercrime programs in Missoula, MT
- Emergency Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Fire Science programs in Missoula, MT
- Legal Services programs in Missoula, MT
- Legal Studies programs in Missoula, MT
- Paralegal programs in Missoula, MT
- Security Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Cloud Computing programs in Missoula, MT
- Computer Engineering programs in Missoula, MT
- Innovation programs in Missoula, MT
- Mobile App Development programs in Missoula, MT
- Software Development programs in Missoula, MT
- User Experience programs in Missoula, MT
- Web Development programs in Missoula, MT
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Missoula, MT
- Machine Learning programs in Missoula, MT
- Supply Chain Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Data Analytics programs in Missoula, MT
- Public Health programs in Missoula, MT
- Human Resources programs in Missoula, MT
- Project Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Special Education programs in Missoula, MT
- Homeland Security programs in Missoula, MT
- Marketing programs in Missoula, MT
- Finance programs in Missoula, MT
- Kinesiology programs in Missoula, MT
- Sports Management programs in Missoula, MT
- Early Childhood Education programs in Missoula, MT
- Elementary Education programs in Missoula, MT
- Biology programs in Missoula, MT
- Communications programs in Missoula, MT
- Graphic Design programs in Missoula, MT
- Human Services programs in Missoula, MT
- MBA programs in Missoula, MT
- Criminal Justice programs in Missoula, MT
- Nursing programs in Missoula, MT
- Business Administration programs in Missoula, MT
- Computer Science programs in Missoula, MT
- Psychology programs in Missoula, MT
- Education programs in Missoula, MT
- Engineering programs in Missoula, MT
- Technology programs in Missoula, MT
- Liberal Arts programs in Missoula, MT
- Healthcare programs in Missoula, MT
- Cybersecurity programs in Missoula, MT
- Accounting programs in Missoula, MT
- Healthcare Administration programs in Missoula, MT
- Social Work programs in Missoula, MT
- Counseling programs in Missoula, MT
Data verified: August 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.
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