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

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Great Falls, Montana has 1 accredited school offering political 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 political science-related role is Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $109,050 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Great Falls

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political 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

Carroll College

Helena, MT 71.3 miles from Great Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,772
Avg net price $23,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 35

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

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#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

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

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#5

Montana State University Billings

Billings, MT 176.7 miles from Great Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
33.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $16,524/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,280
Out‑of‑state$22,897
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Political Scientists N/A MT statewide –
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $109,050 MT statewide $112,655
Management Analysts $95,690 Great Falls, MT $98,853
Public Relations Specialists $50,190 Great Falls, MT $51,849
Survey Researchers N/A MT statewide –
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $57,090 Great Falls, MT $58,977
Compliance Officers $66,660 Great Falls, MT $68,864
Social and Community Service Managers $72,420 Great Falls, MT $74,814

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

Metric Value Source
Population 60,412 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,934 Census 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 Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering political science programs near Great Falls. The closest is Carroll College in Helena, MT (71.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carroll College (71.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Great Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Great Falls are: Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($109,050), Management Analysts ($95,690), Social and Community Service Managers ($72,420). 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 political 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 political 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 Political Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Great Falls

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Political Science Schools in Montana (2026)