All rankings · Montana
Best Montana public schools
Eight rankings of Montana's public schools from the latest NCES + state-assessment data. Unlike most school rankings, this list leads with BeatsExpectations: a demographics-adjusted score that asks how a school performs relative to what its student population would predict, not just in absolute terms.
Montana schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios
Schools with 200+ students reporting the fewest students per teacher. Excludes virtual.| # | School | City | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poplar School | Poplar | 8.9:1 |
| 2 | Southside School | Wolf Point | 9.7:1 |
| 3 | Mountain View School | Great Falls | 9.8:1 |
| 4 | Hardin Primary | Hardin | 10.8:1 |
| 5 | Stamiksiitsiikin BullShoe Elem | Browning | 11.3:1 |
| 6 | St Ignatius Elementary School | St Ignatius | 11.4:1 |
| 7 | Shelby Elementary School | Shelby | 11.6:1 |
| 8 | McKinley School | Billings | 11.7:1 |
| 9 | Browning Elementary | Browning | 11.7:1 |
| 10 | H C Davis Elementary | Cut Bank | 11.8:1 |
| 11 | Washington School | Billings | 11.8:1 |
| 12 | Ponderosa School | Billings | 11.9:1 |
| 13 | Franklin School | Missoula | 11.9:1 |
| 14 | Washington Middle School | Glendive | 12.0:1 |
| 15 | Wolf Point High School | Wolf Point | 12.0:1 |
Fastest-growing Montana public schools, 2017-2024
Schools open in both years with 200+ enrollment in 2017, ranked by % change.| # | School | City | Enrollment Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Valley Middle School | Kalispell | +84% |
| 2 | Frenchtown 6-8 | Frenchtown | +53% |
| 3 | Washington Middle School 6-8 | Miles City | +44% |
| 4 | Meadowlark School | Billings | +40% |
| 5 | Browning Middle School | Browning | +35% |
| 6 | Sunnyside School | Havre | +32% |
| 7 | Daly School | Hamilton | +30% |
| 8 | McKinley School | Billings | +29% |
| 9 | Hamilton Middle School | Hamilton | +28% |
| 10 | Whitefish High School | Whitefish | +28% |
| 11 | Bryant School | Helena | +25% |
| 12 | Elder Grove 7-8 | Billings | +24% |
| 13 | Poplar High School | Poplar | +23% |
| 14 | Lowell School | Missoula | +23% |
| 15 | Helena Flats School | Kalispell | +23% |
Most racially diverse Montana public schools
Schools ranked by how balanced their student body is. The largest single racial group's share of enrollment, lowest first.| # | School | City | Max group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H C Davis Elementary | Cut Bank | 40.7% White (85) |
| 2 | Longfellow School | Great Falls | 40.7% White (107) |
| 3 | Orchard School | Billings | 43.5% White (148) |
| 4 | St Ignatius Elementary School | St Ignatius | 43.8% Native American (92) |
| 5 | Pine Butte Elementary Sch | Colstrip | 46.5% White (101) |
| 6 | Ronan High School | Ronan | 46.5% Native American (175) |
| 7 | Pablo Elementary | Pablo | 46.7% Native American (107) |
| 8 | Arlee Elementary | Arlee | 47.6% Native American (98) |
| 9 | K William Harvey Elem | Ronan | 49.5% Native American (187) |
| 10 | Washington School | Billings | 50.0% White |
| 11 | Ponderosa School | Billings | 52.4% White (145) |
| 12 | McKinley School | Billings | 52.8% White (179) |
| 13 | Newman School | Billings | 54.6% White (136) |
| 14 | Polson Middle School | Polson | 54.9% White (262) |
| 15 | Bench School | Billings | 56.6% White (188) |
Largest Montana public schools
Brick-and-mortar schools ranked by total enrollment. Virtual schools excluded.| # | School | City | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billings West High School | Billings | 2,115 |
| 2 | Billings Sr High School | Billings | 1,629 |
| 3 | Great Falls High School | Great Falls | 1,548 |
| 4 | Skyview High School | Billings | 1,542 |
| 5 | Flathead High School | Kalispell | 1,541 |
| 6 | Gallatin High School | Bozeman | 1,442 |
| 7 | C M Russell High School | Great Falls | 1,412 |
| 8 | Glacier High School | Kalispell | 1,402 |
| 9 | Sentinel High School | Missoula | 1,365 |
| 10 | Capital High School | Helena | 1,293 |
| 11 | Bozeman High School | Bozeman | 1,279 |
| 12 | Butte High School | Butte | 1,266 |
| 13 | Hellgate High School | Missoula | 1,262 |
| 14 | Big Sky High School | Missoula | 1,148 |
| 15 | Kalispell Middle School | Kalispell | 1,049 |
About these rankings
These tables use the most recent NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) for enrollment, demographics, and staffing, and state-native assessment data (typically 2023-24 or 2024-25) for proficiency. BeatsExpectations is computed via per-state ordinary-least-squares regression of composite proficiency on free-and-reduced-lunch share. Full methodology.
License: CC-BY 4.0. Reproduce these rankings anywhere with attribution to allk12.com. Press contact: [email protected].
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