43 public K-12 schools in Billings from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
43 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Billings's 43 public schools is Billings West High School, scoring 35/100, against a city average of 38.7/100. Computed live across every Billings campus reporting to NCES.
How the Billings Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Billings, MT enrolls 18,636 students across 43 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 14.9:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 38.7/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Billings on this index is Billings West High School, at 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,115 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Billings spans 10 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Billings school enrollment varies 132× across entities
Billings school enrollment ranges from 16 students (lowest) to 2,115 students (highest), a spread of 2,099 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Billings operates 10 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country
Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.
Billings student-teacher ratio is 14.9:1 — near the typical range (US average ~15.7) — aligned with the U.S. average of approximately 15.7:1
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Variation between sub-units within Billings is typically wider than the Billings-aggregate figure suggests.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Billings
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Billings is Billings West High School with a quality score of 35/100. There are 43 public schools in Billings with 18,636 total students.
How many schools are in Billings, MT? ▼
Billings has 43 public schools with a total enrollment of 18,636 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 14.9:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
