Enrollment
1,262
Montana · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Missoula, MT
Hellgate High School
Federal NCES profile for Hellgate High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 301854000562
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hellgate High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Missoula · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 1,262
- students enrolled
Hellgate High School has class sizes near the Montana median. Computed live against every Montana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hellgate High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Missoula, MT.
School address
District: Missoula H S · Montana
NCES ID 301854000562 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
92.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 11.8:1 Montana avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hellgate High School compares with Montana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hellgate High School
Hellgate High School is a large high school in Missoula, Montana, enrolling 1,262 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Montana schools by student-teacher ratio.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Montana, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,262 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 826 scored Montana schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Missoula H S spends $13,212 per pupil, 31% below the Montana average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Missoula's high schools, it stands alongside Sentinel High School (1,365 students): Hellgate High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 16.3:1).
Missoula H S also operates Sentinel High School (1,365 students) and Big Sky High School (1,148 students) alongside Hellgate High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hellgate High School compares
Hellgate High School on the metrics families compare, against Montana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Montana | Montana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 1,262 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,262
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 63% in Montana - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
62.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,212
per pupil, district-wide
- below Montana avg of $19,282
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 84.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.9%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.6, Hellgate High School is more mixed than the Montana school average of 23.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Missoula H S, which includes Hellgate High School.
$13,212
Per student
-31%
vs Montana
Avg $19,282
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.8%
State 38.4%
Federal 13.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Hellgate High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Sky High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seeley-Swan High School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hellgate High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,365
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 85
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Missoula
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Montana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hellgate High School's federal record.
- Compare Hellgate High School against another school. Compare schools
- Missoula H S's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Hellgate High School
How many students attend Hellgate High School?
Hellgate High School has 1,262 students enrolled. It is a high school in Missoula, MT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hellgate High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hellgate High School is 13.7:1, which is 16% higher than the Montana average of 11.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hellgate High School?
The largest demographic group at Hellgate High School is White at 84.8% of enrollment, in Missoula, MT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hellgate High School?
Hellgate High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hellgate High School rank among high schools in Missoula?
By Resource Investment Index, Hellgate High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Missoula, MT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Missoula on the city page.
Is Hellgate High School a good school?
Hellgate High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Montana median. It is also one of the largest schools in Montana. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Missoula H S?
Besides Hellgate High School, Missoula H S also operates Sentinel High School (1,365 students), Big Sky High School (1,148 students), and Seeley-Swan High School (85 students). See the Missoula H S district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.