Montana · NCES CCD 2024-25

Best Student-Teacher Ratios in Montana

The 50 public schools in Montana with the lowest student-teacher ratios, a staffing-intensity measure computed from NCES staffing data (not a direct class-size figure).

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026

The ranking in one line

Central School runs Montana's smallest classes at 7.1:1, and 50 of the 50 schools listed sit below the state average of 11.8:1.

7.1:1
smallest classes (Central School): 50
listed schools below the state average: 11.8:1
Montana average: 15.7:1
national average

#	School	Enrollment	Level	District	Vs State Avg	Student:Teacher
1	Central SchoolHelena	242	Other	Helena Elem	-40%	7.1:1
2	Colstrip High SchoolColstrip	155	High	Colstrip H S	-31%	8.2:1
3	Fairfield High SchoolFairfield	107	High	Fairfield H S	-31%	8.2:1
4	Sleeping Giant Middle SchLivingston	261	Middle	Livingston Elem	-29%	8.4:1
5	Highland Park SchoolLewistown	159	Elementary	Lewistown Elem	-29%	8.4:1
6	Culbertson SchoolCulbertson	124	Other	Culbertson Elem	-25%	8.9:1
7	B a Winans SchoolLivingston	267	Other	Livingston Elem	-22%	9.2:1
8	Frank Brattin Middle SchlColstrip	119	Middle	Colstrip Elem	-22%	9.2:1
9	St Ignatius High SchoolSt Ignatius	121	High	St Ignatius K-12 Schools	-21%	9.3:1
10	Baker High SchoolBaker	133	High	Baker K-12 Schools	-19%	9.5:1
11	Blue Creek SchoolBillings	145	Other	Blue Creek Elem	-18%	9.7:1
12	Conrad High SchoolConrad	126	High	Conrad H S	-18%	9.7:1
13	Whittier SchoolGreat Falls	187	Other	Great Falls Elem	-17%	9.8:1
14	Hardin PrimaryHardin	287	Other	Hardin Elem	-16%	9.9:1
15	Anaconda Jr High SchoolAnaconda	148	Middle	Anaconda Elem	-16%	9.9:1
16	St Ignatius Elementary SchoolSt Ignatius	210	Other	St Ignatius K-12 Schools	-15%	10:1
17	Southside SchoolWolf Point	214	Other	Wolf Point Elem	-14%	10.2:1
18	Poplar SchoolPoplar	329	Other	Poplar Elem	-13%	10.3:1
19	Meadowlark SchoolChinook	144	Other	Chinook Elem	-13%	10.3:1
20	Poplar 5-6 SchoolPoplar	124	Elementary	Poplar Elem	-13%	10.3:1
21	Forsyth High SchoolForsyth	103	High	Forsyth H S	-13%	10.3:1
22	Red Lodge High SchoolRed Lodge	176	High	Red Lodge H S	-12%	10.4:1
23	Mountain View SchoolGreat Falls	315	Other	Great Falls Elem	-11%	10.5:1
24	Poplar 7-8Poplar	117	Middle	Poplar Elem	-10%	10.6:1
25	Malta High SchoolMalta	128	High	Malta K-12 Schools	-9%	10.7:1
26	Shields Valley ElementaryWilsall	107	Other	Shields Valley Elem	-9%	10.7:1
27	Browning ElementaryBrowning	258	Elementary	Browning Elem	-8%	10.8:1
28	Arlee ElementaryArlee	206	Other	Arlee Elem	-8%	10.8:1
29	Riverside Middle SchoolBillings	436	Middle	Billings Elem	-8%	10.9:1
30	Lodge Grass SchoolLodge Grass	175	Other	Lodge Grass Elem	-8%	10.9:1
31	Frenchtown High SchoolFrenchtown	364	High	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	-7%	11:1
32	H C Davis ElementaryCut Bank	209	Other	Cut Bank Elem	-7%	11:1
33	Shelby High SchoolShelby	143	High	Shelby H S	-7%	11:1
34	Bonner 6-8Bonner	100	Middle	Bonner Elem	-6%	11.1:1
35	Rattlesnake Elementary SchoolMissoula	393	Other	Missoula Elem	-5%	11.2:1
36	Fairview SchoolFairview	134	Other	Fairview Elem	-5%	11.2:1
37	Lincoln SchoolBaker	101	Other	Baker K-12 Schools	-5%	11.2:1
38	Plentywood High SchoolPlentywood	101	High	Plentywood K-12 Schools	-5%	11.2:1
39	Mountain View SchoolRed Lodge	192	Other	Red Lodge Elem	-4%	11.3:1
40	Powell County High SchoolDeer Lodge	181	High	Powell County H S	-4%	11.3:1
41	Ophir Elementary SchoolGallatin Gateway	169	Other	Big Sky School K-12	-4%	11.3:1
42	W F Morrison SchoolTroy	158	Other	Troy Elem	-4%	11.3:1
43	Canyon Creek SchoolBillings	147	Other	Canyon Creek Elem	-4%	11.3:1
44	Franklin SchoolMissoula	274	Other	Missoula Elem	-3%	11.4:1
45	Smith SchoolHelena	217	Other	Helena Elem	-3%	11.4:1
46	Pine Butte Elementary SchColstrip	217	Other	Colstrip Elem	-3%	11.4:1
47	Cut Bank High SchoolCut Bank	183	High	Cut Bank H S	-3%	11.4:1
48	Monforton PrimaryBozeman	183	Other	Monforton Elem	-3%	11.4:1
49	Garfield SchoolLewistown	182	Other	Lewistown Elem	-3%	11.4:1
50	Forsyth Elementary SchoolForsyth	159	Other	Forsyth Elem	-3%	11.4:1

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Common Core of Data (CCD), 2024-25 school year. Schools with enrollment under 100 are excluded.

Largest Schools in Montana → Highest-Spending Districts → Chronic Absenteeism →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.