Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
Montana Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for Montana — 147,049 students in 852 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 147,049 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 852 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 10,685 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 13.7 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 54.6% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 14.2% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 0.0% | 2022–23 |
| High school graduation rate | 85.2% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 35.2% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 45.7% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 40.5% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 76.5% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 0.7% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 6.6% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 0.7% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
Montana state report card
Outcomes reported directly by Montana’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how Montana measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
College enrollment rate How Montana measures thisPercent of high school graduates enrolled in Montana University System (MUS) schools within 3 months of graduation (presumed Class of 2025, the class reported elsewhere on the same report card; class year not explicitly labeled in the export); published as 0-1 decimal (0.338658), converted to percent (x100). | 33.9% | 2024–25 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How Montana measures thisPercent Proficient or Advanced, Mathematics, all state-tested grades (grades 3-8 MAST (Montana Aligned to Standards Through-year assessment) plus ACT-based high school results; state Assessment Counts show 77155 assessed / 1211 not assessed), All Students; published on the OPI ESSA State Report Card as 0-1 decimal (0.360691), converted to percent (x100). Proficient-count numerator/denominator not published. | 36.1% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How Montana measures thisPercent Proficient or Advanced, ELA, all state-tested grades (grades 3-8 MAST (Montana Aligned to Standards Through-year assessment) plus ACT-based high school results; state Assessment Counts show 77026 assessed / 1340 not assessed), All Students; published on the OPI ESSA State Report Card as 0-1 decimal (0.442260), converted to percent (x100). Proficient-count numerator/denominator not published. | 44.2% | 2024–25 |
Source: MontanaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
Montana schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
Montana schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in Montana?+
147,049 students were enrolled in Montana's 852 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 10,685 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of Montana students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
54.6% of Montana public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is Montana's high school graduation rate?+
85.2% of Montana's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by Montana's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.