Can I use Missoula County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Missoula County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Missoula County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Missoula County?

Start with the 43 listed public schools and 14 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Missoula County Schools & Education

Name: Missoula County, Montana Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Missoula County, Montana

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

85.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

85.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 83.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,575

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,334

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#45

of 56 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Missoula County

Measured School Summary

Missoula County faces educational challenges with a school score of 40/100 and a graduation rate of 85.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $7,575 per pupil, Missoula County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 28% below the Montana average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 19% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Missoula County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

43 public schools and 14 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

40/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #45 of 56 Montana counties with school score data.

Completion

85.3%

1.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,575

$1,759 below the state average

School coverage

14 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Missoula County has 43 public schools across 14 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Missoula County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Review-carefully county

Missoula County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#45

of 56 Montana counties with school score data. The county score is 15 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Missoula Elem

Elementary and middle visible

5,280 students

Elementary 9Middle 3High 0Other 0

12 listed schools in this county slice.

Missoula H S

High school only in this slice

3,966 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 4Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Hellgate Elem

Elementary and middle visible

1,498 students

Elementary 2Middle 2High 0Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Frenchtown K-12 Schools

Elementary to high school visible

1,443 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Missoula Elem is the largest listed district slice, with 12 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Missoula County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Missoula County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Missoula County, Montana

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Montana's Largest and Most Diverse System

Missoula County manages 43 schools across 14 districts, serving a large population of 14,350 students. This network includes 23 elementary, 15 middle, and 5 high schools.

Beating State Averages in Graduation Rates

Missoula's 85.3% graduation rate is higher than the Montana state average of 83.7%. The county spends $7,575 per pupil while maintaining a diverse range of educational programs.

Major Districts Serving Missoula Proper

Missoula Elementary is the county's largest district with 12 schools and 5,280 students. Sentinel High School is the largest individual school, enrolling 1,378 students.

A Mix of Urban and Rural Locales

The county features 20 city schools, 19 rural schools, and 4 suburban campuses, offering unparalleled variety. Average school size is 334, but large high schools can exceed 1,300 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Missoula County

Reported Enrollment

14,350

43 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary23

Middle15

High5

Other0

14 School Districts in Missoula County

Missoula Elem

Missoula H S

Hellgate Elem

4 schools

1,498 students

Frenchtown K-12 Schools

4 schools

1,443 students

Target Range Elem

2 schools

574 students

Lolo Elem

2 schools

507 students

Bonner Elem

2 schools

356 students

Clinton Elem

2 schools

214 students

Seeley Lake Elem

2 schools

181 students

DeSmet Elem

2 schools

127 students

43 Public Schools in Missoula County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 43 matching schools

Public schools in Missoula County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Sentinel High School	Profile	Missoula H S	Missoula, 59801City: Small	9–12	High	1,378
Hellgate High School	Profile	Missoula H S	Missoula, 59801City: Small	9–12	High	1,304
Big Sky High School	Profile	Missoula H S	Missoula, 59801City: Small	9–12	High	1,186
Washington Middle School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	6–8	Middle	663
Porter Middle School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	6–8	Middle	579
Hellgate El Intermediate	Record	Hellgate Elem	Missoula, 59808City: Small	4–6	Middle	520
Frenchtown High School	Record	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	Frenchtown, 59834Rural: Distant	9–12	High	475
Meadow Hill Middle School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	6–8	Middle	472
Paxson School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	463
Jeannette Rankin El	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801Rural: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	461
Rattlesnake Elementary School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	445
Frenchtown Elementary School	Record	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	Frenchtown, 59834Rural: Fringe	PK–3	Primary	442
Lewis & Clark School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	440
Target Range School	Record	Target Range Elem	Missoula, 59804Suburb: Small	PK–6	Primary	437
Chief Charlo School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	429
Hawthorne School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	387
Russell School	Record	Missoula Elem	Missoula, 59801City: Small	PK–5	Primary	367
Hellgate Elem Lower Grades	Record	Hellgate Elem	Missoula, 59808City: Small	2–3	Primary	338
Frenchtown 6-8	Record	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	Frenchtown, 59834Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	330
Hellgate Middle School	Record	Hellgate Elem	Missoula, 59808City: Small	7–8	Middle	329

Sentinel High School

Missoula H S

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,378 students

Hellgate High School

Missoula H S

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,304 students

Big Sky High School

Missoula H S

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,186 students

Washington Middle School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle663 students

Porter Middle School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle579 students

Hellgate El Intermediate

Hellgate Elem

Missoula, 59808 / City: Small

Record4–6Middle520 students

Frenchtown High School

Frenchtown K-12 Schools

Frenchtown, 59834 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High475 students

Meadow Hill Middle School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

Record6–8Middle472 students

Paxson School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary463 students

Jeannette Rankin El

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary461 students

Rattlesnake Elementary School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary445 students

Frenchtown Elementary School

Frenchtown K-12 Schools

Frenchtown, 59834 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–3Primary442 students

Lewis & Clark School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary440 students

Target Range School

Target Range Elem

Missoula, 59804 / Suburb: Small

RecordPK–6Primary437 students

Chief Charlo School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary429 students

Hawthorne School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary387 students

Russell School

Missoula Elem

Missoula, 59801 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary367 students

Hellgate Elem Lower Grades

Hellgate Elem

Missoula, 59808 / City: Small

Record2–3Primary338 students

Frenchtown 6-8

Frenchtown K-12 Schools

Frenchtown, 59834 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle330 students

Hellgate Middle School

Hellgate Elem

Missoula, 59808 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle329 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,575

State avg $9,334

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Missoula County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Montana counties have the highest graduation rates?

Fallon County (95.0%), Phillips County (95.0%), and Powell County (95.0%) currently lead Montana among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Montana?

Across Montana counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,334. The highest current county values are Treasure County ($14,412), Petroleum County ($13,419), and Golden Valley County ($13,208). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Missoula County?

Missoula County has a school score of 40/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Missoula County?

The high school graduation rate in Missoula County is 85.3%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Missoula County spend per student?

Missoula County spends $7,575 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Missoula County, Montana — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Missoula County, Montana?

Missoula County manages 43 schools across 14 districts, serving a large population of 14,350 students. This network includes 23 elementary, 15 middle, and 5 high schools.

How do schools in Missoula County perform academically?

Missoula's 85.3% graduation rate is higher than the Montana state average of 83.7%. The county spends $7,575 per pupil while maintaining a diverse range of educational programs.

What are the major school districts in Missoula County, Montana?

Missoula Elementary is the county's largest district with 12 schools and 5,280 students. Sentinel High School is the largest individual school, enrolling 1,378 students.

What is the school experience like in Missoula County?

The county features 20 city schools, 19 rural schools, and 4 suburban campuses, offering unparalleled variety. Average school size is 334, but large high schools can exceed 1,300 students.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Glacier County

Montana

+0 pts

40/100

School score

Fergus County

Montana

-1 pts

39/100

School score

Dawson County

Montana

-1 pts

39/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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