Best public high schools in Montana

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.6 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the best public high schools in Montana using 2027 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#25. Havre High School

- Location: Havre, MT
- Enrollment: 521 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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2 / 25

#24. Sweet Grass County High School

- Location: Big Timber, MT
- Enrollment: 161 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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3 / 25

#23. Capital High School

- Location: Helena High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,293 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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4 / 25

#22. Choteau High School

- Location: Choteau, MT
- Enrollment: 109 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#21. Sentinel High School

- Location: Missoula High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,365 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#20. Powder River County District High School

- Location: Broadus, MT
- Enrollment: 70 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#19. Hamilton High School

- Location: Hamilton Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 460 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#18. Billings West High School

- Location: Billings High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 2,115 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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9 / 25

#17. Westby High School

- Location: Westby Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 15 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#16. Froid High School

- Location: Froid, MT
- Enrollment: 40 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#15. Harlowton High School

- Location: Harlowton Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 66 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#14. Savage High School

- Location: Savage, MT
- Enrollment: 40 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#13. Glacier High School

- Location: Flathead High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,402 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#12. Hellgate High School

- Location: Missoula High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,262 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#11. Shields Valley High School

- Location: Clyde Park, MT
- Enrollment: 59 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#10. Gardiner High School

- Location: Gardiner, MT
- Enrollment: 55 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#9. Lone Peak High School

- Location: Big Sky School District, MT
- Enrollment: 117 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#8. Power High School

- Location: Power, MT
- Enrollment: 39 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#7. Red Lodge High School

- Location: Red Lodge, MT
- Enrollment: 176 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#6. Twin Bridges High School

- Location: Twin Bridges Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 60 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#5. Whitefish High School

- Location: Whitefish, MT
- Enrollment: 618 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#4. Geraldine High School

- Location: Geraldine Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 19 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#3. Gallatin High School

- Location: Bozeman High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,442 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#2. Lavina High School

- Location: Lavina Public Schools, MT
- Enrollment: 23 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#1. Bozeman High School

- Location: Bozeman High School District, MT
- Enrollment: 1,279 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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