Private Schools
Private Schools in Montana
62 private schools in Montana with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 8,786 students: 22 Catholic, 23 other religious and 17 nonsectarian. 33 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
62
Go through high school
33
Median enrollment
93
Median students per teacher
8.9
Private schools in Montana
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis Catholic School | Billings | K–8 | 603 | 13.1 | Catholic |
| Billings Christian School | Billings | PK–12 | 443 | 7.9 | Christian |
| St Labre Schools | Ashland | PK–12 | 422 | 5.1 | Catholic |
| Stillwater Christian School | Kalispell | PK–12 | 380 | 10.7 | Christian |
| Butte Central Elementary School | Butte | PK–12 | 372 | 13.3 | Catholic |
| Billings Central Catholic High School | Billings | 3–12 | 344 | 4.9 | Catholic |
| Valley Christian School | Missoula | PK–12 | 326 | 10.9 | Christian |
| Nelson Academy of Agricultural Sciences OnlineSpecial program | Scobey | 7–12 | 318 | 69.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Manhattan Christian School | Manhattan | PK–12 | 295 | 11.4 | Christian |
| St Joseph School | Missoula | PK–8 | 283 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Trinity Lutheran School | Billings | PK–8 | 219 | 20.9 | Lutheran |
| Trinity Lutheran School | Kalispell | PK–8 | 219 | 14.5 | Lutheran |
| Foothills Community Christian High School | Great Falls | PK–12 | 212 | 11.8 | Christian |
| Helena Christian School | East Helena | PK–12 | 203 | 13.7 | Christian |
| St Andrew School | Helena | PK–12 | 193 | 6.3 | Catholic |
| St Matthew's School | Kalispell | PK–8 | 177 | 8.9 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School | Great Falls | PK–8 | 173 | 13.5 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart School | Miles City | PK–8 | 160 | 16.2 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart Elementary School | Miles City | PK–8 | 159 | 16.6 | Catholic |
| Missoula International School | Missoula | PK–8 | 150 | 8.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Loyola Sacred Heart High School | Missoula | 9–12 | 143 | 8.5 | Catholic |
| Mission Valley Christian Academy | Polson | PK–12 | 138 | 7.5 | Christian |
| Brightways Global AcademyAlternative | Missoula | PK–12 | 134 | 53.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Sussex School | Missoula | K–8 | 125 | 7.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Whitefish Christian AcademySpecial program | Whitefish | PK–8 | 116 | 6.7 | Christian |
| Butte Central Catholic High School | Butte | 9–12 | 113 | 7.1 | Catholic |
| St Jude Thaddeus School | Havre | PK–8 | 113 | 11.2 | Catholic |
| St Labre High School | Ashland | 9–12 | 112 | 6.2 | Catholic |
| St Marys Catholic School | Livingston | PK–8 | 101 | 7.2 | Catholic |
| Pretty Eagle Cthlc SCHL | Saint Xavier | PK–8 | 100 | 9.2 | Catholic |
| Kootenai Valley Christian School | Libby | PK–12 | 95 | 10 | Christian |
| Grace Montessori AcademyMontessori | Billings | PK–8 | 91 | 8.6 | Christian |
| Kalispell Montessori CenterMontessori | Kalispell | 1–6 | 91 | 9.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Hamilton Christian Academy | Hamilton | K–12 | 87 | 12.8 | Assembly of God |
| Headwaters AcademyAlternative | Bozeman | 6–8 | 84 | 7.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Pines Academy | Pinesdale | K–8 | 80 | 6.4 | Christian |
| Yellowstone AcademySpecial education | Billings | 6–12 | 75 | 4.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Acton Academy Hamilton and Curious Minds Montessor | Hamilton | PK–9 | 74 | 10.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Fairfield Mennonite School | Fairfield | PK–10 | 74 | 14.8 | Mennonite |
| Middle Creek MontessoriMontessori | Bozeman | PK–6 | 72 | 4.6 | Nonsectarian |
| St Charles Mission School | Pryor | PK–8 | 70 | 7.8 | Catholic |
| Mount Ellis Academy | Bozeman | 9–12 | 68 | 8.4 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Mt Ellis Elementary | Bozeman | PK–8 | 65 | 12.3 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| St Labre Catholic Elementary School | Ashland | PK–4 | 61 | 5.5 | Catholic |
| De la Salle Blackfeet School | Browning | 4–8 | 60 | 6.8 | Catholic |
| New Day | Billings | 5–12 | 57 | 28.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Great Falls Central Catholic High School | Great Falls | 9–12 | 56 | 8.2 | Catholic |
| Divine Mercy Academy | Belgrade | PK–12 | 55 | 5.5 | Catholic |
| Divine Mercy Academy | Belgrade | PK–12 | 55 | 6.9 | Catholic |
| Treasure State AcademySpecial program | Great Falls | PK–12 | 54 | 10.8 | Baptist |
| Big Sky Discovery School | Big Sky | PK–12 | 52 | 3.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Bozeman Summit SchooolMontessori | Bozeman | PK–5 | 52 | 9.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Sunrise Montessori SchoolMontessori | Billings | PK–6 | 51 | 4 | Nonsectarian |
| Clearview Horizon Inc / Clearview Girls AcademyGirls, Alternative | Heron | 7–12 | 47 | 6.6 | Christian |
| Nkwusm Salish Language SchoolSpecial program | Arlee | PK–8 | 45 | 6.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Aspire High SchoolSpecial program | Missoula | K–12 | 43 | 7 | Nonsectarian |
| New Day SchoolAlternative | Billings | 6–12 | 42 | 21 | Nonsectarian |
| Trinity Lutheran Classical School | Miles City | PK–8 | 42 | 11.1 | Lutheran |
| Turning Winds Academic InstituteAlternative | Troy | 9–12 | 40 | 11.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Lustre Christian High SchoolSpecial program | Lustre | 9–12 | 38 | 6.6 | Mennonite |
| Blodgett View Christian School | Hamilton | K–8 | 32 | 16 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Mountain Heights Christian School | Ronan | 1–8 | 32 | 8 | Mennonite |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring.
- Colleges in Montana, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Montana?
62 private schools in Montana with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe Survey. Schools that did not answer are not counted, so the real number is higher.
What is the largest private school in Montana?
Among schools that answered the survey, St Francis Catholic School in Billings is the largest, with 603 students in grades K–8.
How big are classes at private schools in Montana?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Montana has 8.9 students per teacher and 93 students in total.
Do private schools require an entrance exam?
Many independent schools ask for the ISEE or SSAT, and many Catholic high schools use the HSPT. Each school sets its own rule, so check the admissions page of every school on your list.
Source: NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2023-24 public-use data file, National Center for Education Statistics. Schools that answered the survey and enrolled at least 30 students. Amish schools are left out. Schools report their own figures, and a school that did not answer the survey does not appear.
