Montana Snapshot
832
Public Schools in Montana
29
Colleges in Montana
45.1%
Avg Completion Rate
How Montana compares
Montana
45.15%
National Average
56.52%
Montana's avg completion rate is 20.1% lower than the national average.
Montana Education Laws
Compulsory attendance, homeschool regulation, school choice programs, and per-pupil spending for Montana — verified against ECS, HSLDA, Ballotpedia, and NCES.
Compulsory Ages
9 years of required schooling (national avg 11.0)
Kindergarten
Entry age: 5 by Sep 10
Homeschool Regulation
Notice plus testing or subjects required
School Choice
Tax credit scholarship (limited — blocked by court 2025)
Per-Pupil Spending
12% below national avg ($15,305)
Student-Teacher Ratio
7% below national avg (14.5)
Compulsory Education in Montana
Montana requires school attendance from age 7 through age 16 — a total of 9 years of required schooling. Kindergarten attendance is optional in Montana, though most districts offer K with entry age 5 by Sep 10.
Homeschool Laws in Montana
Montana falls in the moderate regulation tier (HSLDA classification). Notice plus testing or subjects required.
- Notice to authorities required: Yes
- Standardized testing required: No
- Specific subjects mandated: No
Annual notification to county superintendent
School Choice in Montana
Montana operates the following private-school choice programs:
- Tax credit scholarship program
Tax credit scholarship (limited — blocked by court 2025)
School Spending & Class Size in Montana
Montana spends $13,432 per K-12 student annually (NCES, FY2022). 12% below national avg ($15,305). The average student-to-teacher ratio is 13.5:1. 7% below national avg (14.5).
How Montana compares to other states
Quick policy snapshot for every other state. Click any state to view its full policy page.
| State | Ages | Homeschool | Choice | Per-Pupil $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6–17 | Low | Universal | $11,314 |
| Alaska | 7–16 | None | None | $20,403 |
| Arizona | 6–16 | Low | Universal | $10,003 |
| Arkansas | 5–18 | Low | Universal | $12,520 |
| California | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $17,078 |
| Colorado | 6–17 | Low | None | $13,572 |
| Connecticut | 5–18 | Low | None | $22,769 |
| Delaware | 5–16 | Moderate | Limited | $17,277 |
| District of Columbia | 5–18 | Moderate | Limited | $28,100 |
| Florida | 6–16 | Moderate | Universal | $11,763 |
| Georgia | 6–16 | Moderate | Limited | $12,350 |
| Hawaii | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $16,597 |
| Idaho | 7–16 | None | Universal | $9,557 |
| Illinois | 7–17 | None | None | $17,889 |
| Indiana | 7–18 | Low | Universal | $11,413 |
| Iowa | 6–16 | Moderate | Universal | $13,549 |
| Kansas | 7–18 | None | Limited | $13,768 |
| Kentucky | 6–18 | Low | None | $12,702 |
| Louisiana | 7–18 | Moderate | Universal | $12,477 |
| Maine | 7–17 | Moderate | None | $18,046 |
| Maryland | 5–18 | Moderate | Limited | $16,018 |
| Massachusetts | 6–16 | High | None | $20,857 |
| Michigan | 6–16 | None | None | $13,715 |
| Minnesota | 7–17 | Moderate | Limited | $14,873 |
| Mississippi | 6–17 | Low | Universal | $10,030 |
| Missouri | 7–17 | None | None | $12,915 |
| Nebraska | 6–18 | Moderate | None | $14,950 |
| Nevada | 7–18 | Moderate | Limited | $12,646 |
| New Hampshire | 6–18 | Moderate | Universal | $19,753 |
| New Jersey | 6–16 | None | Limited | $23,046 |
| New Mexico | 5–18 | Moderate | None | $12,915 |
| New York | 6–16 | High | None | $28,760 |
| North Carolina | 7–16 | Moderate | Universal | $10,413 |
| North Dakota | 7–16 | Moderate | None | $16,385 |
| Ohio | 6–18 | Moderate | Limited | $15,204 |
| Oklahoma | 5–18 | None | Universal | $10,430 |
| Oregon | 7–18 | Moderate | None | $14,521 |
| Pennsylvania | 8–17 | High | Limited | $19,188 |
| Rhode Island | 5–18 | High | Limited | $20,546 |
| South Carolina | 5–17 | Moderate | Limited | $12,516 |
| South Dakota | 6–18 | Low | None | $12,649 |
| Tennessee | 6–18 | Moderate | Universal | $11,554 |
| Texas | 6–18 | None | Universal | $11,675 |
| Utah | 6–18 | Moderate | Limited | $9,140 |
| Vermont | 6–16 | High | Limited | $21,656 |
| Virginia | 5–18 | Moderate | Limited | $14,202 |
| Washington | 8–18 | Moderate | None | $15,420 |
| West Virginia | 6–17 | Moderate | Universal | $14,308 |
| Wisconsin | 6–18 | Low | Limited | $14,914 |
| Wyoming | 7–16 | Low | Universal | $18,763 |
More about Montana
Explore other state-specific topics to get the full picture of living in Montana.
FAQ
How many ZIP codes does Mubboo track in Montana?
Mubboo tracks 369 ZIP codes in Montana via the U.S. Census ZCTA basemap. Use the search box above to look up data for any specific ZIP.
How does Montana's average college completion rate compare nationally?
Montana's average college completion rate is lower the national average. See the "How Montana compares" callout above for the precise side-by-side comparison.
How fresh is this data?
Mubboo refreshes each data source on its native cadence — HUD Fair Market Rents annually (October), Tax Foundation tables annually, and federal datasets per their published schedules. Each page caches for 24 hours via ISR. See our methodology page for details.
Data sources: NCES Common Core of Data, College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education). Mubboo refreshes each source on its native cadence (HUD annually, Tax Foundation annually, etc.). See our full methodology →