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Columbia Falls High School

Q: Is Columbia Falls High School a good school?

Columbia Falls High School ranks 60 th of 182 Montana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

60^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 182 Montana High Schools

Better than 67% of Montana high schools

Summary

Columbia Falls High School is a public high school serving 691 students in grades 9-12 in Columbia Falls, Montana. The school is part of the Columbia Falls High School District, which is ranked 124 out of 387 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Columbia Falls High School excels in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 64.38% of 11th-grade students scoring proficient or better compared to the state average of 54.99%, the school lags behind in Mathematics (26.53% vs. 31.25%) and Science (31.29% vs. 30.03%) proficiency. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, reaching 99.42% in the 2024-2025 school year, which is significantly higher than nearby schools like Flathead High School (100%) and Whitefish High School (25.08%).

Compared to other high schools in the area, Columbia Falls High School stands out for its ELA proficiency, but falls behind in Mathematics and Science. Whitefish High School, in particular, outperforms Columbia Falls High School across all three subject areas while also having a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. To improve, Columbia Falls High School could focus on enhancing its Mathematics and Science instruction, as well as exploring strategies to address the socioeconomic challenges faced by its student population.

691

Students ?

15.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,639

Per pupil spending ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

610 13th Street West
Columbia Falls, MT 59912

(406) 892-6500

District: Columbia Falls High School

Feeder schools for Columbia Falls High School:

Elementary:	Glacier Gateway Elementary
	Ruder Elementary
	West Glacier School
Middle:	Columbia Falls Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.9%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Two or more races:

6.4%

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Compare Columbia Falls High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2015 → 67th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 64 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Montana median (67th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg41%

Montana avg39%

60^th of 182

Montana public high schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 64 pts since 2015

From bottom 3% (2015) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

124^th of 387Columbia Falls High School among Montana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Montana percentile	Rating
2025	64.9	60 of 182	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.4	65 of 122	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.7	73 of 124	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.3	44 of 114	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	33.1	83 of 138	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.3	59 of 119	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.4	64 of 119	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.6	82 of 111	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	52.1	56 of 113	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	10.5	89 of 92	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	50.1	85 of 128	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.1	75 of 129	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.7	101 of 122	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	57.9	68 of 135	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	37.3	104 of 135	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.6	102 of 139	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	39.1	104 of 136	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	57.7	65 of 138	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	33.6	112 of 142	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	40.1	97 of 137	29.2%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+9 vs state

Science31%~ state avg

Mathematics27%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Columbia Falls High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ACT with Writing English Language Arts (2025)	ACT with Writing Mathematics (2025)	ACT with Writing Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ACT with Writing English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT with Writing Science 11th Grade	Total
Columbia Falls High School	Public	9-12	610 13th Street West	Columbia Falls	59912	Flathead County	Columbia Falls High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 892-6500	691	45	15.2	99.4%	587 (84.9%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (6.5%)	2 (0.3%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (6.4%)	64.9	60^th of 182 public high schools	67.0%		42.4	65^th of 122 public high schools	46.7%	5	64.4	26.5	31.3	$13,639
Whitefish High School	Public	9-12	1143 East 4th St.	Whitefish	59937	Flathead County	Whitefish High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 862-8600	618	43	14.2	25.1%	584 (94.5%)	4 (0.6%)	11 (1.8%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.1%)	88.5	10^th of 182 public high schools	94.5%		78	8^th of 122 public high schools	93.4%	2	72.6	45.2	45.9	$13,629
Glacier High School	Public	9-12	375 Wolfpack Way	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Flathead High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 758-8600	1,402	87	16.2	100.0%	1,227 (87.5%)	11 (0.8%)	70 (5.0%)	14 (1.0%)	15 (1.1%)	6 (0.4%)	59 (4.2%)	71.7	39^th of 182 public high schools	78.6%		59.5	30^th of 122 public high schools	75.4%	9	64.3	36.5	30.7	$12,114
Flathead High School	Public	9-12	644 4th Avenue West	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Flathead High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 751-3500	1,541	97	15.8	100.0%	1,375 (89.2%)	6 (0.4%)	76 (4.9%)	6 (0.4%)	20 (1.3%)	4 (0.3%)	54 (3.5%)	61.4	74^th of 182 public high schools	59.3%		41.8	68^th of 122 public high schools	44.3%	6	56.9	30.0	28.3	$11,286
Flathead Pace Academy	Public	10-12	644 4th Ave W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Flathead High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 751-3434	22	3	6.9	27.3%	21 (95.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.5%)	51.2	96^th of 182 public high schools	47.3%					(n/a)	40.0	40.0	20.0
Kalispell Rising Wolf Charter	Public	9-12	644 4th Ave W	Kalispell	59901	Flathead County	Flathead High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(406) 751-3434	11	6	1.8	27.3%	11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Columbia Falls High School

How many students attend Columbia Falls High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 691 students attended Columbia Falls High School.

What is the racial makeup of Columbia Falls High School?

Students at Columbia Falls High School are 85% White, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools feed into Columbia Falls High School?

Columbia Falls High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Glacier Gateway Elementary
Elementary : Ruder Elementary
Elementary : West Glacier School
Middle : Columbia Falls Junior High School

Is Columbia Falls High School a good school?

Columbia Falls High School ranks 60^th of 182 Montana high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Columbia Falls High School in?

Columbia Falls High School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.