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Hellgate High School

Public Grades 9-12

12^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 182 Montana High Schools

Better than 93% of Montana high schools

Summary

Hellgate High School is a public high school located in Missoula, Montana, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,262 students. As part of the Missoula High School District, which is ranked 119 out of 387 districts in the state, Hellgate High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Montana, with a statewide ranking between 7th and 21st over the past 10 years and a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hellgate High School's students outperform the state and district averages in various standardized tests, with 76.67% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts, compared to 68.74% for the Missoula High School district and 54.99% for the state. Similarly, Hellgate students scored higher in ACT Mathematics (37.8% vs. 36.47% for the district and 31.25% for the state) and ACT Science (44.67% vs. 37.4% for the district and 30.03% for the state). Additionally, Hellgate High School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.4, compared to 15.0 at Big Sky High School and 16.4 at Sentinel High School.

While Hellgate High School has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (35.26% in 2024-2025) compared to the nearby Big Sky High School (36.41%) and Sentinel High School (33.11%), the school still serves a diverse student population. Hellgate High School's consistent academic excellence, strong test scores, and relatively small class sizes suggest that it provides a quality education and a supportive learning environment for its students.

1,262

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,219

Per pupil spending ?

35.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

925 Gerald Ave
Missoula, MT 59801

(406) 728-2402

District: Missoula High School

Feeder schools for Hellgate High School:

Elementary:	Bonner School
	Clinton School
	Lowell School
	Paxson School
	More...
	Potomac School
	Rattlesnake Elementary School
Middle:	Bonner 6-8
	Clinton 7-8
	Potomac Middle School
	Washington Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.8%

Hispanic:

4.8%

American Indian:

3.9%

See top rated Montana high schools

Compare Hellgate High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 65th percentile in 2015 → 93rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Montana average (53% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of Montana high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg47%

Montana avg39%

12^th of 182

Montana public high schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 28 pts since 2015

From top 35% (2015) to top 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Montana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4High Schools in the Missoula High School

119^th of 387Missoula 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	85.5	12 of 182	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	66.7	17 of 122	86.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.1	18 of 124	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	48.8	20 of 114	82.5%	★★★★☆
2021	68.5	21 of 138	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	83.8	11 of 119	90.8%	★★★★★
2018	90.7	7 of 119	94.1%	★★★★★
2017	88.5	7 of 111	93.7%	★★★★★
2016	92.8	3 of 113	97.3%	★★★★★
2015	63.4	32 of 92	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	74.8	24 of 128	81.3%	★★★★☆
2012	65.2	45 of 129	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.9	33 of 122	73.0%	★★★★☆
2010	76.1	22 of 135	83.7%	★★★★☆
2009	84.0	12 of 135	91.1%	★★★★★
2008	59.1	57 of 139	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2007	64.4	44 of 136	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.0	32 of 138	76.8%	★★★★☆
2005	76.7	24 of 142	83.1%	★★★★☆
2004	81.8	13 of 137	90.5%	★★★★★

By subject vs Montana (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts77%+22 vs state

Science45%+15 vs state

Mathematics38%+7 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Hellgate has excellent teachers and the Hellgate Band is one of the best in the world. My daughter has grown so much as a result of being challenged academically by her fellow students and teachers alike. I think so much of the school we moved from Wallace, Idaho and brought a house only a couple of blocks from Hellgate so she could go there. Close Quote

by a student
Monday, October 12, 2009

Bad school.
Hardly any AP classes.
Terrible sports teams.
I WANT OUT.
DON'T send your children here, I promise you, they will not get an education. Close Quote

Schools Near Hellgate 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
Hellgate High School	Public	9-12	925 Gerald Ave	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 728-2402	1,262	87	14.4	35.3%	1,070 (84.8%)	23 (1.8%)	61 (4.8%)	28 (2.2%)	49 (3.9%)	5 (0.4%)	26 (2.1%)	85.5	12^th of 182 public high schools	93.4%		66.7	17^th of 122 public high schools	86.1%	5	76.7	37.8	44.7	$12,219
Sentinel High School	Public	9-12	901 South Avenue West	Missoula	59801	Missoula County	Missoula High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 728-2403	1,365	83	16.4	33.1%	1,191 (87.3%)	16 (1.2%)	57 (4.2%)	18 (1.3%)	64 (4.7%)	2 (0.1%)	17 (1.2%)	83.5	15^th of 182 public high schools	91.8%		65.4	21^st of 122 public high schools	82.8%	6	68.4	43.2	40.0	$12,875
Missoula Connect Academy High School	Public, Virtual	9-12	909 South Avenue West	Missoula	59803	Missoula County	Missoula High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(406) 728-2400	99	4	24.7	53.5%	82 (82.8%)	1 (1.0%)	4 (4.0%)	2 (2.0%)	7 (7.1%)	1 (1.0%)	2 (2.0%)	57.5	82^nd of 182 public high schools	54.9%					(n/a)	80.0	10.0	30.0
Big Sky High School	Public	9-12	3100 South Avenue West	Missoula	59804	Missoula County	Missoula High School	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 728-2401	1,148	77	15.0	36.4%	958 (83.4%)	24 (2.1%)	50 (4.4%)	19 (1.7%)	69 (6.0%)	5 (0.4%)	23 (2.0%)	63.5	64^th of 182 public high schools	64.8%		57.5	32^nd of 122 public high schools	73.8%	32	60.8	29.6	28.7	$13,754
Florence-Carlton High School	Public	9-12	5602 Old Highway 93	Florence	59833	Ravalli County	Florence-Carlton K-12 Schls	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(406) 273-6301	237	16	14.9	32.5%	208 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.1%)	68.3	50^th of 182 public high schools	72.5%		56.5	34^th of 122 public high schools	72.1%	16	54.2	32.2	37.3	$12,665
Frenchtown High School	Public	9-12	17620 Frontage Road	Frenchtown	59834	Missoula County	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(406) 626-2670	364	16	22.7	32.4%	310 (85.2%)	2 (0.5%)	21 (5.8%)	4 (1.1%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.9%)	23.5	148^th of 182 public high schools	18.7%		43.4	62^nd of 122 public high schools	49.2%	86	32.3	10.3	16.2	$11,565
Bronc Fast Track	Public, Virtual	10-12	17620 Frontage Road	Frenchtown	59834	Missoula County	Frenchtown K-12 Schools	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(406) 626-2600	53	15	3.6	7.5%	49 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	96.1	4^th of 182 public high schools	97.8%					(n/a)	90.0	56.7	50.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Hellgate High School

Is Hellgate High School a good school?

Yes. Hellgate High School ranks in the top 6.6% of Montana high schools.

What district is Hellgate High School in?

Missoula High School

How many students attend Hellgate High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,262 students attended Hellgate High School.

What is the racial makeup of Hellgate High School?

Students at Hellgate High School are 85% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools feed into Hellgate High School?

Hellgate High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bonner School
Elementary : Clinton School
Elementary : Lowell School
Elementary : Paxson School
Elementary : Potomac School
Elementary : Rattlesnake Elementary School
Middle : Bonner 6-8
Middle : Clinton 7-8
Middle : Potomac Middle School
Middle : Washington Middle School

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Schools in Missoula, MT

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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.