Don't miss the full 2026 contractor survey results detailing operating trends across fuels used, purchase intent, technologies used, driver pay, unionization, challenges, our companion article to this post! Read "School Bus Contracting in 2026: Fleet, Fuel, and Workforce Trends."
The 20 Largest School Bus Contractors in 2026
See which private school transportation providers made the list of the largest contractors in 2026, with location, fleet sizes, district contracts, and number of students served.
May 28, 2026
Once again, First Student transports more students than anyone else, with STA just behind them.
Credit:
Student Transportation of America
2 min to read
Let's take a look at the companies that partner with local school districts to make sure students get to school safely!
First Student remains the largest contractor in North America, with an upset for second place this year as Summit School Services’ (formerly National Express) fleet decreased by 3,000 buses.
We saw some more consolidation this year as Cook-Illinois Corp. dropped from the top 10 after its acquisition by First Student.
This annual ranking based on School Bus Fleet survey data highlights the largest privately owned school bus companies in North America based on fleet size, students transported, and districts served. Together, these national and local operators transport millions of students every day.
Want to know which public school districts are the largest? Check out our November 2025 list here!
The 20 Largest School Transportation Contractors
Rank | Company | Yellow Fleet Buses | Non-Bus Vehicles in Fleet | Total Vehicle Fleet | District Contracts | Students Transported Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | First Student (Cincinnati, OH) | 47,000 | 5,000 | 52,000 | 1,300 | 4,600,000 |
2 | Student Transportation of America (Wall Township, NJ) | 18,000** | 1,000** | 19,000 | 750+ | 1,250,000 |
3 | Summit School Services (Warrenville, IL) | 17,000 | 1,500 | 18,500 | 360+ | 1,000,000** |
4 | Beacon Mobility Corp (Akron, OH) | 8,125 | 14,650 | 22,775 | 700 | 40,000 |
5 | North America Central School Bus (Chicago)* | 5,950 | 5,950 | 100+ | 500,000 | |
6 | Landmark Student Transportation (Aurora, ON) | 4,961 | 1007 | 5,968 | 260,000 | |
7 | Logan Bus Company (Ozone Park, NY) | 2,790 | 18 | 2,808 | 21 | 57,000 |
8 | Krapf School Bus (West Chester, PA)* | 2,400 | 2,400 | 45 | 110,000 | |
9 | Switzer-Carty Transportation Services Inc. (Burlington, ON) | 2,400 | 100 | 2,500 | 20+ | 105,000+ |
10 | American Student Transportation Partners | 2,100 | 1,500 | 3,600 | 70 | 200,000 |
11 | Sharp Bus Lines Ltd.*** | 2,000 | 2,000 | 70,000 | ||
12 | Suffolk Transportation Service, Inc. (Bay Shore, NY) | 1,800 | 10 | 1,810 | 24 | 50,000+ |
13 | Dattco, Inc. (New Britain, CT)*** | 1,700 | 1,700 | 30+ | 110,000 | |
14 | Dean Transportation (Lansing, MI) | 1,617 | 31 | 1,648 | 60 | 60,000 |
15 | Lamers Bus Lines (Green Bay, WI) | 1,410 | 70 | 1,480 | 59 | 40,725 |
16 | The Trans Group, LLC (Spring Valley, NY) | 1,357 | 120 | 1,477 | 19 | 72,000 |
17 | Minnesota Coaches (Hastings, MN) | 950** | 950 | 36*** | ||
18 | Kobussen Buses Ltd (Little Chute, WI) | 833 | 100 | 933 | 33 | 34,500 |
19 | Metropolitan Transportation Network (Fridley, MN)*** | 695 | 695 | 10 | 100,000 | |
20 | Palmer Bus Service (North Mankato, MN) | 616 | 330 | 946 | 28 | 32,000 |
*Latest available data | **Estimate | ***From publicly available reports | Blank indicates data unavailable
Note: All data was compiled from qualified survey respondents at private contracting companies collected from February though May 2026.
Did we miss you on this list? Please email info@schoolbusfleet.com with your company's name, fleet size and other numbers as detailed above, and we’ll send you the survey when we’re compiling the 2027 Contractor Survey.
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