School Bus Sizes: Which Size Is Right for You?

Choosing the right size school bus for your school or district can be a difficult decision due to the cost of a new bus and how long it can be in use. It’s easy to overlook a few things and end up with a bus that isn’t big enough to serve your students or is far bigger — and more expensive — than what you actually need. 

As New England’s school bus experts, we created this guide to help you decide which size bus to purchase. We cover the details of each of the standard types of school buses and outline the best use cases for each type. You can use this information to narrow down your choices and find the ideal school bus for your needs.

Guide to School Bus Sizes

In the table below, we’ve provided an overview of the standard sizes of school buses used in North America. You’ll find a more detailed look at each type further down in the section.

School Bus Type	Capacity	School Bus Length	Ideal Use
Type A: Mini School Buses	10 – 30	19’ – 25’	Special needs students, small groups, urban routes
Type C: Conventional School Buses	40 – 84	33’ – 45’	Most common type of school bus in North America
Type D: Transit-Style School Buses	Up to 90	35’ – 45’	High-capacity routes, long-distance travel
Multifunction School Activity Buses (MFSABs)	Varies	19’+	Field trips, athletics transportation

Mini School Buses (Type A)

Commonly referred to as “short buses,” mini school buses have the shortest wheelbases of any standard size bus. That shorter length translates to smaller passenger capacity, with Type A buses holding only up to around 30 passengers.

Mini school bus capacity also depends on the equipment installed on the buses. These buses can easily be — and often are — configured with accessibility equipment like wheelchair lifts that take up seating space.

The flexibility of Type A buses makes them a popular choice for special needs bus routes, as they can be configured to serve the needs of specific students. While the smaller wheelbase limits the number of passengers they can carry, it also allows them to be more fuel efficient and maneuverable. This makes mini school buses a great choice for institutions with bus routes through dense urban centers, especially private schools with smaller enrollments.

Conventional School Buses (Type C)

Type C buses are the big yellow vehicles people tend to think of when they picture a North American school bus. They have a large capacity, with the ability to carry up to around 84 passengers.

At up to 45’ long, conventional school buses are limited in where they can operate. The longer wheelbase means Type C buses have a large turning radius and may not be able to navigate tight city streets easily or even safely.

However, conventional buses are usable in all but a few very specific areas. They make a strong option for any institution that serves suburban, rural, and even many less-dense urban areas. Their capacity can help reduce the number of routes needed, helping to keep operating costs down.

Transit-Style School Buses (Type D)

Also called “flat-nose buses” due to their distinct appearance, Type D buses are the highest-capacity standard bus size in use. They get their look from the placement of the engine, which is typically located underneath or behind the driver instead of the front of the chassis. 

Type D — or “transit-style” — buses can be up to 45’ long and hold as many as 90 passengers in some cases. But this superior capacity comes at the cost of the buses’ turning radius and maneuverability. They also sacrifice fuel efficiency in exchange for capacity.

In recent years, Type D buses have fallen increasingly out of use. Some major manufacturers, such as IC Bus, no longer produce transit-style buses due to shrinking market demand. Still, used Type D buses or new Type D buses that are still around can be a good choice for schools that have a variety of transportation needs beyond simply daily routes.

Activity Buses (MFSABs)

The designation of multifunction school activity buses (MFSABs) has less to do with their size and more to do with their equipment. They are typically built on the same chassis as mini school buses and conventional buses, meaning they can range between 19’ and 45’ in length.

The key difference between MFSABs and Type A and C buses is in how they are outfitted and used. MFSABs are not required to have stop arms or flashing safety lights like Type A and Type C school buses. This is because they are not used — and, due to the lack of this equipment, cannot be used — for daily school pick-up and drop-off routes.

That means that MFSABs can’t take the place of “normal” school buses. However, they can be a useful addition to any school’s fleet as a special activity bus. MFSABs are often used to transport students to and from things like sporting events and field trips and are built to the same high safety standards as traditional school buses.

Which Size School Bus Do I Need?

As you can see, different sizes of buses make better options for some schools and purposes than others. The best size school bus for your institution will depend on your specific needs.

School Bus Sizes: What To Consider

In this section, we cover the key factors to consider when deciding on the right size school bus for your school or district.

Number of Passengers

Your first consideration should be the number of students you need to serve with your school bus. Most larger schools and districts can use the capacity of a Type C bus to help reduce the number of routes while serving their large student populations. However, smaller private schools and even some districts may be able to fulfill their daily transport needs with a mini school bus.

Base your calculations on the maximum number of students you may need to serve, rather than your average ridership. Students who usually have their own transportation to and from your school may need to ride the bus occasionally or switch to riding the bus if their parent or guardian has a change in their work schedule or they experience other changes in their situations.

Passenger Needs

The accessibility needs of your students is another primary factor to consider. If you serve even a single student that requires ADA-compliant equipment, such as a wheelchair lift, you’ll have to ensure that your school buses can provide that equipment.

Mini school buses are generally the easiest to outfit with accessibility equipment. Some types of ADA-compliant equipment may not be possible to install on a Type C bus. In many cases, schools may only have a few students with accessibility needs, meaning passenger capacity isn’t as much of a concern as the ability to adequately serve everyone.

School Bus Purpose

Most school buses on the road are used for daily pick-up and drop-off routes. But you may also need an activity bus for other purposes, such as transporting students to and from sporting events or field trips. While you can use conventional school bus types for these purposes, MFSABs and other buses designed specifically for long-distance usage may be worth adding to your fleet.

Buses designed as “activity buses” can be outfitted with comfier seats and other touches that provide a better experience for long hauls than standard buses. Since this equipment only needs to be added to one (or a few) buses and not the whole fleet, the additional cost at the fleet level is not impacted significantly. 

Private schools can also use their buses as a branding opportunity. Outfitting your buses with luxury touches can help promote the image of an elite school that provides a top-tier student experience from door to door.

Future Growth

Most school buses stay in use for well over a decade. As a result, you don’t just need to plan for how you will use it now, but also for how you will use it in the future. This often means accommodating more students as your school or the area your district serves grows.

In other words, you may be able to get by with a mini school bus right now, but five years from now when your student body has grown substantially, that Type A bus may not be enough. This is an especially important consideration for schools located in areas experiencing rapid growth or private schools that have the goal of expanding their enrollment in the coming years.

Finding the Right School Bus Size

Ultimately, the right size of school bus comes down to the transportation needs of your student body. School buses of any size are a considerable investment for any institution or district, so your purchase decision can have significant financial consequences. 

In many cases, the answer of which size school bus you should buy can be crystal clear and completely obvious. But in others, it may be difficult to make a decision. 

In those cases, we’re here to help you find the best solution for your needs. As New England’s number one bus dealer, our team has a wealth of experience helping purchasers make smart choices that improve their student experiences without breaking the bank.

Reach out today to speak with one of our school bus experts to get started on finding the perfect bus for your school or district — whatever size it may be.