About First Student
The leading school transportation solutions provider in North America.
PARTNER WITH USProviding students with the best school transportation experience for more than 100 years
Our company’s history is full of successes surrounding industry innovation and streamlined operations. A partnership with First Student is much more than that. It’s a relationship centered around our shared commitment to caring for the children and bringing life to classrooms. By putting students first and listening to our district partners, we continue to create transportation solutions for communities big and small.
With a student-centric partnership model, all aspects of our operations ensure quality care for students and proactive support for our district partners.
- Safety
- Diversity and inclusion
- Operational excellence
- Technology
- Environmental and social responsibility
- Transparency and accountability
- Customer and community partnerships
- Student experience
- Innovation
112
Years in business
61,000+
Employees
545
Locations in the U.S. and Canada
It’s our mission to provide unmatched care and the safest ride to school, so when students arrive, they start and end their day with an exceptional experience and are ready to achieve their full potential.
How we fulfill our mission, build close relationships, and trusted partnerships with the districts we serve:
- Focus on safety
Safety is at the heart of everything we do - Foster teamwork
Work together, act with integrity, respect each other, and champion diversity and inclusion - Care for our students
Ensure our vehicles are welcoming and trusted places where students feel comfortable and secure - Surpass customer expectations
Go the extra mile to deliver an extraordinary experience for our customers and communities - Set the highest standards
Continually seek a better way to do things with innovation, sustainable practices, financial discipline, commercial excellence, and operational excellence
Caring experts in the industry
With our wide reach and deep know-how in different regulations and contracts, we’re ready to bring solutions to your district. As the largest student transportation provider in North America, we’ve handled all kinds of challenges — and now, we’re excited to bring that experience to you.
Annual and quarterly sustainability reports
See how our efforts are supporting sustainability. View our annual and quarterly sustainability reports below.
Accolades & awards
Operational awards
Contractor of the Year – 2023 NSTA (National School Transportation Association)
This award highlights our team’s dedication to delivering safe, reliable, and exceptional school transportation. It reaffirms our commitment to ensuring every child’s journey is secure, smooth, and enjoyable.
Technology awards
Achievement in Product Innovation - 2025 Stevie Award
This Silver Award recognizes First Student’s groundbreaking HALO™ technology platform. Developed in-house, HALO™ integrates every aspect of First Student’s operations, from recruiting and training to routing, dispatching, vehicle telematics and predictive maintenance, into a unified system that provides a real-time, 360-degree view of every vehicle and student journey.
World's Most Innovative Companies - 2025 Fast Company
This award ranks First Student 6th in the transportation category for Fast Company’s annual list of World’s Most Innovative Companies. This recognition highlights First Student’s commitment to safety, sustainability, and innovation, as it advances electric student transportation with cost-saving EV charging solutions, accelerates fleet electrification, and reduces carbon emissions.
Technology Strategy Impact – 2024 Forrester Research
This award recognizes our innovative use of technology to enhance the student experience, align with business goals, and drive positive impact through security, adaptability, and industry-leading solutions.
The Unconventional Award – 2024 T-Mobile
This award recognizes our innovative use of T-Mobile solutions to improve communication, reducing negative incidents by 27%. It celebrates our creative application of technology to enhance safety and drive positive change in school transportation.
Electrification & EV awards
Scalable Clean Transportation Energy - 2025 Edison Awards
This award recognizes our First Charge solution, a modular, above-ground charging infrastructure engineered to overcome operational challenges for electric school buses and medium- to heavy-duty vehicles. This recognition exemplifies First Student’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions that empower customers to transition to cleaner, more efficient transportation.
Green Product of the Year – 2024 Business Intelligence Group
This award recognizes First Charge, our innovative, containerized EV charging solution that accelerates fleet electrification. By reducing costs and installation time, it supports a scalable, sustainable transition to electric vehicles, driving innovation and a greener future.
Leading Private Fleet Award – 2024 ACT Expo
We are proud to be the first student transportation company to receive this prestigious award, joining industry leaders like Anheuser-Busch and Frito-Lay. This recognition highlights our leadership in adopting electric vehicles and advancing sustainable, energy-efficient transportation.
Go Yellow Go Green Award – 2023 NSTA (National School Transportation Association)
This award recognizes our leadership in implementing eco-friendly practices in school transportation, reflecting our commitment to sustainability and a greener future for students and communities.
Green Bus Fleet Award – 2023 School Transportation News
This award recognizes our commitment to clean energy and the adoption of clean-fuel school buses, highlighting our leadership in reducing environmental impact and improving air quality for students and communities.
Workplace awards
America’s Best Workplace for Women – 2024 Newsweek
We are honored to be named one of America’s Best Workplaces for Women by Newsweek, recognizing our commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive environment where women can thrive, lead, and grow.
America’s Best Workplace for Diversity – 2024 Newsweek
We are honored to be named one of America’s Best Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek, recognizing our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation and success.
America’s Best Workplace for Parents and Families – 2024 Newsweek
We are honored to be named one of America’s Best Workplaces for Parents and Families by Newsweek, recognizing our commitment to supporting parents and caregivers with a flexible environment, resources, and a culture that helps families thrive.
