Minnesota Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 87 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
86.6%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$8,463
Avg School Score
55/100
Total Schools
2,645
555 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Minnesota
Minnesota Schools Beat Median Scores with Less Funding
Minnesota reports an average school score of 54.9, which comfortably exceeds the national median of 50.0. The state achieves a graduation rate of 86.6% despite spending only $8,463 per pupil, well below the national average of $13,000.
A Wide Performance Gap Across 87 Counties
Education quality varies significantly across the state's 87 counties, with school scores ranging from 40.5 to 67.1. Graduation rates show an even wider divide, reaching 95.7% in Jackson County while dropping to a state low of 53.1% in Mahnomen County.
Strong ROI Despite Leaner Per-Pupil Budgets
Minnesota demonstrates high efficiency by maintaining a graduation rate nearly equal to the 87.0% national average while spending $4,537 less per student. This indicates that the state delivers competitive academic outcomes even without the high-level funding seen in other regions.
Cook and Cottonwood Counties Set the Standard
Cook County leads the state with a school score of 67.1 and a 95.0% graduation rate, backed by the state's highest spending of $12,089. Cottonwood and Norman counties also excel, both posting school scores of 60.4 and graduation rates above 95%.
A Reliable Leader in Regional Education Quality
Minnesota remains a top choice for education, offering a state-wide school score that is nearly 10% higher than the national median. Families prioritize counties like Cook or Cottonwood for the best balance of graduation success and school performance.
Top Performing School Counties
All Minnesota Counties
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.