Aitkin County Schools & Education
Aitkin County, Minnesota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
64/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
89.4%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 86.6%
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,282
National avg $13,239
State avg $8,463
School Score
64/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#24
of 87 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Aitkin County
Measured School Summary
Aitkin County performs at an average level with a school score of 64/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.4%.
Funding Context
Aitkin County spends $9,282 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 16% above the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 2.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Aitkin County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
9 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
64/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #24 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.
Completion
89.4%
2.8 pts above the state average
Funding context
$9,282
$819 above the state average
School coverage
9
3 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Aitkin County has 9 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Aitkin County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Mixed school landscape
Aitkin County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#24
of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 9 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary and high visible
1,028 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary and high visible
452 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Elementary to high school visible
256 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 3 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Aitkin County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Aitkin County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Aitkin County, Minnesota
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
Rural Roots Across Nine Aitkin County Schools
Three school districts manage nine total campuses serving 1,736 students across the county. The infrastructure includes three elementary schools, one middle school, and five high schools, reflecting a focus on secondary education in this rural region.
High Graduation Rates Outpace National Averages
Aitkin County achieves an impressive 89.4% graduation rate, significantly higher than the national 87.0% benchmark and the state average of 86.6%. The county invests $9,282 per pupil, which exceeds the Minnesota state average of $8,463 even as it remains below national spending levels.
Aitkin Public Schools Lead the County
The Aitkin Public School District is the largest provider, enrolling 1,028 students across three schools. Traditional public education dominates the landscape here, as there are currently no charter schools operating within the county.
Intimate Rural Learning Environments
Every school in the county is classified as rural, offering an average enrollment of just 193 students per campus. Aitkin Secondary School is the largest facility with 526 students, while Hill City Elementary provides a highly personal environment for only 104 children.
School Overview
Total Schools
9
in Aitkin County
Reported Enrollment
1,736
9 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Aitkin County
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
9 Public Schools in Aitkin County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 9 of 9 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AITKIN SECONDARY SCHOOL | Record | AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | AITKIN, 56431Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 526 |
| RIPPLESIDE ELEMENTARY | Record | AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | AITKIN, 56431Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 493 |
| MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY | Record | MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | MCGREGOR, 55760Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 233 |
| MCGREGOR SECONDARY | Record | MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | MCGREGOR, 55760Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 216 |
| HILL CITY ELEMENTARY | Record | HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | HILL CITY, 55748Rural: Remote | PK–4 | Primary | 104 |
| HILL CITY SENIOR HIGH | Record | HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | HILL CITY, 55748Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 85 |
| Hill City Middle School | Record | HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | HILL CITY, 55748Rural: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 67 |
| AITKIN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM | Record | AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | AITKIN, 56431Rural: Distant | 8–12 | Alternative | 9 |
| MCGREGOR AREA LEARNING PROGRAM | Record | MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT | MCGREGOR, 55760Rural: Remote | 8–12 | Alternative | 3 |
AITKIN SECONDARY SCHOOL
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
AITKIN, 56431 / Rural: Distant
RIPPLESIDE ELEMENTARY
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
AITKIN, 56431 / Rural: Distant
MCGREGOR ELEMENTARY
MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
MCGREGOR, 55760 / Rural: Remote
MCGREGOR SECONDARY
MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
MCGREGOR, 55760 / Rural: Remote
HILL CITY ELEMENTARY
HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
HILL CITY, 55748 / Rural: Remote
HILL CITY SENIOR HIGH
HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
HILL CITY, 55748 / Rural: Remote
Hill City Middle School
HILL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
HILL CITY, 55748 / Rural: Remote
AITKIN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING PROGRAM
AITKIN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
AITKIN, 56431 / Rural: Distant
MCGREGOR AREA LEARNING PROGRAM
MCGREGOR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
MCGREGOR, 55760 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$9,282
State avg $8,463
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Aitkin County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Minnesota counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Minnesota?
How should I read the school score in Aitkin County?
What is the graduation rate in Aitkin County?
How much does Aitkin County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Aitkin County, Minnesota — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Aitkin County, Minnesota?
Three school districts manage nine total campuses serving 1,736 students across the county. The infrastructure includes three elementary schools, one middle school, and five high schools, reflecting a focus on secondary education in this rural region.
How do schools in Aitkin County perform academically?
Aitkin County achieves an impressive 89.4% graduation rate, significantly higher than the national 87.0% benchmark and the state average of 86.6%. The county invests $9,282 per pupil, which exceeds the Minnesota state average of $8,463 even as it remains below national spending levels.
What are the major school districts in Aitkin County, Minnesota?
The Aitkin Public School District is the largest provider, enrolling 1,028 students across three schools. Traditional public education dominates the landscape here, as there are currently no charter schools operating within the county.
What is the school experience like in Aitkin County?
Every school in the county is classified as rural, offering an average enrollment of just 193 students per campus. Aitkin Secondary School is the largest facility with 526 students, while Hill City Elementary provides a highly personal environment for only 104 children.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.