Can I use Blue Earth County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Blue Earth County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Blue Earth County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Blue Earth County?

Start with the 26 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Blue Earth County Schools & Education

Name: Blue Earth County, Minnesota Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Blue Earth County, Minnesota

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

86.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,479

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,463

School Score

51/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#44

of 87 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Blue Earth County

Measured School Summary

Blue Earth County performs at an average level with a school score of 51/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.6%.

Funding Context

Blue Earth County spends $8,479 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 7% below the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 0% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Blue Earth 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

26 public schools and 5 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

51/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #44 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.

Completion

86.6%

matches the state average

Funding context

$8,479

roughly matches the state average

School coverage

5 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

Blue Earth County has 26 public schools across 5 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Blue Earth 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.

Dominant-district county

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT carries most of the listed public-school system, with 23 of 26 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#44

of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 4 points below 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.

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

6,287 students

Elementary 7Middle 2High 7Other 2

18 listed schools in this county slice.

LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL

Elementary and high visible

969 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 1

3 listed schools in this county slice.

MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

938 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary and high visible

787 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 23 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 Blue Earth County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Blue Earth County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

City-Centered Enrollment Dominates Blue Earth County Education

Education data brief for Blue Earth County, Minnesota.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Blue Earth County's school structure is notably urbanized for the region, with 17 of its 26 public schools located in city locales. The Mankato Public School District is the dominant educational provider, overseeing 23 schools and 8,362 of the county's 9,049 total students. Mankato East Senior High is the largest school in the county, enrolling 1,293 students. The county’s graduation rate of 86.6% matches the state average exactly and sits near the national average of 87.0%. The composite school score is 51.0, which is slightly above the national median of 50.0 but trails the state average of 54.9. Per-pupil expenditure is $8,479, very close to the Minnesota state average of $8,463 and below the national average of $13,000. The county includes one charter school and seven alternative schools, serving a diverse array of student needs within its city-centric system. See the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed district boundaries and school records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Blue Earth County

Reported Enrollment

9,049

26 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

4% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle2

High11

Other3

5 School Districts in Blue Earth County

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL

3 schools

969 students

MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

938 students

ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

2 schools

787 students

Kato Public Charter School

1 school

68 students

26 Public Schools in Blue Earth County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 26 matching schools

Public schools in Blue Earth County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
MANKATO EAST SENIOR HIGH	Profile	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56002City: Small	9–12	High	1,293
MANKATO WEST SENIOR HIGH	Profile	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56002City: Small	9–12	High	1,223
Prairie Winds Middle School	Profile	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	954
Lk Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Sec	Record	LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL	LAKE CRYSTAL, 56055Rural: Fringe	6–12	High	517
Maple River Secondary	Record	MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAPLETON, 56065Rural: Distant	6–12	High	495
Maple River Elementary	Record	MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT	MAPLETON, 56065Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	443
Lk Crystal Wellcome Memorial El	Record	LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL	LAKE CRYSTAL, 56055Town: Fringe	PK–5	Primary	439
Rosa Parks Elementary	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	KG–5	Primary	434
FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	PK–5	Primary	414
ST. CLAIR ELEMENTARY	Record	ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	SAINT CLAIR, 56080Rural: Fringe	PK–6	Primary	401
ST. CLAIR SECONDARY	Record	ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	SAINT CLAIR, 56080Rural: Fringe	7–12	High	386
WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	KG–5	Primary	376
KENNEDY ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	PK–5	Primary	370
ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	KG–5	Primary	333
EAGLE LAKE ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	EAGLE LAKE, 56024Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	301
SPECIAL EDUCATION	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	PK–12	Special Education	267
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	KG–5	Primary	204
Central High Area Learning Center	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	9–12	Alternative	92
Kato Public Charter School	Record	Kato Public Charter School	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	6–12	Charter	68
Prairie Care Mankato	Record	MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	MANKATO, 56001City: Small	KG–12	Alternative	23

MANKATO EAST SENIOR HIGH

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56002 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,293 students

MANKATO WEST SENIOR HIGH

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56002 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,223 students

Prairie Winds Middle School

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / Rural: Fringe

Profile6–8Middle954 students

Lk Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Sec

LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL

LAKE CRYSTAL, 56055 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–12High517 students

Maple River Secondary

MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAPLETON, 56065 / Rural: Distant

Record6–12High495 students

Maple River Elementary

MAPLE RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT

MAPLETON, 56065 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary443 students

Lk Crystal Wellcome Memorial El

LAKE CRYSTAL-WELLCOME MEMORIAL

LAKE CRYSTAL, 56055 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–5Primary439 students

Rosa Parks Elementary

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary434 students

FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary414 students

ST. CLAIR ELEMENTARY

ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

SAINT CLAIR, 56080 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–6Primary401 students

ST. CLAIR SECONDARY

ST. CLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

SAINT CLAIR, 56080 / Rural: Fringe

Record7–12High386 students

WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary376 students

KENNEDY ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordPK–5Primary370 students

ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary333 students

EAGLE LAKE ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

EAGLE LAKE, 56024 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary301 students

SPECIAL EDUCATION

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordPK–12Special Education267 students

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordKG–5Primary204 students

Central High Area Learning Center

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

Record9–12Alternative92 students

Kato Public Charter School

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

Record6–12Charter68 students

Prairie Care Mankato

MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

MANKATO, 56001 / City: Small

RecordKG–12Alternative23 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,479

State avg $8,463

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Blue Earth County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Minnesota counties have the highest graduation rates?

Jackson County (95.7%), Cottonwood County (95.3%), and Cook County (95.0%) currently lead Minnesota among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Minnesota?

Across Minnesota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,463. The highest current county values are Cook County ($12,089), Kittson County ($10,301), and Beltrami County ($10,167). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Blue Earth County?

Blue Earth County has a school score of 51/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Blue Earth County?

The high school graduation rate in Blue Earth County is 86.6%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Blue Earth County spend per student?

Blue Earth County spends $8,479 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Freeborn County

Minnesota

0 pts

51/100

School score

Martin County

Minnesota

-0 pts

51/100

School score

Benton County

Minnesota

+1 pts

52/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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