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

No. Use the Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County?

Start with the 13 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Cottonwood County Schools & Education

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

Cottonwood County, Minnesota

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

School Score

84/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

95.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

95.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,898

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,463

School Score

84/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

of 87 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Cottonwood County

Measured School Summary

Cottonwood County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 84/100 and a graduation rate of 95.3%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Cottonwood County spends $8,898 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 52% above the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 8.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Cottonwood 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

13 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

84/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #2 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.

Completion

95.3%

8.7 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,898

$435 above the state average

School coverage

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Cottonwood County has 13 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Cottonwood 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

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop carries most of the listed public-school system, with 25 of 13 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 29 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.

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,166 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 1

4 listed schools in this county slice.

MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

501 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

Elementary to high school visible

82 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 3Other 1

6 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop is the largest listed district slice, with 25 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 Cottonwood County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Cottonwood 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

Cottonwood County School Score Significantly Exceeds Minnesota State Average

Education data brief for Cottonwood County, Minnesota.

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

Lead metric:School score

Cottonwood County’s composite school score of 83.5 stands as its most distinctive data point, far exceeding the Minnesota state average of 54.9 and the national median of 50.0. This metric is paired with a graduation rate of 95.3%, which is higher than the state average of 86.6% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure in the county is $8,898, slightly above the state average of $8,463 but below the national average of $13,000. The county’s 1,932 students are served across 13 public schools, with no charter presence. Windom Public School District is the largest district, enrolling 1,166 students, including 547 at Windom Area Elementary. The school mix includes three alternative schools and two special education schools, largely situated in town locales. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Cottonwood County

Reported Enrollment

1,932

13 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3

Middle2

High6

Other2

3 School Districts in Cottonwood County

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

4 schools

1,166 students

MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2 schools

501 students

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

25 schools

288 students

13 Public Schools in Cottonwood 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 data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Cottonwood County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Windom Area Elementary	Record	WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WINDOM, 56101Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	547
WINDOM SENIOR HIGH	Record	WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	9–12	High	339
WINDOM MIDDLE	Record	WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	267
MOUNTAIN LAKE ELEMENTARY	Record	MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MOUNTAIN LAKE, 56159Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	257
MOUNTAIN LAKE SECONDARY	Record	MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS	MOUNTAIN LAKE, 56159Rural: Distant	7–12	High	244
WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SECONDARY	Record	WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SCHOOLS	WESTBROOK, 56183Rural: Remote	7–12	High	183
SWWC ELC - Windom	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	KG–12	Special Education	50
SWWC ALC - Windom	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	9–12	Alternative	31
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER	Record	WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	PK	Special Education	13
SWWC ALC Midlevel - Windom	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	7–8	Alternative	1
STARRS ONLINE ACADEMY	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	7–12	Virtual	0
STARSS Online Academy Elementary	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	KG–6	Virtual	0
Windom Learn Center Credit Recovery	Record	Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop	WINDOM, 56101Town: Remote	9–12	Alternative	0

Windom Area Elementary

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WINDOM, 56101 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary547 students

WINDOM SENIOR HIGH

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High339 students

WINDOM MIDDLE

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle267 students

MOUNTAIN LAKE ELEMENTARY

MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MOUNTAIN LAKE, 56159 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary257 students

MOUNTAIN LAKE SECONDARY

MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MOUNTAIN LAKE, 56159 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High244 students

WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SECONDARY

WESTBROOK-WALNUT GROVE SCHOOLS

WESTBROOK, 56183 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High183 students

SWWC ELC - Windom

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–12Special Education50 students

SWWC ALC - Windom

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Alternative31 students

EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTER

WINDOM PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

RecordPKSpecial Education13 students

SWWC ALC Midlevel - Windom

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record7–8Alternative1 students

STARRS ONLINE ACADEMY

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record7–12Virtual0 students

STARSS Online Academy Elementary

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–6Virtual0 students

Windom Learn Center Credit Recovery

Region 6 and 8-SW/WC Service Coop

WINDOM, 56101 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,898

State avg $8,463

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood County?

Cottonwood County has a school score of 84/100, which is a higher 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 Cottonwood County?

The high school graduation rate in Cottonwood County is 95.3%, which is above 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 Cottonwood County spend per student?

Cottonwood County spends $8,898 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

Norman County

Minnesota

-1 pts

82/100

School score

Lac qui Parle County

Minnesota

-2 pts

82/100

School score

Jackson County

Minnesota

-5 pts

78/100

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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