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

No. Use the Sherburne 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 Sherburne 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 Sherburne County?

Start with the 43 listed public schools and 5 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Sherburne County Schools & Education

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

Sherburne County, Minnesota

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

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

93.7%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.7%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$7,570

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,463

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#20

of 87 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Sherburne County

Measured School Summary

Sherburne County performs at an average level with a school score of 67/100 and a solid graduation rate of 93.7%.

Funding Context

At $7,570 per pupil, Sherburne County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 21% above the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 7.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 11% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Sherburne 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

43 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

67/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #20 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.

Completion

93.7%

7.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$7,570

$893 below 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

Sherburne County has 43 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 Sherburne 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

Elk River Public School District carries most of the listed public-school system, with 31 of 43 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#20

of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 12 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.

Elk River Public School District

Elementary to high school visible

8,089 students

Elementary 8Middle 5High 9Other 2

24 listed schools in this county slice.

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

3,204 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 2Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

2,863 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 2Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

SPECTRUM HIGH SCHOOL

Middle and high visible

883 students

Elementary 0Middle 2High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Elk River Public School District is the largest listed district slice, with 31 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 Sherburne County?

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

Education Overview

About Schools in Sherburne 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.

Elk River District Dominates the Region

The Elk River Public School District is the county's largest by far, serving 14,152 students across 31 schools. Big Lake and Becker also maintain significant presences, with 3,204 and 2,863 students respectively. Four charter schools operate within the county, offering specialized alternatives for nearly 10% of the total school count.

Suburban Comfort with Diverse Settings

The county's schools are mostly suburban (23) or town-based (16), though a few city and rural options exist. Elk River Senior High is the largest school with 1,637 students, while the average school size is a manageable 405 students. This mix allows for a variety of educational atmospheres, from large comprehensive campuses to smaller community schools.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Sherburne County

Reported Enrollment

16,192

43 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

9% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary16

Middle9

High16

Other2

5 School Districts in Sherburne County

Elk River Public School District

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

6 schools

3,204 students

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

5 schools

2,863 students

SPECTRUM HIGH SCHOOL

3 schools

883 students

Three Rivers Montessori School

1 school

157 students

43 Public Schools in Sherburne County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 43 matching schools

Public schools in Sherburne County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
ELK RIVER SENIOR HIGH	Profile	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,637
BIG LAKE SENIOR HIGH	Record	BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BIG LAKE, 55309Town: Fringe	9–12	High	899
BECKER SENIOR HIGH	Record	BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BECKER, 55308Town: Distant	9–12	High	879
LIBERTY ELEMENTARY	Record	BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BIG LAKE, 55309Town: Fringe	PK–2	Primary	806
ZIMMERMAN HIGH SCHOOL	Record	Elk River Public School District	ZIMMERMAN, 55398Town: Fringe	9–12	High	707
TWIN LAKES ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	705
BIG LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BIG LAKE, 55309Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	686
BECKER INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTARY	Record	BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BECKER, 55308Town: Distant	3–5	Primary	666
INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARY	Record	BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BIG LAKE, 55309Town: Fringe	3–5	Primary	660
SALK MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	657
BECKER PRIMARY	Record	BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BECKER, 55308Town: Distant	PK–2	Primary	652
BECKER MIDDLE	Record	BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	BECKER, 55308Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	650
TALAHI COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY	Record	ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	SAINT CLOUD, 56304City: Small	PK–2	Primary	563
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	557
WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ZIMMERMAN, 55398Town: Fringe	3–5	Primary	543
MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Rural: Fringe	KG–5	Primary	542
ZIMMERMAN MIDDLE	Record	Elk River Public School District	ZIMMERMAN, 55398Town: Fringe	6–8	Middle	531
PARKER ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	KG–5	Primary	530
ZIMMERMAN ELEMENTARY	Record	Elk River Public School District	ZIMMERMAN, 55398Town: Fringe	KG–2	Primary	522
VANDENBERGE MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	Elk River Public School District	ELK RIVER, 55330Suburb: Large	6–8	Middle	512

ELK RIVER SENIOR HIGH

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,637 students

BIG LAKE SENIOR HIGH

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BIG LAKE, 55309 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High899 students

BECKER SENIOR HIGH

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BECKER, 55308 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High879 students

LIBERTY ELEMENTARY

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BIG LAKE, 55309 / Town: Fringe

RecordPK–2Primary806 students

ZIMMERMAN HIGH SCHOOL

Elk River Public School District

ZIMMERMAN, 55398 / Town: Fringe

Record9–12High707 students

TWIN LAKES ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary705 students

BIG LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BIG LAKE, 55309 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle686 students

BECKER INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTARY

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BECKER, 55308 / Town: Distant

Record3–5Primary666 students

INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARY

BIG LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BIG LAKE, 55309 / Town: Fringe

Record3–5Primary660 students

SALK MIDDLE SCHOOL

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle657 students

BECKER PRIMARY

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BECKER, 55308 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–2Primary652 students

BECKER MIDDLE

BECKER PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

BECKER, 55308 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle650 students

TALAHI COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

SAINT CLOUD, 56304 / City: Small

RecordPK–2Primary563 students

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary557 students

WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ZIMMERMAN, 55398 / Town: Fringe

Record3–5Primary543 students

MEADOWVALE ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary542 students

ZIMMERMAN MIDDLE

Elk River Public School District

ZIMMERMAN, 55398 / Town: Fringe

Record6–8Middle531 students

PARKER ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

RecordKG–5Primary530 students

ZIMMERMAN ELEMENTARY

Elk River Public School District

ZIMMERMAN, 55398 / Town: Fringe

RecordKG–2Primary522 students

VANDENBERGE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Elk River Public School District

ELK RIVER, 55330 / Suburb: Large

Record6–8Middle512 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$7,570

State avg $8,463

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Sherburne 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 Sherburne County?

Sherburne County has a school score of 67/100, 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 Sherburne County?

The high school graduation rate in Sherburne County is 93.7%, 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 Sherburne County spend per student?

Sherburne County spends $7,570 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Sherburne County, Minnesota — FAQ

What are the major school districts in Sherburne County, Minnesota?

What is the school experience like in Sherburne County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Carver County

Minnesota

0 pts

67/100

School score

Meeker County

Minnesota

+0 pts

67/100

School score

Redwood County

Minnesota

+1 pts

67/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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