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

No. Use the Waseca 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 Waseca 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 Waseca County?

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

Waseca County Schools & Education

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

Waseca County, Minnesota

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

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

81.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

81.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.6%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,347

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,463

School Score

41/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#75

of 87 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Waseca County

Measured School Summary

Waseca County has midrange measured school signals (score: 41/100) with a graduation rate of 81.8%, which warrants review in official state and district records.

Funding Context

Waseca County spends $8,347 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 25% below the Minnesota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Waseca 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

41/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #75 of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data.

Completion

81.8%

4.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,347

$116 below the state average

School coverage

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

Waseca 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 Waseca 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

Waseca 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

#75

of 87 Minnesota counties with school score data. The county score is 14 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.

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

Elementary to high school visible

1,784 students

Elementary 1Middle 3High 2Other 1

7 listed schools in this county slice.

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON

Elementary and high visible

697 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

TEAM ACADEMY

Elementary school only in this slice

102 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is the largest listed district slice, with 7 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 Waseca County?

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

Waseca County Per-Pupil Spending Trails National and State Averages

Education data brief for Waseca County, Minnesota.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Waseca County records a per-pupil expenditure of $8,347, significantly lower than the national average of $13,000 and slightly below the Minnesota state average of $8,463. The county’s graduation rate of 81.8% also sits below both the state average of 86.6% and the national mark of 87.0%. Public education in the county is delivered across 13 schools, with the Waseca Public School District serving as the largest provider, enrolling 1,784 of the county's 3,055 total students. The largest facility is Waseca Senior High, which enrolls 607 students in grades 9 through 12. Most schools are located in town settings, though three are classified as rural. The county's composite school score of 41.3 is lower than the state average of 54.9 and the national median of 50.0. Review the NCES Common Core of Data for individual school enrollment and staffing levels.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Waseca County

Reported Enrollment

3,055

13 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

8% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3

Middle3

High5

Other2

3 School Districts in Waseca County

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

7 schools

1,784 students

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON

2 schools

697 students

TEAM ACADEMY

1 school

102 students

13 Public Schools in Waseca 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

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Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Waseca County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Waseca Senior High	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	9–12	High	607
NRHEG SECONDARY	Record	NRHEG SCHOOL DISTRICT	NEW RICHLAND, 56072Rural: Remote	6–12	High	455
HARTLEY ELEMENTARY	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	PK–3	Primary	449
WASECA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	4–6	Middle	359
JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON SEC	Record	JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON	JANESVILLE, 56048Rural: Distant	7–12	High	349
JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON EL.EM.	Record	JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON	JANESVILLE, 56048Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	348
WASECA JUNIOR HIGH	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	7–8	Middle	259
TEAM ACADEMY	Record	TEAM ACADEMY	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	KG–6	Charter	102
Waseca Area Learning Center	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	7–12	Alternative	68
Waseca Early Childhood	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	PK	Special Education	38
SWMetro Waseca-Transitions	Record	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	SHAKOPEE, 55379Town: Distant	9–12	Special Education	11
SWMetro Waseca	Record	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	SHAKOPEE, 55379Town: Distant	KG–12	Special Education	6
WASECA MIDDLE LEVEL ALC	Record	WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT	WASECA, 56093Town: Distant	7–8	Alternative	4

Waseca Senior High

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High607 students

NRHEG SECONDARY

NRHEG SCHOOL DISTRICT

NEW RICHLAND, 56072 / Rural: Remote

Record6–12High455 students

HARTLEY ELEMENTARY

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–3Primary449 students

WASECA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

Record4–6Middle359 students

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON SEC

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON

JANESVILLE, 56048 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High349 students

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON EL.EM.

JANESVILLE-WALDORF-PEMBERTON

JANESVILLE, 56048 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary348 students

WASECA JUNIOR HIGH

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

Record7–8Middle259 students

TEAM ACADEMY

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–6Charter102 students

Waseca Area Learning Center

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

Record7–12Alternative68 students

Waseca Early Childhood

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

RecordPKSpecial Education38 students

SWMetro Waseca-Transitions

Southwest Metro Intermediate 288

SHAKOPEE, 55379 / Town: Distant

Record9–12Special Education11 students

SWMetro Waseca

Southwest Metro Intermediate 288

SHAKOPEE, 55379 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–12Special Education6 students

WASECA MIDDLE LEVEL ALC

WASECA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WASECA, 56093 / Town: Distant

Record7–8Alternative4 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,347

State avg $8,463

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Waseca 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 Waseca County?

Waseca County has a school score of 41/100, 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 Waseca County?

The high school graduation rate in Waseca County is 81.8%, 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 Waseca County spend per student?

Waseca County spends $8,347 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

Kandiyohi County

Minnesota

-1 pts

41/100

School score

Winona County

Minnesota

+1 pts

42/100

School score

Sibley County

Minnesota

+2 pts

43/100

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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