Ward County Schools & Education
Ward County, North Dakota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
52/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
85.1%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
85.1%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 84.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,065
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,385
School Score
52/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 54/100
State Score Position
#28
of 53 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Ward County
Measured School Summary
Ward County performs at an average level with a school score of 52/100 and a solid graduation rate of 85.1%.
Funding Context
Ward County spends $9,065 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 4% below the North Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 3% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Ward 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
36 public schools and 8 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
52/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #28 of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data.
Completion
85.1%
0.3 pts above the state average
Funding context
$9,065
$320 below the state average
School coverage
36
8 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
Ward County has 36 public schools across 8 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 Ward 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
MINOT 1 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 22 of 36 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#28
of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.
MINOT 1
Elementary to high school visible
7,700 students
22 listed schools in this county slice.
UNITED 7
Elementary and high visible
703 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
NEDROSE 4
Elementary and high visible
600 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
SOUTH PRAIRIE 70
Elementary and high visible
533 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
MINOT 1 is the largest listed district slice, with 22 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 Ward County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Ward 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
Minot District 1 Enrollment Dominates Ward County Public School System
Education data brief for Ward County, North Dakota.
Ward County is characterized by a centralized district structure where the Minot 1 district serves 7,700 students across 22 schools, accounting for over 73% of the county's 10,528 total enrollment. The county features 36 public schools, including 21 elementary, 10 high schools, and four middle schools, with a mix of 20 town-based and 16 rural locales. Central Campus School is the largest individual facility with 1,085 students. The county’s graduation rate is 85.1%, which is higher than the state average of 84.8% but lower than the national benchmark of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure in Ward County is $9,065, roughly $300 lower than the state average of $9,385 and approximately $4,000 below the national average of $13,000. The composite school score for the county is 51.8, slightly above the national median of 50.0. See the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed school-level statistics.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
36
in Ward County
Reported Enrollment
10,528
36 schools reporting
School Districts
8
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
8 School Districts in Ward County
MINOT 1
GuideUNITED 7
NEDROSE 4
SOUTH PRAIRIE 70
SURREY 41
LEWIS AND CLARK 161
KENMARE 28
SAWYER 16
36 Public Schools in Ward 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 dataLevel
Showing 20 of 36 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CENTRAL CAMPUS SCHOOL | Profile | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | 9–10 | Other | 1,085 |
| MAGIC CITY CAMPUS HIGH SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | 11–12 | High | 933 |
| JIM HILL MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 840 |
| ERIK RAMSTAD MIDDLE SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58703Town: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 689 |
| LEWIS AND CLARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58703Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 528 |
| EDISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 461 |
| JOHN HOEVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 433 |
| LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58703Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 412 |
| BURLINGTON-DES LACS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | UNITED 7 | Burlington, 58722Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 387 |
| SOUTH PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | SOUTH PRAIRIE 70 | Minot, 58701Rural: Distant | PK–8 | Primary | 382 |
| PERKETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 358 |
| DES LACS-BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL | Record | UNITED 7 | Des Lacs, 58733Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 316 |
| NEDROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | NEDROSE 4 | Minot, 58701Rural: Fringe | PK–5 | Primary | 303 |
| WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 299 |
| DAKOTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot AFB, 58704Town: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 297 |
| NEDROSE HIGH SCHOOL | Record | NEDROSE 4 | Minot, 58701Rural: Fringe | 6–12 | High | 297 |
| SUNNYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58701Town: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 282 |
| BEL AIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot, 58703Town: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 245 |
| NORTH PLAINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | MINOT 1 | Minot AFB, 58704Town: Remote | KG–5 | Primary | 238 |
| SURREY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | SURREY 41 | Surrey, 58785Rural: Fringe | PK–6 | Primary | 231 |
CENTRAL CAMPUS SCHOOL
MINOT 1
Minot, 58701 / Town: Remote
BURLINGTON-DES LACS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
UNITED 7
Burlington, 58722 / Rural: Distant
SOUTH PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SOUTH PRAIRIE 70
Minot, 58701 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$9,065
State avg $9,385
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Ward 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
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What is the graduation rate in Ward County?
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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.