Minnesota’s public education system is stellar, characterized by low dropout rates, high test scores, and low student-to-teacher ratios. Minnesota’s high standard of education is reflected in its five best school districts. 

St. Michael-Albertville Schools is Minnesota’s best school district. Comprising one kindergarten, three elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools serving an enrollment of nearly 6,500, the high-performing district recently managed a remarkable graduation rate of over 99%

Minnesota’s 2nd best school system is Centennial School District, which is headquartered in the suburb of Circle Pines and consists of seven schools and a number of other facilities. Centennial teachers are highly qualified, with 78% holding a master’s degree, and the district has a graduation rate of 94.9%. 

Placing 3rd in the ranking is Farmington Area Public Schools, made up of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school in the city of Farmington. The district’s students consistently test higher than the national average on the ACT and NWEA MAP tests. 

Hopkins Public Schools is the 4th best public school district in the state of Minnesota. HPS serves an enrollment of around 6,800 students hailing from the city of Hopkins and portions of surrounding communities. Students of Hopkins schools are in good hands, as 84% of the district’s teachers have a master’s degree or higher. 

Mahtomedi Public Schools completes the ranking of Minnesota’s top school districts. Comprising four schools in the small Washington County city of Mahtomedi, MPS maintains a standard of excellence which is reflected in the district’s students’ high ACT and AP exam test scores. 

Top School Districts in Minnesota, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.