Traditionally one of the least populated U.S. states, North Dakota has experienced a population boom in the past ten years thanks to new developments in oil extraction technology which have bolstered state industry. With the influx of recent migrants, North Dakota’s public school districts have rapidly expanded to accommodate new students, opening many new schools.
North Dakota’s best school district is Northwood School District No. 129, a system of one elementary and one high school serving the small town of less than 1,000, Northwood, ND. Northwood High School was recently awarded a bronze medal by U.S. News & World Report, placing it among the best public high schools in the nation.
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood School District No.1, comprising two elementaries and one high school based in Mohall, ND, comes in at #2. Students enrolled in the district’s schools benefit from a student:teacher ratio of 10:1, two better than the state average of 12:1.
At #3 is another modestly sized school district, Wyndmere Public Schools serving the small town of Wyndmere, ND. Based on state test results, 82% of Wyndmere’s students are proficient in reading, while 77% are proficient in reading.
Buxton, ND’s Central Valley School District No.3 places fourth in the ranking. Central Valley High School’s high graduation rate and state test scores earned it a bronze medal from U.S. News & World Report.
Kindred Public School #2, home of 2017 National Blue Ribbon School award recipient, Kindred Elementary School, is North Dakota’s #5 best school district.
Top School Districts in North Dakota, 2018
| State Rank | School District | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwood 129 | North Dakota |
| 2 | Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 1 | North Dakota |
| 3 | Wyndmere 42 | North Dakota |
| 4 | Central Valley 3 | North Dakota |
| 5 | Kindred 2 | North Dakota |
| 6 | Mckenzie Co 1 | North Dakota |
| 7 | Beach 3 | North Dakota |
| 8 | Valley City 2 | North Dakota |
| 9 | Edgeley 3 | North Dakota |
| 10 | Milnor 2 | North Dakota |
| 11 | Thompson 61 | North Dakota |
| 12 | North Border 100 | North Dakota |
| 13 | Ellendale 40 | North Dakota |
| 14 | New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 | North Dakota |
| 15 | Surrey 41 | North Dakota |
| 16 | Kenmare 28 | North Dakota |
| 17 | Maple Valley 4 | North Dakota |
| 18 | Bowman Co 1 | North Dakota |
| 19 | Griggs County Central 18 | North Dakota |
| 20 | Harvey 38 | North Dakota |
| 21 | Cavalier 6 | North Dakota |
| 22 | Hillsboro 9 | North Dakota |
| 23 | Jamestown 1 | North Dakota |
| 24 | Napoleon 2 | North Dakota |
| 25 | West Fargo 6 | North Dakota |
| 26 | Oakes 41 | North Dakota |
| 27 | Midway 128 | North Dakota |
| 28 | Fargo 1 | North Dakota |
| 29 | Garrison 51 | North Dakota |
| 30 | Underwood 8 | North Dakota |
| 31 | Bismarck 1 | North Dakota |
| 32 | Northern Cass 97 | North Dakota |
| 33 | Beulah 27 | North Dakota |
| 34 | Lewis And Clark 161 | North Dakota |
| 35 | Rugby 5 | North Dakota |
| 36 | Lisbon 19 | North Dakota |
| 37 | Minot 1 | North Dakota |
| 38 | Killdeer 16 | North Dakota |
| 39 | Grand Forks 1 | North Dakota |
| 40 | North Star 10 | North Dakota |
| 41 | Tioga 15 | North Dakota |
| 42 | Richardton-Taylor 34 | North Dakota |
| 43 | Larimore 44 | North Dakota |
| 44 | Stanley 2 | North Dakota |
| 45 | Central Cass 17 | North Dakota |
| 46 | Grafton 3 | North Dakota |
| 47 | Barnes County North 7 | North Dakota |
| 48 | Lamoure 8 | North Dakota |
| 49 | Bottineau 1 | North Dakota |
| 50 | Devils Lake 1 | North Dakota |
| 51 | Nesson 2 | North Dakota |
| 52 | Mandan 1 | North Dakota |
| 53 | United 7 | North Dakota |
| 54 | Richland 44 | North Dakota |
| 55 | South Heart 9 | North Dakota |
| 56 | Hankinson 8 | North Dakota |
| 57 | Velva 1 | North Dakota |
| 58 | Hazen 3 | North Dakota |
| 59 | May-Port Cg 14 | North Dakota |
| 60 | Enderlin Area 24 | North Dakota |
| 61 | Williston 1 | North Dakota |
| 62 | Hettinger 13 | North Dakota |
| 63 | Belfield 13 | North Dakota |
| 64 | Wahpeton 37 | North Dakota |
| 65 | Dickinson 1 | North Dakota |
| 66 | Linton 36 | North Dakota |
| 67 | Wilton 1 | North Dakota |
| 68 | Sargent Central 6 | North Dakota |
| 69 | Washburn 4 | North Dakota |
| 70 | Kidder County 1 | North Dakota |
| 71 | Tgu 60 | North Dakota |
| 72 | Mt Pleasant 4 | North Dakota |
| 73 | Lakota 66 | North Dakota |
| 74 | Langdon Area 23 | North Dakota |
| 75 | Mott-Regent 1 | North Dakota |
| 76 | Minto 20 | North Dakota |
| 77 | Divide County 1 | North Dakota |
| 78 | Glenburn 26 | North Dakota |
| 79 | Dakota Prairie 1 | North Dakota |
| 80 | Belcourt 7 | North Dakota |
| 81 | New Town 1 | North Dakota |
| 82 | St John 3 | North Dakota |
| 83 | Parshall 3 | North Dakota |
| 84 | Dunseith 1 | North Dakota |
| 85 | Eight Mile 6 | North Dakota |
| 86 | Minnewaukan 5 | North Dakota |
| 87 | Warwick 29 | North Dakota |
Methodology
The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.
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