Best Schools for Low-income Students in Minnesota (2026)

These are the Minnesota public schools where low-income students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested low-income students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.

Other lists: Asian · Black · Hispanic · Multiracial · American Indian / Alaska Native · White

Elementary schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	RICHMOND ELEMENTARY Richmond	90%	70%	24	A
2	PLYMOUTH CREEK ELEMENTARY Plymouth	70%	90%	26	A
3	DASSEL ELEMENTARY Dassel	75%	85%	35	A+
4	BIG WOODS ELEMENTARY Saint Michael	75%	85%	33	A+
5	ST. MICHAEL ELEMENTARY Saint Michael	75%	85%	38	A+
6	BAXTER ELEMENTARY Baxter	62%	87%	67	A+
7	WATERVILLE ELEMENTARY Waterville	75%	75%	42	A+
8	Evansville Elementary Evansville	70%	70%	30	A+
9	Nova Classical Academy Lower School Saint Paul	70%	70%	29	A+
10	Seven Hills -Bloomington Elementary Bloomington	65%	75%	31	C+
11	Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart Element Hector	65%	75%	46	B
12	MILTONA ELEMENTARY Miltona	70%	70%	22	A+
13	WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY Cloquet	67%	72%	94	A+
14	Byron Intermediate School Byron	65%	75%	52	A+
15	ROCKVILLE ELEMENTARY Rockville	70%	70%	25	C+
16	LAKEWOOD ELEMENTARY Duluth	75%	65%	32	A
17	LEWISTON-ALTURA ELEMENTARY Lewiston	55%	85%	35	A+
18	GREY CLOUD ELEMENTARY Cottage Grove	75%	65%	40	A
19	HILLTOP PRIMARY SCHOOL Minnetrista	70%	70%	30	A+
20	CHURCHILL ELEMENTARY Cloquet	67%	67%	82	A+
21	ANDOVER ELEMENTARY Andover	62%	67%	114	A+
22	LOWELL ELEMENTARY Brainerd	62%	67%	78	A+
23	MCKINLEY ELEMENTARY Ham Lake	65%	65%	52	B+
24	MADISON ELEMENTARY Blaine	62%	67%	88	B+
25	CEDAR MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY Franklin	55%	75%	47	A+

Middle schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	BARNESVILLE ELEMENTARY Barnesville	85%	65%	55	C+
2	SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY Springfield	62%	87%	92	A+
3	MINNETONKA WEST MIDDLE Excelsior	77%	67%	76	A
4	MENAHGA ELEMENTARY Menahga	50%	90%	23	C+
5	Kaleidoscope Middle School Otsego	90%	50%	27	C
6	Lismore Colony Elementary Clinton	90%	50%	21	A
7	FERTILE-BELTRAMI ELEMENTARY Fertile	75%	65%	42	B+
8	GLACIAL HILLS ELEMENTARY Starbuck	70%	70%	30	C+
9	CANBY ELEMENTARY Canby	75%	65%	53	B
10	HOLDINGFORD ELEMENTARY Holdingford	62%	77%	87	B
11	HOUSTON ELEMENTARY Houston	65%	75%	50	A+
12	GRANDVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL Mound	67%	67%	101	A+
13	EDEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY Eden Valley	62%	67%	120	A+
14	MINNEOTA ELEMENTARY Minneota	65%	65%	48	B
15	ST. CLAIR ELEMENTARY Saint Clair	65%	65%	49	B
16	ST. MICHAEL-ALBERTVILLE MIDDLE EAST Saint Michael	67%	62%	103	B+
17	WINTERQUIST ELEMENTARY Esko	65%	65%	49	A+
18	WILLOW RIVER ELEMENTARY Willow River	65%	65%	54	C
19	CHATFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Chatfield	75%	55%	49	C+
20	BARNUM ELEMENTARY Barnum	62%	62%	71	C+
21	Delano Intermediate School Delano	72%	52%	65	A+
22	WIN-E-MAC ELEMENTARY Erskine	62%	62%	72	A
23	BYRON MIDDLE SCHOOL Byron	65%	55%	59	B
24	BATTLE LAKE ELEMENTARY Battle Lake	55%	65%	50	B+
25	Art & Science Academy Middle School Isanti	67%	52%	66	C

High schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	TRI-COUNTY SECONDARY Karlstad	90%	—	20	A+
2	MINNEWASKA SECONDARY Glenwood	70%	—	30	A+
3	WEST CENTRAL AREA SECONDARY Barrett	70%	—	22	A+
4	Greenbush-Middle River Secondary Greenbush	—	70%	16	A+
5	NOVA CLASSICAL ACADEMY UPPER SCHOOL Saint Paul	65%	75%	38	A+
6	BATTLE LAKE SECONDARY Battle Lake	70%	70%	26	A+
7	BELLE PLAINE SENIOR HIGH Belle Plaine	70%	—	26	A
8	COMFREY SECONDARY Comfrey	70%	—	21	B
9	MABEL-CANTON SECONDARY Mabel	70%	—	26	A+
10	Pillager Senior High School Pillager	70%	—	26	B+
11	HGA Secondary Saint Paul	75%	55%	33	A+
12	RED ROCK CENTRAL SECONDARY Lamberton	67%	57%	62	A+
13	GREAT RIVER SCHOOL Saint Paul	70%	50%	27	A+
14	BADGER SECONDARY Badger	70%	50%	29	A
15	ROGERS SENIOR HIGH Rogers	65%	55%	49	A+
16	ZIMMERMAN HIGH SCHOOL Zimmerman	65%	50%	41	A
17	HILLS-BEAVER CREEK SECONDARY Hills	65%	50%	35	A
18	LITCHFIELD SENIOR HIGH Litchfield	65%	50%	35	A+
19	NEW ULM HIGH SCHOOL New Ulm	65%	50%	41	A+
20	LINCOLN SECONDARY Esko	65%	50%	38	A+
21	CHATFIELD SECONDARY Chatfield	55%	55%	37	A
22	CLEVELAND SECONDARY Cleveland	65%	45%	39	A
23	DASSEL-COKATO SENIOR HIGH Cokato	55%	—	39	A+
24	Delano High School Delano	55%	55%	51	A+
25	EDEN VALLEY SECONDARY Eden Valley	57%	52%	78	A+

Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology

Best Schools for Low-income Students in Minnesota (2026)

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

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