2023 Best Public Schools in Ramsey County

• Nova Classical Academy, MN•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  69 reviews

Senior: This school pushes you hard, and prepares you for higher education and an educated life. From Logic and Rhetoric to Latin and Ancient Lit., you receive a background steeped in classical knowledge. You will find a mind to comprehend, an ear to listen, and the learning to come up with solutions. The requirements are structured to simulate the difficulty of college, thereby most graduates claim that college was easier than high school! If you are not ready for the rigor, you may not be able to handle the heavy discussions and writing-intensive workload. However, if you are an individual, like me, who thrives beneath struggle and high expectations, this would be the place for you.... Read 69 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 526

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  374 reviews

Junior: Mounds View is an academically strong school with a lot of opportunities for students. There is a noticeable divide between students in AP/honors classes and those who are not, but that is to be expected. Most teachers are really good and passionate about what they are teaching, and for the most part students are engaged in their learning. Class sized have gotten bigger and the majority of my classes are in the low 30s, which is significantly larger than what niche says. There are lots of ARCC/AP classes, and if students take advantage of those they can get a lot of college credit in high school. Most classes are not too intensive and Mounds View really tries to have a balance between school work and extracurriculars. The sports teams are fine, some are known for being toxic environments, but that happens at every school. Arts do not get a ton of support, but there is a pretty big theater group. The administration is not very useful except for some of the deans.... Read 374 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,886

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Nova Classical Academy, MN•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 3.24 out of 5  17 reviews

Parent: My daughter was a transfer student from another charter school. The previous school she went to wanted to put her in special education. I disagreed with this and turned that down. So when my daughter was accepted into nova we were thrilled. The new way she is being taught at nova is so much better she is no where near needing special ed. We love the curriculum at this school and are thankful to get in. She adjusted well to the new school and we are thankful... Read 17 reviews

• grade A

• Students 484

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Great River School, MN•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  24 reviews

Junior: Great River School is a Montessori and Is great at encouraging students to take risks, make new friends, and be independent. The curriculum is hands-on and engaging. The teachers and staff are all extremely kind and are very understanding of our needs as students for extensions and different requirements on work. I could walk up to any student in my grade and have a great conversation. The building is old and always seems to be either too hot or too cold which is not so fun. Overall I love this school and everyone here is so easy to get along with.... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Students 401

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  385 reviews

Senior: This is a great school! The teachers really know how to communicate with students, there’s competitive classes, and lots of school clubs/activities. Aside from the students itself and selective staff that aren’t any of the previously mentioned things the school is amazing.... Read 385 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,851

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 1-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Excellent teachers, high expectations for students... I love the arts and music emphasis. Our kids have fun and are motivated to go to school!... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 1,009

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.25 out of 5  4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,114

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 1-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: We love Island lake! The teachers and faculty here are amazing! My son is behind in math and has some learning issues and his teachers go above and beyond to help him and make him feel comfortable. We made sure when we moved that we stayed within the district just to stay at this school! Love it!... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 722

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: Niche really needs to update their research: test scores for Jie Ming have been out for two years and have yet to be added to Niche’s website. Beyond the phenomenonal test scores (consistently top 6 in the whole state) are the excellent teachers and staff who always have the highest of expectations for their students. Students almost always live up to these sky-high expectations and I have seen very little evidence that students are overwhelmed or “pushed” to perform. My kindergartner has been thriving in his classroom and exceeding so many benchmarks of academic and social development. By the end of the 2nd year, most of the kiddos not only reach exceedingly high academic achievements (STEM and art!). But obtain high levels of fluency in Mandarin. Jie Ming was a no-brainer for us and our kindergartner’s first year has solidified our satisfaction with the school!... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 371

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  379 reviews

Senior: For the most part, I enjoyed my time at Irondale. The academics were great, I was able to take a lot of rigorous courses and even finished my senior year with an associates degree. However, the administration did not seem to care about its students. Whenever there was a racial "incident", the school would try to silence what happened and move on. This happened on many occasions because of the schools demographics and it was mentally draining for many of the poc students who wanted something to change. Apart from the issues caused by administration, the culture was very good. For the most part people didn't have issues with each other. There was not really any cliques and most people managed to get along with each other despite their backgrounds. Unfortunately Irondale is very bad at everything though, every team and club except for robotics performed subpar every year.... Read 379 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,780

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Saint Paul, MN•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a student in 6th grade as I'm writing this and I recommend this school but I would start early so if your coming here at my age knowing no german than thats may be a bad idea because it a new language were fluent in and you wouldn't know one word. If you like a Waldorf style of school this is probably not the school for you as here we do do tests and focus on academics but do events as in service learning, which I'm in, today we went to an event called WE DAY a empowerment non-profit organization to make the world better with our youth. Our school is very very very accepting of all cultures and backgrounds. If your happy with who you are then were fine with it. The one thing is are school is not that diverse..... were mostly white..... but where ale exerting and racism is not tolerated at our school. We encourage to feel welcome. So are school in my mind is amazing. So think about enrolling.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 587

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  221 reviews

Freshman: High school is a transformative journey filled with growth, self-discovery, and countless possibilities. The diverse range of subjects, extracurricular activities, and social interactions provide opportunities for personal growth and uncovering passions. High school fosters a sense of community and belonging through friendships, group projects, and engaging in sports teams, clubs, and community service. Exposure to diverse perspectives and cultures promotes understanding and acceptance, contributing to a more harmonious society. However, areas that could benefit from improvement include mental health support, balancing academic pressure, enhancing security measures, incorporating practical life skills into the curriculum, and improving technology integration in the classroom. Addressing these areas would create an even more supportive and enriching environment for students.... Read 221 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,381

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Roseville Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  543 reviews

Senior: My overall experience at Roseville Senior High is pretty good. There are a lot of great teachers here at Roseville. Definitely learned a lot of very valuable life skills that I will continue to use for the rest of my life. Here at Roseville, we have a very diverse school. We have many different clubs for different races, cultures, and religions. One of the things I would change here at Roseville is having an open campus for students, meaning we get to leave at lunchtime to get something to eat. The food served here is very very poor and many kids don't want to eat the food. Having the freedom to go to other places to eat would be nice and helpful. Overall Roseville is a great high school and I had a lot of fun over these last 4 years. But I am definitely ready to further my education at a university!... Read 543 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,343

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.8 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: I'm a current student at Highview Middle School, and overall I've had a good experience. The education is alright (although I think it could be better, lessons can be boring, repetitive, or just too basic and as far as I can tell there aren't many options for advanced placement classes). The teachers are wonderful and very engaged, definitely the best part of my school experience besides my friends. Lastly, I have to warn any LGBTQ+ students thinking of going here that a lot of students throw around slurs and when I first came here I was bullied for being LGBTQ+ on a near-daily basis. I did consider switching schools. However, I found that the staff was very supportive and eventually the bullying stopped. I still hear a lot of gay jokes in the halls and things but I'm having a much better time at Highview now, and the community is very strong here so even if you're bullied you'll find many like-minded friends to supportyou.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 872

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• White Bear Lake School District, MN•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 448

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Saint Paul, MN•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  188 reviews

Senior: It’s such an excellent school with a good supportive environment to learn in. It’s a special place because the arts classes are specialized and catered to your specific track. I’m in the musical theatre track and so far I have learned something new every single year! Whether it’s viewpoints, grid work, character development, or even just playing theatre games there is always something to learn. The academics are challenging especially if you’re taking AP or Advanced classes. My most challenging class was AP Biology, it made me work hard and take time to really develop an understanding of the material, science is my favorite subject! The only downside to SPCPA is that we have no sports and a very limited selection of student run clubs. If you care about dances and sports and the “traditional” high school experience, it may not be the school for you. However if you want a school with an amazing, supportive, loving, all inclusive community this is the place for you!... Read 188 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 440

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 1-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Absolutely incredible experience. Both of my children have absolutely loved their time at Pike Lake and now Bel Air Elementary. The teachers are supportive and engaging, there is accountability, inclusion, diversity. This is truly a wonderful school.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 732

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  14 reviews

Parent: High-quality embedded and interdisciplinary education with a family-like environment. The teachers really get to know the students, and typically teach each student twice (middle school and high school). Very supportive environment for students to flourish.... Read 14 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 476

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Mounds View Public School District, MN•

• 1-5

• grade A minus

• Students 522

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Roseville Public School District, MN•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: We moved to the neighborhood specifically for this school. It feels like a "small" school with many of our neighbors attending. It feels like a community and my children love it. We couldn't ask for better teachers. I am a teacher so I have high expectations of the school my kiddos attend. This school is top notch.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 496

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Avalon School, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  8 reviews

Parent: Wonderful school for those who hope to become motivated, independent, creative learners and citizens. (Not so much for those who hope to sail passively through a traditional education) Excellent, committed teachers. Small enough that everybody knows everybody else. Great support for those who prefer hands-on learning or have other learning differences. Emphasis on active learning, projects, research, creative expression. They treat their students with respect and compassion, with the result that most students return that respect.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 173

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Roseville Public School District, MN•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Parent: I have two kids here and the experience has been wonderful. The best G/T program in the district. The earliest start time is sort of a challenge but getting out at 2:00 is great.... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 762

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Our son attended grade 3-5 at Randolph Heights (we moved to St. Paul when he was entering grade 3). He had a wonderful experience at Randolph Heights. The teachers are excellent - - I was astounded at how good the school is at teaching reading. Our son thrived with learning how to research and write and develop life-long learning habits in 5th grade. The community was wonderful with many dedicated and engaged parents and overall we found the classrooms to be very calm and well-managed on all fronts.... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 443

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• White Bear Lake School District, MN•

• K-5

• grade B+

• Students 530

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Roseville Public School District, MN•

• K-6

• grade B+

• Students 409

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1