2024 Best School Districts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Plymouth, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.02 out of 5  84 reviews

Junior: Overall, Wayzata High provided a great experience! We were provided iPads to use and these were replaced every few years. The facilities were also relatively nice and clean, and most classes had an okay size: not too big or too small. There were also lots of class options like entrepreneurship or culinary, as well as many AP classes provided. Wayzata also had lots of extracurricular provided, from STEM focused ones to community clubs to business organizations. Students also had the opportunity to create their own clubs and eventually make them official. However, a few of the teachers at Wayzata didn’t seem to care about the students. One teacher got mad at students for asking questions, while another teacher seemed depressed and disconnected all the time. Another teacher I had was gone for half of the quarter, making it difficult to ask him questions to understand the assignments we were given. However, most teachers were genuine.... Read 84 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 20

• Students 12,018

• Minnetonka, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.16 out of 5  64 reviews

Alum: Minnetonka public schools have the best school district in Minnesota. Being alumni here has perfectly prepared me for the future and life out of high school and more realistically life outside of Minnesota. In the future, I would recommend this school district to anyone who wants there kids to have a bright and fantastic future! My whole family has graduated and gone to schools in Minnetonka schools, and the community these schools have created for me is fantastic when people I always say that I am proud to say I went to Minnetonka... Read 64 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 13

• Students 11,307

• Eden Prairie, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.54 out of 5  81 reviews

Alum: EPHS was one of the best high schools for me. The staff genuinely showed their care for us. The supportive atmosphere fostered a sense of emotional well-being and belonging. Furthermore, the school actively encouraged extracurriculars and hobbies. There was a platform for every passion, whether it was sports, arts, or academic clubs. What stood out most was the connection between teachers and students. Most teachers were remarkably involved, going beyond textbooks to make subjects engaging. Their dedication didn't stop at academics; they took a keen interest in our personal growth and aspirations. Although they had great academics and activities, EP was lacking in student diversity and mental health resources. Many "counselors" were not trained professionals and could not help when needed.... Read 81 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 12

• Students 8,861

• Edina, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.95 out of 5  39 reviews

Senior: I am very fortunate to go to the Edina Public Schools. They have been prepping me for college since eighth grade which is super beneficial. Diversity is definitely lacking and some of the teaching staff tends to be unsupportive. However, the overall school atmosphere is super great! Lots of resources and the sports/team atmosphere are the best part.... Read 39 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 13

• Students 8,473

• Long Lake, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  13 reviews

Alum: I went there K-12, and I loved it. It's a great atmosphere; students, teachers, families. There are plenty of options for sports and activities, so there's bound to be something you would be interested in. I love how the schools are all on one street, and that the class sizes aren't huge like other public schools in the area. This way you really get to know the people in your grade and surrounding grades as well. The academics are excellent, with Orono being consistently ranked near the top of the list for public schools in Minnesota.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 5

• Students 2,859

• Saint Paul, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Junior: I’m new to Nova and so far it has been such a calming experience and all the new people I have met are really kind. Anybody that wishes to join would be feeling very welcome!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 2

• Students 1,019

• Stillwater, MN•

• School District

• grade A

• Total schools 3

• Students 1,189

• Hopkins, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.25 out of 5  36 reviews

Junior: Hopkins High School is a great, collaborative environment that embodies the definition of "Student led learning". Currently the school culture of Hopkins is suffering in the midst of the pandemic due to increased stress and misbehavior from scholars. Nonetheless this shouldn't tarnish the image of the collaborative inspiring place that Hopkins High School is. We have amazing opportunities such as many AP classes, group circles to discuss different current events, and even seminars on interesting topics (such as one provided last week on POC Poetry and BLM Street Art). Overall I appreciate my school and the diverse community of people there. Even though the current school culture is suffering, the students persevere and focus on their passions and futures.... Read 36 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 15

• Students 6,942

• Lakeville, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.23 out of 5  22 reviews

Senior: Lakeville North is an engaging school that is primes students for their academic and extracurricular activities. From math to football, I found the teachers very important and very engaged with my success. I highly recommend Lakeville North because of there prestigious athletes department. I was very excited to be apart of a good football program, however, all sports are very competitive for a starting position. I found most programs judged your success purely on your skills and abilities, nothing dogmatized. I appreciated my experience at Lakeville North because it also had extremely opportunity for people to achemically achieve my goals. Having hand fulls of support from my peers and mentors, I learned a lot about my basic classes as well as AP and Honors classes for the challenge. The teachers genuinely care for the topic and all seem to have strong interest in what they're teaching. I loved my experience at North and I want to continue my learning in college.... Read 22 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 19

• Students 11,512

• Minnetonka, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.92 out of 5  13 reviews

Senior: Eagle Ridge Academy is known as a challenging school, and it has definitely earned that reputation. During my time at ERA I have learned a lot and gained valuable experience. However at times it is difficult to balance outside activities with school work due to the expectations the school has set for its students. While figuring out how to manage everything is overwhelming, it has also taught me valuable time management skills. I think a good way to combat the high expectations the school sets would be providing more resources for students with extracurriculars to get help on homework or studying for tests.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 2

• Students 1,413

• Shoreview, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.93 out of 5  46 reviews

Junior: The Mounds View school district is a quality school district that continues to impress. Its teachers are caring, intelligent, and genuine. I've had particularly good experiences with my middle school teachers, which are heavily needed. The extra curricular activities at the high school level are well run and generally well funded. The largest downside of the district is the age of the buildings. The buildings have received some updates, but they feel like patchwork and often don't work with the rest of of the school. Although some measures were taken to address the ware of the buildings, it might have been more worthwhile to build new buildings all together.... Read 46 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 28

• Students 11,747

• Hudson, WI•

• School District

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  Rating 4.02 out of 5  45 reviews

Senior: Excellent curriculum, great selection of courses in our health care academy that has prepared me for a future in medicine. Hudson also has a great ice hockey program which resulted in skating in the WI state hockey tournament. Great teachers and coaches!... Read 45 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 10

• Students 5,431

• Rosemount, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.23 out of 5  132 reviews

Senior: I go to Eastview Senior Highschool and I have to say that they really ensure that you do well. Throughout my 3 almost 4 years at Eastview, I've excelled academically and collected numerous traits that shape me into the person I am now. During my freshmen year, I remember struggling a lot academically and they ensured that I could keep up with my work by putting me in a class, where I could finish my work while a teacher monitored me. Although times can be stressful and that's bound to happen, teachers always make sure you are prepared for upcoming tests and ensure that you do well. I've not had one teacher that didn't prepare me well for tests and essays. Eastview is also very diverse and making friends at Eastview is very simple, they ensure that you connect with others and communicate with others too. In conclusion, Eastview high school is a great Highschool and I highly recommend going there if you live around the Rosemount district.... Read 132 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 41

• Students 29,245

• Mahtomedi, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.82 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: Mahtomedi highschool consists of about 300 students per grade, and class sizes averages to about 24 students. With the rigorous courses and AP/ CIS courses offered, the school values academic success. The school is lacking elective courses other than art and workshop classes. They have a high level of parent involvement and volunteer opportunities through elementary school and high school with all of the monthly events to gather the community. The teachers hold high standards for the students, but provide support for the students to help them learn. They value safety and have an on campus officer year round, so I would give them 4 stars overall.... Read 17 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 6

• Students 3,229

• Chaska, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.36 out of 5  11 reviews

Junior: The teachers at school are simply good for what ever class you chose. With many languages and interesting trades you can try out. Our theater and sports programs are very inclusive and top in our divisions. All reasons why CHS is a great school.... Read 11 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 21

• Students 9,379

• Mendota Heights, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.2 out of 5  15 reviews

Senior: I love that is inclusive and diverse. I love how teachers try to connect with their students. Sometimes it's a struggle to get into contact with teachers during bigger classes, but in smaller classes, it's much easier to get into contact with the teacher because they have more time to get to you and check in with you to see how you're doing whether it's academically, mentally, physically, or emotionally.... Read 15 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 12

• Students 5,053

• Prior Lake, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.86 out of 5  71 reviews

Parent: We've been in the district for over eight years and have loved every level of education we've encountered in this district. The teachers are highly-skilled, engaged, and have true concern and care for their students. We've found the administrators to be very responsive to issues we've brought to their attention, which have been minimal. From the gifted programming, to accelerated learning options, to college-readiness, we feel that our child will be well-prepared for life after their time in this district. We do feel, however, that the district could improve in areas of equity and inclusion, and hope that additional work will be accomplished in those areas. We were very happy that equity and inclusion staff members have been added, and we're very optimistic that this area will be another way in which PLSAS can shine in the future if given the right resources and direction. We would fully-support any additional measures that made sure all students feel safe and included.... Read 71 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 12

• Students 8,915

• Roseville, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4 out of 5  12 reviews

Parent: Can only speak to our experience - which has been elementary so far… but everything from the teachers to administrators to communication to parent community has been amazing. Every child is cared for and given attention. This is an outstanding school system with amazing diversity in every classroom. If there’s one criticism? The buildings are a little dated and in need of some revitalization, but there is a tax levy on the ballot this year that should go directly to that.... Read 12 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 15

• Students 7,379

• Shakopee, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.02 out of 5  46 reviews

Other: Shakopee was a good school system. The teachers were outstanding with their work. They offered plenty of career opportunities straight out of high school. Plenty of college classes for free! The only thing they truly lacked was diversity.... Read 46 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 11

• Students 7,950

• Saint Anthony, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.6 out of 5  10 reviews

Junior: What I liked about St. Anthony is the people. The people are nice, there's nothing wrong with them. It's just the atmosphere there and the vibes you get. It's kind of a layer of sadness in those buildings and you can feel it everyday.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,782

• Stillwater, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.81 out of 5  90 reviews

Senior: The Stillwater Area Public School systems are pretty decent. I'd say that they are about average in everything. Our music programs and athletic programs are pretty nice though. There is a decently diverse group of students considering our location and bullying isn't a clear issue. While we can't be considered proactive on that many matters, Stillwater is overall good. The high school especially is huge. There are definitely problems within the schools system that could be fixed but nothing urgent I think.... Read 90 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 16

• Students 8,203

• Anoka, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.94 out of 5  114 reviews

Other: The best part about Anoka-Hennepin Schools was that most of the teachers that I experienced with were good and they taught very good. There are even things that I learned that I still remember and they benefit me since now I am in college. The worst part about school especially in the last years is that schools were not able to control kids. Lots of kids were smoking or vaping in school and as time goes on, the code of clothing gets worst. Teachers were not punishing kids as much and so many things became normalized. Students would get to the point where they disrespect teachers so much. I also remember that kids were getting out of control in my senior year of high school and the worst part is that staff members also are not being able to control or manage schools. I understand that kids who go to school are teenagers, but because they are teenagers, they should be taught morals. Overall there were many positives and negatives, but unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives.... Read 114 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 52

• Students 38,230

• Cottage Grove, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.83 out of 5  64 reviews

Senior: Park High School Scholars graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly global and diverse society. As a culturally rich community, we ALL learn and grow together through diverse opportunities that foster culturally competent communication, collaboration, and critical thinking that enhance post secondary readiness AND contributions to local and global communities.... Read 64 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 27

• Students 18,994

• Hastings, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 4.25 out of 5  28 reviews

Alum: Hastings Public School District has a great learning atmosphere with great staff who want their students to succeed. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging and made you feel welcome. All the extracurricular programs were great to be involved in.... Read 28 reviews

• grade B+

• Total schools 11

• Students 4,160

• Saint Paul, MN•

• School District

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  Rating 3.43 out of 5  7 reviews

Parent: I've had a really great experience with my soon to be 8th grader. He was moved to the school mid-year in 7th grade and experienced bullying at the previous public school. UMA staff and all of the students were extremely welcoming to my son. He said that bullys just don't exist at UMA, everyone is awome. The educational experience has also been great thus far. All of the teachers have helped us navigate his first year and been able to help us figure out the homework situation and work within my son's IEP. Sending my younger son there this year too! The only negative from my son's experience was the food :-) but I think that's pretty much all school food, and he's pretty picky.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B+

• Total schools 2

• Students 211