2024 Niche Standout High Schools in Minnesota

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  226 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 226 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,340

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Free or reduced lunch 36%

• Fridley Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  146 reviews

Junior: The teachers are absolutely great! They’re supportive and they’re all great in their areas. Great social workers and staff also! AVID is my favorite course here, i’m glad to have had opportunity to be in AVID. The academic here is great and the grading system is reasonable.... Read 146 reviews

• grade B

• Students 847

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 57%

• Hopkins, MN•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  47 reviews

Other: The best parts of the experience may include the school’s specialized curriculum, which offers students opportunities to explore a variety of medical and health-related subjects. Students may have access to specialized resources and mentors in the medical field, which can be beneficial for their career aspirations. On the other hand, the worst parts might differ for each person and could involve factors such as curriculum limitations, lack of extracurricular activities, or any challenges faced by students or staff within the school.... Read 47 reviews

• grade B

• Students 300

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Free or reduced lunch 95%

• Columbia Heights Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  132 reviews

Senior: Columbia height is diverse school with lots of students from different backgrounds all joining together in one building. The school itself is getting renovations and looking cleaner, with next year money coming in, the school will greatly improve. Everyone here is nice and friendly in their own way, I love this place. Go Heights!... Read 132 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,092

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Free or reduced lunch 61%

• North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  294 reviews

Senior: The teachers at North High really care about their students and their success! They always make time for their students and make sure to do anything they can to help each student succeed. North high as a whole has a mostly competitive academic environment pushing everyone across every grade to do their absolute best academically. Outside of the academic world North high has many inclusive clubs and sports including but not limited to Volleyball, basketball, math team, and even a robotics team! The extracurricular activities at North have helped me to make some of my closest friends. Having friends makes balancing academics, extracurricular activities, work and family so much better; they bring fun memories into my life and I have North High to thank for that. Overall North has given me the tools and resources I needed to get into a good college and continue to grow in my academic and social life!... Read 294 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,616

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Free or reduced lunch 54%

• Bloomington Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.48 out of 5  252 reviews

Alum: My time at Kennedy Senior High School has taught me to be my most authentic self and bring excellence to myself and the people around me. Teachers and staff truly care about the well being of the students and encourage us to do our best academically and in the real world. Despite the pandemic, Kennedy Senior High School pushes its efforts, efficiently supporting low-income students and providing free lunches. Strict bathroom policies and heavy consequences on late passes effectively decreased the rates of students being late to class and limited time outside of the classroom. Encouraging students to clean up after themselves and keep the lunch room clean has each and every student contribute to the environment and the community. Inclusive clubs like GSA, badminton, and tennis along with school sports keep the students connected to the community and the school. There are many good things to say about Kennedy Senior High School, and as a recent graduate, I am proud to say I attended.... Read 252 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,600

• Student-teacher ratio 30:1

• Free or reduced lunch 54%

• Minneapolis Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.56 out of 5  352 reviews

Junior: In my experience at south high I have had positive and influential interactions with all of my teachers and piers. While the schools academic success is not incredible, I have met so many amazingly talented and brilliant people. Before coming to south I struggled with school, mental health, friends, and I was unmedicated. Over my time here I think that I have become a much better student and person, becoming more confident in both myself and academics.... Read 352 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,590

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Free or reduced lunch 51%

• North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  383 reviews

Senior: When I got to tartan my experience was pretty dull considering the fact that I enrolled in the midst of the pandemic, so it was really hard to make friends when I first arrived but I joined the football and my experience began to feel like your typical high school experience. I joined clubs and the prom committee and began to meet more and more people until I finally felt comfortable to be me. I participated in protests and rallies and even performed my poetry in front of the whole school. I've enjoyed Tartan even with it's flaws, I learned a lot about myself and was able to challenge myself in rigorous AP and college courses.... Read 383 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,630

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Free or reduced lunch 50%

• Windom Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  35 reviews

Senior: Windom is a great place for ecademic learning and we have the most college classes. The teachers work great with you and you become close with friends. We may not be the best in sports but we definitely have the eagle spirt!... Read 35 reviews

• grade B

• Students 343

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Free or reduced lunch 36%

• Worthington Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  131 reviews

Senior: Worthington High School has made the past 3 years (Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years) so much more than I could have ever asked for! I have not only made life long friends, but have also gained an excellent education. The Worthington school district is relatively large compared to surrounding areas, but I never felt like I didn't have the option to receive one-on-one help from teachers. This year will be my final year at WHS as I will graduate in the spring of 2023. I am saddened and not quite ready to say goodbye to the place that holds so many great memories. But, I know that Worthington High School has put me so much closer to my dreams, and for that will be forever grateful.... Read 131 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,061

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 58%

• Willmar Public School District, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  138 reviews

Junior: My experience at Willmar Senior High has been limited but it has been good. I am currently a junior and I am about to be a senior. The 2021-2022 school year has been my first school year where I was completely in school. I didn’t get to fully experience my freshman and sophomore year due to COVID. I was stuck at home due to the virus. However, my year has been pretty good. A lot of teachers do a great job at what they do. They’re pretty flexible when working with you if you’re stuck behind and they’re nice. They like to talk to you and are involved in extracurricular activities or hobbies. They try their best to make your education better and easier for you. Every teacher is different when it comes to their classroom, but it’s a pretty straightforward school and it’s very diverse so there’s a lot of opportunity to meet new people!... Read 138 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,274

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Free or reduced lunch 52%

• Hiawatha Academies, MN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.38 out of 5  13 reviews

Senior: The Freakonomics introduction was an extremely interesting read. This book analyzes the connections between seemingly unlikely things that shape our society and economy, but have undeniable parallels given the data the authors present. It highlights underlying unconventional truths based on numbers rather than how someone would think things are ”supposed” to work. It also looks at the power of incentives on the human condition, and analyzing correlation versus causation with more than just two separate data points. The conclusions drawn by the authors using this frame of logic were really surprising.... Read 13 reviews

• grade B

• Students 623

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Free or reduced lunch 71%

• Saint Paul, MN•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Alum: The staffs at this school are probably the kindest, patient, and encouraging teachers I've ever had. You will probably be able to do anything you want with the help of this school.... Read 1 review

• grade B

• Students 115

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Free or reduced lunch 90%

• St. Paul Public School District, MN•

• 5-12

• •
  Rating 4.75 out of 5  8 reviews

Senior: Agape High School is a school for adolescents girls. At Agape High School, they prepare you for not only high school required classes but also prepares you for college, too. They offer PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option). Agape has a childcare for you if needed. It is a very diverse school. Although it may be a small school, you still get your education even being a teen mother. They don’t discriminate people. In fact, we refer one another as sisters. The staffs and teachers there are super helpful. They will always encourage you to do your best even when tough time comes. Moreover, what’s great about Agape is that they also give you many resources to the outside world to where you need help as a teen mother.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B

• Students 53

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Free or reduced lunch 93%

• Mountain Lake Public Schools, MN•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  9 reviews

Senior: Average experience. I would like it if my teachers reached out more considering the schools small size. Culturally diverse in some aspects but lacking in others.... Read 9 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 244

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Free or reduced lunch 44%

• Wrenshall Public School District, MN•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  10 reviews

Senior: I loved and also disliked that Wrenshall was so small. I have 15 students in my senior class. I like that I'm able to connect with the teachers more with the smaller class sizes, but I don't like that Wrenshall didn't have a lot of extracurricular programs to offer due to small numbers.... Read 10 reviews

• grade B

• Students 198

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Free or reduced lunch 41%

• Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School District, MN•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  9 reviews

Senior: Warren/Alvarado/Oslo Secondary school is honestly a great school! I want to be honest, if you or your parents are not well known your most likely not going to “stand out.” Some students are very nice and some aren’t just like any other school. Teacher wise it’s awesome! Personally, my favorite teacher is Beth Murray. The counselor Britney Palm is super understanding and a sweet heart and very welcoming! I highly recommend W/A/O because teachers want the absolute best for you and will push you and motivate you to be the best. Personally, I would chose to go to Warren/Alvarado/Oslo Secondary School again if I could! WAO is accepting, teachers are sweet, bullying is not a problem there, and if you ever need any help in some way, shape, or form teachers will always be there as well as the counselor!... Read 9 reviews

• grade B

• Students 265

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Free or reduced lunch 30%

• Red Lake County Central No. 2906, MN•

• 7-12

• grade B

• Students 166

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Free or reduced lunch 31%

• Westbrook-Walnut Grove Schools, MN•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  14 reviews

Senior: I have gone to school here my whole life. It is a small school, but the community and spirit brings life. As a person of color, everyone is so welcoming. I feel I belong here. The challenges I have faced was learning at times. I was more slow with it, and sometimes the lessons would go super fast. I have learned to review things on my own that I didn’t catch.... Read 14 reviews

• grade B

• Students 172

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Free or reduced lunch 48%

• Bertha-Hewitt Public School District, MN•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: The staff and students are very supportive of what you do, they want everyone to have success. The teachers know a lot about what they are teaching, and if they don't know something they find it out.... Read 3 reviews

• grade B

• Students 240

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Free or reduced lunch 39%