Best Public Schools in Bloomington, MN

Bloomington, Minnesota is home to 25 schools — 12 elementary, 6 middle, and 7 high schools — serving about 10,967 students, most of them in Bloomington Public Schools, a district ranked 246 of 458 statewide (46th percentile, 2 stars) that trails Minnesota in math (39.0 vs 44.9), reading (42.3 vs 48.6) and science (19.9 vs 25.5).

Individual schools, however, tell a very different story. Ridgeview Elementary is the city's clear standout: 5 stars, 94th percentile, and the highest math (71.2%) and reading (73.6%) proficiency in Bloomington, plus 40.0% in science, with a three-year climb from the 85th to the 91st to the 94th percentile. Hillcrest Elementary jumped from the 54th to the 74th percentile and has the top science score in the city (43.8%). Olson Middle is the strongest middle school (87th percentile, 53.5% math, 56.5% reading), and Jefferson High School is the strongest comprehensive high school (56th percentile, 89.1% graduation, 3.1% dropout, 51.6% math).

The spread within the city is enormous. Valley View Elementary scores 7.1% in math and 16.5% in reading, against Ridgeview's 71.2% and 73.6%; Valley View Middle is the weakest middle school (science 3.7%); and Kennedy High School (19.7% math, 77.1% graduation) trails Jefferson sharply. Schools with higher free/reduced-lunch rates generally post lower scores. Several schools are improving, including BlueSky Charter School, New Code Academy Middle School, and Compass Academy. Some schools have state-suppressed test data, so they cannot be fully compared.