Summary:
Cokato, Minnesota is home to five schools serving roughly 1,689 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Four belong to Dassel-Cokato Public Schools, which is rated 17th of 458 Minnesota districts at the 96th percentile with 5 stars, and one belongs to Meeker and Wright Special Education. The main pathway runs from Cokato Elementary (PK–4; 401 students) to Dassel-Cokato Middle (5–8; 576) to Dassel-Cokato Senior High (9–12; 601), alongside two smaller programs: Dassel-Cokato Alternative Center (9–12; 78) and Village Ranch Alternative Program (5–12; 33).
The three main district schools all perform above Minnesota averages. Cokato Elementary is the clearest standout, with 2025–2026 math proficiency of 75.9% and reading of 65.8%, compared with district marks of 63.4% and 59% and state marks of 44.9% and 48.6%; it ranked 72 of 869 schools, in the 92nd percentile with 5 stars. Dassel-Cokato Middle is consistently top-tier, ranking at the 90th, 94th, and 97th percentiles over three reported years, with math at 56.5% and reading at 57.4%. Dassel-Cokato Senior High shines in science at 48.3% versus district 32.3% and state 25.5%, though its math and reading trail the district while still beating the state; graduation is 89.7% and dropout 1.6%, better than the state's 84.9% and 4.2%.
The two alternative programs look very different. Dassel-Cokato Alternative Center has test scores suppressed by the state, a graduation rate of 84.6%, a dropout rate of 3.8%, and by far the highest student-teacher ratio at 34.9. Village Ranch has the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 90.91% and the lowest student-teacher ratio at 5.4, with math at 23.1% and reading at 25%, and science suppressed. Parents should also note that the area summary lists zero alternative schools even though two appear in the data.
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