Summary:
Nicollet Public School District is a small, four-star Minnesota district serving roughly 307 students across two schools: Nicollet Elementary School for grades PK–6 (156 students) and Nicollet High School for grades 7–12 (151 students), with no separately reported middle school. The district ranks 110 of 458 Minnesota districts, the 76th percentile.
Nicollet Elementary School is the standout, earning 4 stars and ranking 211 of 869 schools (76th percentile) in 2025–2026, following a 4-star 2023–2024 and a 3-star 2024–2025. Its 2025–2026 proficiency beats both district and state averages in all three subjects: math 54.8% (district 49.6%, state 44.9%), reading 61.9% (district 58.1%, state 48.6%), and science 40.0% (district 31.7%, state 25.5%) — reading is 13.3 percentage points above the state and science 14.5 points above. Notably, the elementary school has a higher free/reduced lunch rate (25.64% vs. 14.57%) and a higher student-teacher ratio (13.5 vs. 10.9) than the high school, yet still posts stronger overall proficiency.
Nicollet High School presents a more mixed picture. Its completion outcomes are strong: a 91.1% graduation rate versus the state's 84.9%, and a 0.0% dropout rate versus 4.2%. But 2025–2026 proficiency trails the district in all three subjects and falls below the state in math (41.5% vs. 44.9%) and science (24.2% vs. 25.5%), while reading (51.9%) is above the state's 48.6%. The school's rank has swung widely — 82nd percentile in 2024–2025, then 53rd percentile in 2025–2026. Bright spots appear in 8th grade, where reading is 76.5% (state 50.0%) and math 58.8% (state 42.3%), while 7th grade math lags at 31.6% (state 40.3%). In short, the district's overall strength is driven largely by the elementary school, while the high school pairs excellent completion rates with clear room to grow in math and science.
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