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United South Central Elementary

Q: Is United South Central Elementary a good school?

United South Central Elementary ranks 224 th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

224^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 872 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 74% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

United South Central Elementary is a public elementary school located in Wells, Minnesota, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 449 students. This school is part of the United South Central Schools district, which is ranked 263 out of 446 districts in the state.

United South Central Elementary has consistently ranked in the top 40% of Minnesota elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a current ranking of 224 out of 872 schools (4-star rating). The school's performance on MCA-III assessments is notably higher than the state and district averages, particularly in math, with 62.2% of all grades proficient or better in 2024-2025, compared to 45.21% statewide and 43.77% for the district. The school's performance is especially strong in 3rd and 4th grade math, with proficiency rates of 80.39% and 72.73%, respectively.

While United South Central Elementary outperforms the nearby schools in the Albert Lea Public School District, it is interesting to note that Maple River Elementary School, located approximately 17 miles away, also demonstrates strong academic performance, ranking in the top 30% of Minnesota elementary schools. This suggests that factors beyond just geographic proximity may contribute to a school's success. Additionally, the school's relatively lower free and reduced lunch rate of 50.78% in 2023-2024, compared to some nearby schools, may be a contributing factor to its academic success, as research has shown that socioeconomic status can significantly impact student achievement.

420

Students ?

12.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,465

Per pupil spending ?

45.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 11th St SW
Wells, MN 56097-0312

(507) 553-5810

District: United South Central Schools

Students who attend United South Central Elementary usually attend:

High:

United South Central High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.6%

Hispanic:

17.9%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare United South Central Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 77th percentile in 2015 → 74th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (60% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Above the Minnesota median (74th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg44%

Minnesota avg47%

224^th of 872

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 26%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

263^rd of 446United South Central Schools among Minnesota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	73.4	224 of 872	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.3	253 of 881	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	59.6	371 of 845	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.9	270 of 858	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.4	263 of 869	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.2	292 of 870	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	335 of 847	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.3	176 of 853	79.4%	★★★★☆
2016	72.2	227 of 848	73.2%	★★★★☆
2015	74.6	191 of 840	77.3%	★★★★☆
2014	74.9	171 of 826	79.3%	★★★★☆
2013	67.6	280 of 824	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.2	312 of 820	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	47.4	536 of 814	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	55.6	452 of 803	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2008	57.0	400 of 781	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	70.3	202 of 777	74.0%	★★★★☆
2006	72.5	168 of 756	77.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	74.9	177 of 799	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	76.6	157 of 809	80.6%	★★★★☆
2023	66.1	278 of 787	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.8	228 of 799	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	66.1	273 of 783	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.9	207 of 787	73.7%	★★★★☆
2018	72.1	200 of 774	74.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	85.8	19 of 249	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	72.4	38 of 214	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	42 of 219	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	60.9	71 of 220	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	78.2	106 of 764	86.1%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	54 of 793	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	75.1	138 of 774	82.2%	★★★★☆
2022	85.4	44 of 663	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	73.4	130 of 683	81.0%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	132 of 740	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	79 of 728	89.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	66.3	277 of 812	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.4	381 of 826	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.6	444 of 799	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.0	319 of 808	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.2	279 of 784	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.5	378 of 798	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.0	435 of 779	44.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	56.6	208 of 562	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.0	268 of 572	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	203 of 500	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	139 of 417	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.5	319 of 515	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.2	278 of 463	40.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	308 of 714	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.3	353 of 730	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.7	474 of 712	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.0	342 of 725	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.9	304 of 710	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	322 of 722	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.3	375 of 712	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2024)92nd percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)86th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2025)78th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)66th percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2025)63rd percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)57th percentile-17 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Math62%+17 vs state

Reading57%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near United South Central Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)					MCA-III Reading (2025)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 3rd Grade	MCA-III Math 4th Grade	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 3rd Grade	MCA-III Reading 4th Grade	MCA-III Reading 5th Grade	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
United South Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	600 11th St SW	Wells	56097	Faribault County	United South Central Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 553-5810	420	34	12.3	45.2%	326 (77.6%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (17.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	73.4	224^th of 872 public elementary schools	74.3%		70.3	253^rd of 881 public elementary schools	71.3%	29	80.4	72.7	63.0	35.1	62.2	49.0	59.3	65.2	55.4	57.0	$12,465
Alden-Conger Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	215 N Broadway	Alden	56009	Freeborn County	Alden-Conger Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 874-3240	229	23	10.0	34.5%	206 (90.0%)	2 (0.9%)	11 (4.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.9%)	41	563^rd of 872 public elementary schools	35.4%		48	516^th of 881 public elementary schools	41.4%	47	67.7	37.5	15.6	33.3	38.8	47.1	40.6	37.5	46.0	43.0	$10,670
Maple River Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	801 Central Ave S	Mapleton	56065	Blue Earth County	Maple River School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 524-3918	424	34	12.5	40.8%	370 (87.3%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.8%)	64.4	329^th of 872 public elementary schools	62.3%		72.4	231^st of 881 public elementary schools	73.8%	98	73.6	55.9	50.0		60.1	47.2	42.7	63.2		51.0
Sibley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 W Front St	Albert Lea	56007	Freeborn County	Albert Lea Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 379-5080	275	23	11.9	66.5%	143 (52.0%)	11 (4.0%)	55 (20.0%)	54 (19.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.4%)	21.5	705^th of 872 public elementary schools	19.2%		29.9	655^th of 881 public elementary schools	25.7%	50	31.0	24.3	33.3		29.8	27.3	23.7	45.2		32.3	$11,409
Lakeview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	902 Abbott St	Albert Lea	56007	Freeborn County	Albert Lea Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 379-5020	400	28	14.2	52.3%	240 (60.0%)	8 (2.0%)	105 (26.3%)	25 (6.3%)	6 (1.5%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.5%)	46.3	508^th of 872 public elementary schools	41.7%		54.9	436^th of 881 public elementary schools	50.5%	72	63.0	48.0	31.9		47.7	43.8	43.8	43.7		43.8	$14,996
Blue Earth Area Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	315 E 6th St	Blue Earth	56013	Faribault County	Blue Earth Area School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 526-3090	515	33	15.4	52.8%	374 (72.6%)	3 (0.6%)	122 (23.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	42.2	549^th of 872 public elementary schools	37.0%		37.2	599^th of 881 public elementary schools	32.0%	50	64.6	45.2	18.1		42.1	60.0	27.4	43.4		44.1	$11,825
Hawthorne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 E Hawthorne	Albert Lea	56007	Freeborn County	Albert Lea Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(507) 379-4960	400	29	13.7	63.0%	195 (48.8%)	19 (4.8%)	81 (20.3%)	79 (19.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.3%)	19.2	717^th of 872 public elementary schools	17.8%		18.8	731^st of 881 public elementary schools	17.0%	14	43.1	32.7	7.7		26.7	32.2	22.5	39.4		32.2	$12,375

Frequently Asked Questions about United South Central Elementary

Is United South Central Elementary a good school?

United South Central Elementary ranks 224^th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of United South Central Elementary attend?

Students who attend United South Central Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : United South Central High School

What district is United South Central Elementary in?

United South Central Schools

What is the racial makeup of United South Central Elementary?

Students at United South Central Elementary are 78% White, 18% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend United South Central Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 420 students attended United South Central Elementary.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.