Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Minnesota test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

Q: Is Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High a good school?

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High ranks 196 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

196^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 59% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High is a grades 7–12 school in Wadena, Minnesota, serving about 470 students — the largest enrollment in this nearby comparison group — as part of the Wadena-Deer Creek School District. In 2025–2026 it ranked 196th of 473 Minnesota high schools (59th percentile, 3 stars), while its district ranked 291st of 458 (36th percentile, 2 stars). That 23-point gap suggests the 7–12 school is a relative bright spot within its district. The school has drifted down from 4-star status in 2020–2021 through 2022–2023 to 3 stars since, with a slight rebound in 2025–2026.

Test results are mixed. Its clearest strength is End of Course science at 47.1%, above the state's 35.0% and the highest among nearby schools, including New York Mills Secondary. Math proficiency has improved each year, from 28.37% in 2022–2023 to 36.4% in 2025–2026, though still below the state's 44.9%. Reading is the bigger concern: it fell from about 45% in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 to 37.0%, below the state's 48.6% and 6th of 7 nearby schools. Eighth grade reading (31.9% vs. 50.0% state) and 8th grade science (4.5% vs. 16.7% state) are the weakest spots.

Graduation and dropout figures swung sharply in 2024–2025: 80.2% graduation and 9.8% dropout, versus state rates of 84.9% and 4.2%, after a much stronger 2023–2024 (93.3% and 2.6%). Subgroup results show real gaps: special education students rank at the 22nd percentile (1 star) and low-SES students at the 30th percentile, down from the 63rd percentile in 2023–2024. The student-teacher ratio, 19.7, is the highest among nearby schools. Overall, the school sits mid-pack — ahead of Verndale Secondary (16th percentile), competitive with Staples-Motley Senior High, Henning Secondary, Bertha Secondary, and Sebeka Secondary, but trailing New York Mills in math and reading. White Pine Academy's scores are suppressed by the state.

470

Students ?

19.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,843

Per pupil spending ?

39.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 Colfax Ave SW
Wadena, MN 56482-0151

(218) 632-2300

District: Wadena-Deer Creek School District

Feeder schools for Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High:

Elementary:	Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary
Middle:	Wadena-Deer Creek 5th And 6th Grade

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.8%

Two or more races:

5.7%

Hispanic:

4.5%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2016 → 59th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Minnesota median (59th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (33% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Dropout rate above the Minnesota average (10% vs 4%)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg35%

Minnesota avg43%

Middle school

312^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 41% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

196^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 41%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 32% (2016) to top 41% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

291^st of 458Wadena-Deer Creek School District 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	312 of 546	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.7	346 of 519	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.7	243 of 545	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.0	281 of 529	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.4	281 of 520	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.5	253 of 521	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.4	270 of 533	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.3	218 of 518	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.1	225 of 523	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.9	209 of 508	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	45.5	299 of 516	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.0	309 of 490	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	51.3	254 of 488	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	48.5	286 of 469	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	45.4	306 of 478	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.9	209 of 454	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	55.5	208 of 409	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.6	227 of 403	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	54.5	222 of 406	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	69.0	130 of 396	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	41.5	286 of 387	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	289 of 467	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.2	292 of 450	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.9	233 of 474	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.4	261 of 455	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.8	265 of 467	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.3	206 of 443	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.0	251 of 439	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	70.5	113 of 436	74.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	47.6	242 of 458	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.0	192 of 432	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.8	240 of 473	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.0	226 of 459	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.6	169 of 404	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.8	109 of 399	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	46.9	229 of 415	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.4	160 of 401	60.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	42.0	296 of 483	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.0	339 of 452	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.1	226 of 479	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.3	262 of 464	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.4	290 of 476	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.7	273 of 437	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.4	250 of 454	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	291 of 438	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	24.5	256 of 296	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.9	208 of 265	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	58.7	101 of 307	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.4	218 of 298	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.9	177 of 288	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.3	215 of 260	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	53.9	127 of 282	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.8	146 of 253	42.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	28.8	334 of 435	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.2	363 of 415	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.3	289 of 440	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	30.2	328 of 436	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	328 of 438	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.3	265 of 422	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.6	296 of 428	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.2	235 of 428	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.0	196 of 473	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.6	211 of 450	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.4	151 of 480	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.3	124 of 476	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	98 of 472	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	74.2	92 of 428	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	137 of 492	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.5	163 of 494	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.6	177 of 489	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.7	155 of 489	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.3	191 of 504	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.1	174 of 483	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.7	217 of 534	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.1	279 of 539	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	57.8	292 of 545	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.1	317 of 540	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	48.7	303 of 460	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	59.0	229 of 463	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.8	186 of 450	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	82.1	35 of 452	92.3%	★★★★★
2004	73.6	129 of 433	70.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.4	180 of 398	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	184 of 358	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.9	144 of 403	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.0	86 of 396	78.3%	★★★★☆
2022	62.9	149 of 388	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	82.5	29 of 339	91.4%	★★★★★
2019	57.4	192 of 401	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	71.4	109 of 395	72.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	34.2	263 of 377	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	179 of 333	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.7	144 of 389	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	88 of 393	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	60.3	119 of 312	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	74.9	41 of 270	84.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.6	94 of 370	74.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.7	54 of 374	85.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	168 of 395	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	190 of 377	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.7	144 of 405	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.7	193 of 398	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.1	67 of 403	83.4%	★★★★☆
2021	56.8	156 of 351	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	74.4	81 of 411	80.3%	★★★★☆
2018	59.2	182 of 398	54.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	29.7	174 of 224	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.7	153 of 178	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.2	154 of 221	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.5	177 of 216	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	59.2	59 of 173	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.1	90 of 220	59.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	218 of 394	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.8	230 of 376	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	161 of 402	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.0	151 of 398	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.2	130 of 401	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.8	102 of 364	72.0%	★★★★☆
2019	57.5	191 of 412	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.2	198 of 414	52.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)39th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)38th percentile-5 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-20 vs school

Special Education (2026)14th percentile-29 vs school

High school

Male (2026)57th percentile~ school

Female (2026)55th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile-28 vs school

Special Education (2026)22nd percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading37%-12 vs state

Math36%-8 vs state

Science23%-3 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High and help other families decide.

Rate Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)				MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)				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 (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 10th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science End of Course	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High	Public	7-12	600 Colfax Ave SW	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Wadena-Deer Creek School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 632-2300	470	24	19.7	39.6%	408 (86.8%)	6 (1.3%)	21 (4.5%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.7%)	61	196^th of 473 public high schools	58.6%		58.6	211^th of 450 public high schools	53.1%	15	43.4	31.9	36.8	37.0	4.5	47.1	22.9	39.2	40.0	27.9	36.4	$12,843
Freshwater Wadena Alternative Learning Center	Public	9-12	624 Jefferson St N	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)
White Pine Academy	Public	5-12	2222 Industrial Drive	Wadena	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	No	No	No	(218) 631-3505	11	3	4.3	72.7%	10 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Verndale Secondary	Public	7-12	411 SW Brown St	Verndale	56481	Wadena County	Verndale Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 445-5184	231	19	11.9	46.8%	206 (89.2%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	19	396^th of 473 public high schools	16.3%		40.6	296^th of 450 public high schools	34.2%	100	30.0	30.3	29.3	29.8	3.1	7.7	5.6	13.3	17.2	11.8	14.0	$10,617
New York Mills Secondary	Public	7-12	209 N Hayes Ave	New York Mills	56567	Otter Tail County	New York Mills Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 385-4211	362	25	14.3	42.5%	344 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	83.7	53^rd of 473 public high schools	88.8%		82	69^th of 450 public high schools	84.7%	16	56.9	43.1	51.6	50.0	9.4	45.9	27.2	73.1	44.6	50.0	54.9	$12,055
Bertha Secondary	Public	7-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56437	Todd County	Bertha-Hewitt Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 924-2500	213	16	13.3	45.1%	199 (93.4%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	70.7	128^th of 473 public high schools	72.9%		53.6	234^th of 450 public high schools	48.0%	106	38.7	37.5	50.0	41.0	15.6	42.9	26.4	25.8	31.3	29.4	28.7	$13,767
FED Bertha-Hewitt Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	310 Central Ave S	Bertha	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)
Sebeka Secondary	Public	7-12	200 1st St NW	Sebeka	56477	Wadena County	Sebeka Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(218) 837-5101	233	17	13.6	48.9%	213 (91.4%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.4%)	32.2	329^th of 473 public high schools	30.4%		61.6	189^th of 450 public high schools	58.0%	140	48.0	53.1	28.6	42.4	12.5	18.8	15.6	44.0	50.0	25.8	39.8	$12,234
Henning Secondary	Public	7-12	500 School Ave	Henning	56551	Otter Tail County	Henning Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 583-2927	171	9	18.5	35.7%	153 (89.5%)	2 (1.2%)	8 (4.7%)	3 (1.8%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	62.3	187^th of 473 public high schools	60.5%		56.5	222^nd of 450 public high schools	50.7%	35	56.3	42.4	52.0	48.6	9.1	44.0	24.1	37.5	30.3	10.0	26.1	$13,709
Freshwater Staples Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-12	1830 Airport Rd	Staples	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High

How many students attend Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 470 students attended Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High.

What schools feed into Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High?

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary
Middle : Wadena-Deer Creek 5th And 6th Grade

Is Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High a good school?

Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High ranks 196^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High?

Students at Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High are 87% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

What district is Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High in?

Wadena-Deer Creek School District

Rate Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota High School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Wadena, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High!

Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 MCA-III & MCA-IV test scoresNewSep 30, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 2025

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.