Rochester Math & Science Secondary

Rochester Math & Science Secondary is a grades 7–12 school serving about 230 students in Rochester, Minnesota, part of the Rochester Math and Science Academy district. It ranks 310th of 473 Minnesota schools (34th percentile, 2 stars), placing it in the lower-middle third statewide, while its district ranks 281st of 458. About 88.26% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025 — the highest among nearby schools with reported data — and the student-teacher ratio is 16.4.

Two things stand out in a good way. First, completion: the school reports a 100.0% graduation rate and 0.0% dropout rate in 2024–2025, above the state (84.9% and 4.2%) and far above nearby Rochester Beacon Academy (60.0% graduation) and MNSync Online Secondary (67.1% graduation, 8.9% dropout). Second, math: 48.5% proficiency overall beats the district (42.9%) and state (44.9%) and essentially ties Mayo High School (48.2%). Eighth-grade math is 58.1% (state: 42.3%) and seventh grade is 47.1% (state: 40.3%). Eleventh-grade math slips to 33.3%, just below the state's 35.3%.

Science is the severe weakness: 0.0% proficiency in all grades, 8th grade, and end-of-course science, versus the state's 25.5%, 16.7%, and 35.0%. In 2024–2025 it was 9.38% against the state's 26.15%. Reading is 43.5% — above the district (37.1%) but below the state (48.6%) — with 10th grade at 32.3% versus the state's 42.5%. Notably, Rochester Beacon Academy outperforms it in science (25.8%), and Mayo High remains the strongest nearby academic benchmark overall. Subgroup effectiveness rankings vary widely: English Language Learner students rank in the 85th percentile and African American students in the 67th, compared with the school's 34th percentile overall, while female students rank in the 25th.