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

Universal Academy Elementary

Q: Is Universal Academy Elementary a good school?

Universal Academy Elementary ranks 435 th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades PK, KG-6

435^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 872 Minnesota Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Minnesota elementary schools

Summary

Universal Academy Elementary is a public charter elementary school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving 423 students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the Universal Academy Charter School District, which is ranked 210 out of 446 districts in the state.

Academically, Universal Academy Elementary has struggled compared to the state average and nearby schools. Over the past several years, the school's statewide ranking has declined, from 435 out of 872 Minnesota elementary schools in 2024-2025 to as low as 754 out of 869 in 2020-2021. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Math and Reading were 46.74% and 49.72%, respectively, slightly below the state averages. Compared to nearby schools like Seward Elementary and Anishinabe Academy Elementary, Universal Academy Elementary generally performs worse in both Math and Reading proficiency.

However, the school has shown strong performance in certain student subgroups. In 2024-2025, Universal Academy Elementary ranked 23rd out of 298 Minnesota elementary schools for African American students and 19th out of 303 for English Language Learner students in Math proficiency. The school has also performed well for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking 70th out of 764 Minnesota elementary schools in 2024-2025. Despite these strengths, the school's performance for female and male students has been relatively lower, ranking 419th and 414th, respectively, out of Minnesota elementary schools in 2024-2025. The school's high percentage of students from low-income families, with 82.03% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, is a significant factor that likely contributes to the school's academic challenges.

411

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,398

Per pupil spending ?

92.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2912 28th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406-8888

(651) 340-5994

District: Universal Academy Charter School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.8%

White:

0.7%

Asian:

0.7%

See top rated Minnesota elementary schools

Compare Universal Academy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 4th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 46 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Minnesota median (50th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg43%

Minnesota avg47%

435^th of 872

Minnesota public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▲ up 46 pts since 2015

From bottom 4% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

210^th of 446Universal Academy Charter School 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	435 of 872	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	555 of 881	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	19.1	695 of 845	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.2	682 of 858	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	754 of 869	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	737 of 870	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.0	595 of 847	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.9	701 of 853	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	25.9	692 of 848	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	3.2	809 of 840	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	86.2	23 of 298	92.3%	★★★★★
2024	78.5	45 of 310	85.5%	★★★★☆
2023	49.1	132 of 279	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	100 of 282	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.8	142 of 227	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.1	124 of 283	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	76.5	51 of 266	80.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	82.7	19 of 303	93.7%	★★★★★
2024	69.3	55 of 303	81.8%	★★★★☆
2023	50.8	116 of 276	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.9	36 of 256	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	58.0	47 of 175	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.0	17 of 239	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	93.5	7 of 242	97.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	419 of 799	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.3	535 of 809	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	15.4	678 of 787	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.2	671 of 799	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.5	708 of 783	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.3	708 of 787	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	569 of 774	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	83.3	70 of 764	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	73.5	148 of 793	81.3%	★★★★☆
2023	35.6	537 of 774	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.0	377 of 663	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	26.1	544 of 683	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.8	513 of 740	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.1	256 of 728	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	53.1	414 of 812	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.1	512 of 826	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	24.5	639 of 799	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.8	602 of 808	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.1	669 of 784	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	629 of 798	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.5	545 of 779	30.0%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	38.6	330 of 520	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	14.6	456 of 521	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	497 of 533	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.4	396 of 518	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.6	368 of 523	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	68.7	33 of 162	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	38.1	95 of 141	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.3	115 of 148	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	60.3	52 of 137	62.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	87.8	4 of 130	96.9%	★★★★★
2021	60.4	22 of 102	78.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.5	18 of 120	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	96.7	3 of 109	97.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	34.2	330 of 467	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	399 of 443	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	4.6	425 of 439	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	29.2	341 of 436	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	63.6	114 of 404	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	32.6	289 of 399	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.2	375 of 415	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	47.6	226 of 401	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	39.4	299 of 476	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	10.0	406 of 437	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.2	426 of 454	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

English Language Learner (2025)94th percentile+44 vs school

African American (2025)92nd percentile+42 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)91st percentile+41 vs school

Male (2025)49th percentile~ school

Female (2025)48th percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

English Language Learner (2022)97th percentile+60 vs school

African American (2022)80th percentile+43 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2022)72nd percentile+35 vs school

Male (2022)37th percentile~ school

Female (2022)29th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Reading50%~ state avg

Math47%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Universal Academy Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Universal Academy Elementary

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 Universal Academy 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Universal Academy Elementary	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	2912 28th Ave S	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Universal Academy Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 340-5994	411	23	18.2	92.7%	3 (0.7%)	402 (97.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	54	435^th of 872 public elementary schools	50.1%		43.6	555^th of 881 public elementary schools	37.0%	120	53.3	58.3	36.0	39.0			46.7	31.1	55.1	56.3	56.4			49.7	$12,398
Bdote Learning Center	Public, Charter	K-8	3216 E 29th Street	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Bdote Learning Center	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 729-9266	65	6	10.1	100.0%	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (81.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (7.7%)								(n/a)							0.0							4.0	$27,837
Sullivan Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	3100 E 28th St	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(612) 668-5000	640	62	10.3	84.8%	72 (11.3%)	416 (65.0%)	64 (10.0%)	7 (1.1%)	28 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (8.1%)	10.9	785^th of 872 public elementary schools	10.0%		11	786^th of 881 public elementary schools	10.8%	1	31.5	33.3	5.7	13.0	16.4	8.3	17.9	25.5	19.7	14.6	23.9	25.8	14.7	20.6	$19,672
Anishinabe Academy Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	3100 E 28th St	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(612) 668-0880	183	20	9.1	91.3%	4 (2.2%)	14 (7.7%)	13 (7.1%)	1 (0.5%)	115 (62.8%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (19.7%)	2.6	864^th of 872 public elementary schools	0.9%		2.7	869^th of 881 public elementary schools	1.4%	5	9.8	9.1	3.0				7.3	7.3	9.1	18.2				11.5	$19,469
Skyline Math and Science Academy	Public, Charter	K-6	2600 26th Ave S	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Skyline Math and Science Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 200-9916	145	8	19.3	89.7%	0 (0.0%)	145 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.2	845^th of 872 public elementary schools	3.1%		2.7	868^th of 881 public elementary schools	1.5%	23	33.3	5.3	0.0	7.7			10.0	16.7	0.0	6.3	15.4			8.3	$15,539
Skyline Math & Science Academy OLL	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-6	2600 26th Ave S	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Skyline Math and Science Academy	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(612) 200-9916	115	0		87.8%	0 (0.0%)	115 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Minnesota Transitions Charter Elementary	Public, Charter	K-6	2526 27th Ave. South	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Minnesota Transitions Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 729-9140	85	12	6.9	95.3%	9 (10.6%)	54 (63.5%)	13 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (10.6%)	3.3	854^th of 872 public elementary schools	2.1%		2.8	866^th of 881 public elementary schools	1.7%	12	9.1	0.0	0.0	0.0			2.4	18.2	20.0	0.0	0.0			9.3	$30,273
Aurora Charter School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	2103 E 26th St	Minneapolis	55404	Hennepin County	Aurora Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 870-3891	239	16	15.2	73.6%	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	238 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3.9	849^th of 872 public elementary schools	2.6%		4.7	845^th of 881 public elementary schools	4.1%	4	19.2	20.0					19.6	6.4	8.9					7.6	$22,879
Seward Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2309 28th Ave South	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-4950	576	47	12.1	47.7%	227 (39.4%)	162 (28.1%)	74 (12.8%)	11 (1.9%)	28 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (12.8%)	31.4	633^rd of 872 public elementary schools	27.4%		23.2	708^th of 881 public elementary schools	19.6%	75	41.0	28.8	12.5	23.4			27.5	52.4	37.0	37.9	44.7			43.3
Folwell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3611 20th Ave S	Minneapolis	55407	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-4550	450	40	11.2	89.8%	46 (10.2%)	103 (22.9%)	214 (47.6%)	5 (1.1%)	51 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.9%)	3.2	855^th of 872 public elementary schools	1.9%		3.9	855^th of 881 public elementary schools	3.0%		7.3	15.3	4.8				9.0	8.5	11.5	15.4				11.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Universal Academy Elementary

What district is Universal Academy Elementary in?

Universal Academy Charter School

How many students attend Universal Academy Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 411 students attended Universal Academy Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Universal Academy Elementary?

Students at Universal Academy Elementary are 98% African American.

Is Universal Academy Elementary a good school?

Universal Academy Elementary ranks 435^th of 872 Minnesota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Universal Academy Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Elementary School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Minneapolis, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Universal Academy Elementary!

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.