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Brainerd Senior High

Q: Is Brainerd Senior High a good school?

Brainerd Senior High ranks 199 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

199^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 58% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Brainerd Senior High is a large public high school serving grades 9–12 in Brainerd, MN, with 1,805 students in the Brainerd Public School District, making it the biggest school in its local comparison group — roughly three times the size of Pequot Lakes Senior High, four times Crosby-Ironton Secondary, and nearly five times Pillager Senior High School.

Academically, the school sits in the middle tier and is ranked 199th of 473 Minnesota high schools for 2025–2026 (58th percentile, 3 stars) — above its own district's position. That's a notable slide from 2022–2023, when it was a 5-star, 90th-percentile school. On 2025–2026 MCA tests, proficiency was 35.6% in math, 38.6% in reading, and 36.3% in science. Reading is the clearest concern: it fell from about 61% in 2022–2023 to 38.6% now, and trails the district, the state, and most nearby schools, including Pequot Lakes (60.8%) and Pillager (45.9%). Science is a relative strength — above both district and state — though Pequot Lakes and Pillager score higher locally. Math is mixed: 11th-grade math is roughly at the state level, while the all-grade figure lags.

Completion outcomes are the school's strongest suit: a 93.9% graduation rate and a 1.0% dropout rate, close to Pillager's and far ahead of Crosby-Ironton (77.9% graduation, 11.6% dropout) and Independent School District (Isd) 181 Learning Center (52.3% graduation). Brainerd's student-teacher ratio of 19.9 is the highest in the group, and its free/reduced lunch rate of 31.52% is typical for the area. Statewide subgroup effectiveness rankings vary widely: Hispanic students have ranked exceptionally high, low-income students above median, while special education students have recently ranked below median.

1,805

Students ?

19.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,859

Per pupil spending ?

31.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

702 S 5th St
Brainerd, MN 56401-4099

(218) 454-6200

District: Brainerd Public School District

Feeder schools for Brainerd Senior High:

Elementary:	Baxter Elementary
	Garfield Elementary
	Harrison Elementary
	Lowell Elementary
	More...
	Nisswa Elementary
	Riverside Elementary
Middle:	Forestview Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Hispanic:

2.5%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Brainerd Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2016 → 58th in 2026

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (85%)

✓Above the Minnesota median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (37% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg45%

Minnesota avg43%

199^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 42%▼ down 21 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to top 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2High Schools in the Brainerd Public School District

249^th of 458Brainerd Public 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	199 of 473	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.8	209 of 450	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	73.4	116 of 480	75.8%	★★★★☆
2023	86.2	47 of 476	90.1%	★★★★★
2022	76.7	96 of 472	79.7%	★★★★☆
2021	75.7	81 of 428	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	78.1	94 of 492	80.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.7	125 of 494	74.7%	★★★★☆
2017	75.9	109 of 489	77.7%	★★★★☆
2016	76.1	102 of 489	79.1%	★★★★☆
2015	70.4	151 of 504	70.0%	★★★★☆
2014	71.6	134 of 483	72.3%	★★★★☆
2013	73.8	113 of 534	78.8%	★★★★☆
2012	76.5	93 of 539	82.7%	★★★★☆
2011	80.3	58 of 545	89.4%	★★★★☆
2010	75.9	92 of 540	83.0%	★★★★☆
2009	75.7	59 of 234	74.8%	★★★★☆
2008	72.4	150 of 460	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	77.6	102 of 463	78.0%	★★★★☆
2006	76.7	104 of 450	76.9%	★★★★☆
2005	70.0	175 of 452	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	60.9	256 of 433	40.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2018	53.2	45 of 106	57.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.0	186 of 398	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.8	215 of 358	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	66.4	124 of 403	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.9	59 of 396	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	67 of 388	82.7%	★★★★☆
2021	73.0	71 of 339	79.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.4	104 of 401	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	69.4	122 of 395	69.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	96.5	4 of 145	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	96.1	6 of 136	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	76.4	21 of 135	84.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.1	117 of 377	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	47.1	180 of 333	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	67.8	105 of 389	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	50 of 393	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	67.1	88 of 312	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	65.8	78 of 270	71.1%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	91 of 370	75.4%	★★★★☆
2018	72.9	78 of 374	79.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	167 of 395	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.2	160 of 377	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.8	114 of 405	71.9%	★★★★☆
2023	85.3	42 of 398	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.7	118 of 403	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	69.0	98 of 351	72.1%	★★★★☆
2019	75.8	68 of 411	83.5%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	128 of 398	67.8%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	58.0	28 of 75	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.7	35 of 72	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	21.5	55 of 64	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	66.1	22 of 74	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	86.7	5 of 59	91.5%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	45.9	22 of 43	48.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.0	11 of 42	73.8%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	24.0	184 of 224	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.5	130 of 178	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.8	111 of 221	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.4	113 of 216	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	162 of 214	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	97 of 173	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.9	74 of 220	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.9	124 of 195	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	42.6	250 of 394	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.5	221 of 376	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.2	160 of 402	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.1	62 of 398	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	65.9	127 of 401	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.0	117 of 364	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.1	124 of 412	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	62.3	171 of 414	58.7%	★★★☆☆

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)97th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)69th percentile+11 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)63rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)58th percentile~ school

African American (2018)58th percentile-17 vs school

Female (2026)53rd percentile-5 vs school

Native American (2026)49th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile-21 vs school

Special Education (2026)18th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading39%-10 vs state

Science36%+11 vs state

Math36%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Brainerd Senior High

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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
Brainerd Senior High	Public	9-12	702 S 5th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6200	1,805	90	19.9	31.5%	1,612 (89.3%)	24 (1.3%)	45 (2.5%)	17 (0.9%)	21 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (4.8%)	60.3	199^th of 473 public high schools	57.9%		58.8	209^th of 450 public high schools	53.6%	10			38.6	38.6		36.3	36.3			35.6	35.6	$11,859
Brainerd Online School	Public	9-12	702 S 5th St	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-6273	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Independent School District (Isd) 181 Learning Center	Public	8-12	311 10th Ave NE	Brainerd	56401	Crow Wing County	Brainerd Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 454-5400	166	11	14.8	52.4%	140 (84.3%)	1 (0.6%)	10 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.4%)	12.8	422^nd of 473 public high schools	10.8%		11.1	412^th of 450 public high schools	8.4%	10			17.4	17.4		16.7	16.7			5.5	5.5	$13,935
Pillager Senior High School	Public	9-12	323 E 2nd St S	Pillager	56473	Cass County	Pillager Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 746-2117	370	22	17.1	32.2%	339 (91.6%)	7 (1.9%)	12 (3.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	64.5	174^th of 473 public high schools	63.2%		50.9	251^st of 450 public high schools	44.2%	77			45.9	45.9		40.6	40.6			27.7	27.7	$12,067
Freshwater Pillager Alternative Learning Center	Public	7-12	323 E 2nd St	Pillager	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)
F.E.D. Pillager Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	323 E 2nd St	Pillager	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)
Crosby-Ironton Secondary	Public	7-12	711 Poplar St	Crosby	56441	Crow Wing County	Crosby-Ironton Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 545-8802	455	29	15.9	39.1%	406 (89.2%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.2%)	74.9	104^th of 473 public high schools	78.0%		72	124^th of 450 public high schools	72.4%	20	42.1	56.2	47.5	48.6	19.2	43.4	29.4	32.4	39.2	39.6	36.7	$13,420
Pequot Lakes Senior High	Public	9-12	30805 Olson St	Pequot Lakes	56472	Crow Wing County	Pequot Lakes Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(218) 568-9210	599	39	15.3	29.9%	569 (95.0%)	8 (1.3%)	10 (1.7%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	81.3	66^th of 473 public high schools	86.0%		74	108^th of 450 public high schools	76.0%	42			60.8	60.8		52.4	52.4			31.9	31.9	$3,311
F.E.D. Pequot Lakes Credit Recovery	Public	9-12	30805 Olson St	Pequot Lakes	56482	Wadena County	Freshwater Education District	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(218) 631-3505	0																		(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Brainerd Senior High

What schools feed into Brainerd Senior High?

Brainerd Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Baxter Elementary
Elementary : Garfield Elementary
Elementary : Harrison Elementary
Elementary : Lowell Elementary
Elementary : Nisswa Elementary
Elementary : Riverside Elementary
Middle : Forestview Middle

Is Brainerd Senior High a good school?

Brainerd Senior High ranks 199^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Brainerd Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,805 students attended Brainerd Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of Brainerd Senior High?

Students at Brainerd Senior High are 89% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% American Indian.

What district is Brainerd Senior High in?

Brainerd Public School District

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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.