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Buffalo Senior High

Q: Is Buffalo Senior High a good school?

Buffalo Senior High ranks 90 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 81% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Buffalo Senior High is a large public comprehensive high school in Buffalo, Minnesota, serving grades 9–12 with 1,681 students as part of Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools. Recent results place it among the stronger high schools in the state: in 2025–2026 it ranked 90th of 473 schools (81st percentile, 4 stars), up from 196th of 480 in 2023–2024. Its graduation rate climbed from 90.8% in 2020–2021 to 96.7% in 2024–2025, well above the state's 84.9%, and its dropout rate is low at 1.5% (district 1.8%, state 4.2%). About 21.95% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the student-teacher ratio is 23.7.

Science is a standout: 37.6% of students were proficient in 2025–2026, compared with 28.9% in the district and 25.5% statewide. Math has improved steadily, from 32.92% in 2022–2023 to 51.6% in 2025–2026, now above the state average though slightly below the district's 52.5%. Reading is more variable — it spiked to 66.77% in 2024–2025 before falling to 47.9% in 2025–2026, just under the state average — so it is worth watching. Several student groups, including students in special education, students from low-income families, and Hispanic students, rank above the state median.

Compared with nearby Monticello Senior High, Buffalo has a higher graduation rate (96.7% vs. 90.8%), a lower dropout rate (1.5% vs. 4.5%), and higher 2025–2026 proficiency in math (51.6% vs. 34.8%), reading (47.9% vs. 38.6%), and science (37.6% vs. 34.1%), though its student-teacher ratio is higher (23.7 vs. 20.4). Smaller nearby alternative programs such as Phoenix Learning Center, Wright Technical Center Alternative Learning Center, and Terra Nova School serve different student populations and generally report much lower graduation rates, so they are not direct academic comparisons. Many of their test results are suppressed, and suppressed values are unknown, not zero.

1,681

Students ?

23.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,843

Per pupil spending ?

22.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

877 Bison Blvd
Buffalo, MN 55313-3300

(763) 682-8100

District: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools

Feeder schools for Buffalo Senior High:

Elementary:	Hanover Elementary
	Montrose Elementary School of Innov
	Northwinds Elementary
	Parkside Elementary
	More...
	Tatanka Elementary STEM School
Middle:	Buffalo Community Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.6%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

4.2%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Buffalo Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 71st percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Minnesota high schools

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (85%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 24 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school46%

District avg48%

Minnesota avg43%

90^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

133^rd of 458Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose 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
2026	77.3	90 of 473	81.0%	★★★★☆
2025	84.7	58 of 450	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	62.1	196 of 480	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.5	175 of 476	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.3	138 of 472	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	69.9	124 of 428	71.0%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	184 of 492	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	69.4	164 of 494	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	74.5	122 of 489	75.1%	★★★★☆
2016	70.2	142 of 489	71.0%	★★★★☆
2015	68.9	161 of 504	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	68.2	160 of 483	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	77.3	79 of 534	85.2%	★★★★☆
2012	77.8	79 of 539	85.3%	★★★★☆
2011	71.6	149 of 545	72.7%	★★★★☆
2010	74.2	117 of 540	78.3%	★★★★☆
2008	70.6	159 of 460	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	86.5	53 of 463	88.6%	★★★★☆
2006	87.4	35 of 450	92.2%	★★★★★
2005	79.7	57 of 452	87.4%	★★★★☆
2004	78.3	68 of 433	84.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2023	18.5	89 of 90	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	125 of 398	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	80.8	54 of 358	84.9%	★★★★☆
2024	61.0	158 of 403	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.7	144 of 396	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.2	113 of 388	70.9%	★★★★☆
2021	68.3	97 of 339	71.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.0	147 of 401	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.1	150 of 395	62.0%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	21 of 135	84.4%	★★★★☆
2025	72.8	25 of 124	79.8%	★★★★☆
2024	66.8	35 of 145	75.9%	★★★★☆
2023	42.6	76 of 136	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.3	122 of 135	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.3	82 of 101	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	101 of 132	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.0	76 of 129	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	68.0	97 of 377	74.3%	★★★★☆
2025	85.4	30 of 333	91.0%	★★★★★
2024	60.9	141 of 389	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	161 of 393	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.9	92 of 312	70.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.0	74 of 270	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	62.4	134 of 370	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	139 of 374	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	78.7	64 of 395	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.7	56 of 377	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	51.6	208 of 405	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.1	192 of 398	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	152 of 403	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.7	122 of 351	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.0	213 of 411	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.6	170 of 398	57.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	60.1	26 of 62	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.6	31 of 72	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.8	62 of 74	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.9	37 of 51	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	51 of 224	77.2%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	23 of 178	87.1%	★★★★☆
2024	45.8	120 of 221	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	99 of 216	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.6	94 of 214	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.0	52 of 173	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	41.8	133 of 220	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.7	84 of 195	56.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	65.6	114 of 394	71.1%	★★★★☆
2025	77.1	76 of 376	79.8%	★★★★☆
2024	44.8	241 of 402	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.1	214 of 398	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.5	174 of 401	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.7	144 of 364	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.3	233 of 412	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.6	201 of 414	51.4%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)84th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)84th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)77th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)71st percentile-10 vs school

Female (2026)69th percentile-12 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)58th percentile-29 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)1st percentile-62 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Math52%+7 vs state

Reading48%~ state avg

Science38%+12 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, June 27, 2013

This school has great education but horrible. When I say horrible I mean the way the administration deals with issues like bullying. Bullying at Buffalo High School is very live and happens all the time. Buffalo does not know how to punish or doesn't care to punish the students who are bullying other students. This brings me to another topic, diversity in Buffalo High School. This school has a major of Caucasian. Yes it can be a good thing but not for the kids that are diverse. See the administration doesn't show the students to accept one another for who they are. Not doing this and showing students that everyone can be friends is slowly killing the students who feel alone and different. My honest opinion and many others. Bullying causes school shootings and is a proven fact. I don't mean to scare anyone but we need to change this for a better future. Close Quote

Schools Near Buffalo 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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 6th Grade	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 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Buffalo Senior High	Public	9-12	877 Bison Blvd	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8100	1,681	71	23.7	22.0%	1,439 (85.6%)	48 (2.9%)	94 (5.6%)	23 (1.4%)	5 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	70 (4.2%)	77.3	90^th of 473 public high schools	81.0%		84.7	58^th of 450 public high schools	87.1%	32				47.9	47.9		37.6	37.6				51.6	51.6	$11,843
Phoenix Learning Center	Public	9-12	877 Bison Blvd	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8102	36	2	15.0	41.7%	31 (86.1%)	2 (5.6%)	3 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)														$17,014
Bison Online	Public	9-12	877 Bison Blvd	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(763) 682-8100	0			—															(n/a)
SW Metro Buffalo-Transitions	Public	9-12	800 8th St NE	Buffalo	55379	Scott County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	No	No	No	(952) 567-8117	26	2	10.4	26.9%	23 (88.5%)	2 (7.7%)	1 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Pride Transitions	Public	12	800 8th St NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-8721	0	2	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$33,874
Cornerstones Program	Public	6-12	1405 3rd Ave. NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Meeker And Wright Special Education	No	No	No	No	(763) 682-6440	23	4	5.6	43.5%	18 (78.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (13.0%)								(n/a)
Wright Technical Center	Public	11-12	1405 3rd Ave NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Wright Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(763) 684-2200	0	13	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Wright Technical Center Alternative Learning Center	Public	9-12	1405 3rd Ave NE	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Wright Technical Center	No	No	No	No	(763) 684-2200	81	5	15.6	55.6%	60 (74.1%)	4 (4.9%)	12 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.9%)								(n/a)							6.3	6.3
Terra Nova School	Public, Charter	6-12	1705 Highway 25 N	Buffalo	55313	Wright County	Terra Nova School	Yes	No	No	No	(952) 852-0129	84	8	10.4	28.6%	75 (89.3%)	2 (2.4%)	5 (6.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)								(n/a)					45.0								33.3	$16,173
SW Metro Lakeside Academy	Public	7-12	100 Garrison Ave NE	Buffalo	55379	Scott County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	No	No	No	(952) 567-8100	23	2	11.6	34.8%	17 (73.9%)	1 (4.3%)	2 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (8.7%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Buffalo Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Buffalo Senior High?

Students at Buffalo Senior High are 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Buffalo Senior High?

Buffalo Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Hanover Elementary
Elementary : Montrose Elementary School of Innov
Elementary : Northwinds Elementary
Elementary : Parkside Elementary
Elementary : Tatanka Elementary STEM School
Middle : Buffalo Community Middle

How many students attend Buffalo Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,681 students attended Buffalo Senior High.

Is Buffalo Senior High a good school?

Buffalo Senior High ranks 90^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Buffalo Senior High in?

Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose Schools

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

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

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 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.