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Joseph Nicollet Middle School

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

414^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 519 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 20% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Joseph Nicollet Middle School is a public magnet middle school located in Burnsville, Minnesota, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 748. The school is part of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District, which is ranked 334 out of 446 districts in Minnesota and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Joseph Nicollet Middle School has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state averages in standardized test scores. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 24.6% of students were proficient or better in MCA-III Math, compared to 30.04% for the district and 45.21% for the state. Similarly, only 28.82% were proficient or better in MCA-III Reading, compared to 35.94% for the district and 49.59% for the state. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with White and Asian students generally performing better than their African American, Hispanic, and English Language Learner peers.

Despite being a magnet school, Joseph Nicollet Middle School does not appear to be achieving the desired academic outcomes. When compared to other middle schools in the surrounding area, such as Olson Middle and Scott Highlands Middle, Joseph Nicollet Middle School consistently performs worse academically. The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 66.98% to 76.92% in recent years, suggests that socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the school's academic challenges.

Students ?

0.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,713

Per pupil spending ?

56%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 E 134th St
Burnsville, MN 55337-4010

(952) 707-2600

District: Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools

Students who attend Joseph Nicollet Middle School usually attend:

High:

Burnsville High School

Feeder schools for Joseph Nicollet Middle School:

Elementary:	Edward Neill Elementary
	Gideon Pond Elementary
	Sky Oaks Elementary
	Vista View Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.0%

African American:

34.0%

Hispanic:

16.0%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Joseph Nicollet Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 29th percentile in 2015 → 20th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 1 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (27% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg33%

Minnesota avg47%

414^th of 519

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 29% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools

334^th of 446Burnsville-Eagan-Savage 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
2025	24.5	414 of 519	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	369 of 545	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.1	400 of 529	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.4	384 of 520	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.0	335 of 521	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.7	414 of 533	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.1	367 of 518	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.1	354 of 523	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.5	336 of 508	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	34.8	368 of 516	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	37.9	336 of 490	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.0	371 of 488	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.4	368 of 469	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	38.2	343 of 478	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	46.0	294 of 454	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.6	131 of 230	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	55.2	210 of 409	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	71.6	93 of 403	76.9%	★★★★☆
2006	72.8	89 of 406	78.1%	★★★★☆
2005	63.0	180 of 396	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	59.4	194 of 387	49.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	34.0	117 of 169	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.6	83 of 179	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.6	100 of 164	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.1	99 of 162	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.0	81 of 141	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.2	82 of 148	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.0	54 of 137	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	82 of 106	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.3	81 of 111	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	73 of 116	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.5	68 of 110	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.7	42 of 87	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.2	65 of 112	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.7	74 of 108	31.5%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	30.7	121 of 153	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.6	113 of 158	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.2	94 of 133	29.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.3	100 of 130	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	56.6	28 of 102	72.5%	★★★★☆
2019	23.0	117 of 120	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	101 of 109	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	22.9	363 of 450	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.6	331 of 474	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.1	376 of 455	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	364 of 467	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.9	311 of 443	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.6	376 of 439	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.5	354 of 436	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	20.6	152 of 175	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	153 of 186	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.2	145 of 178	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	154 of 188	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.0	109 of 156	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.9	116 of 171	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.1	129 of 163	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	32.9	19 of 28	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.1	27 of 30	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	17 of 20	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	17.2	385 of 432	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	368 of 473	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	368 of 459	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.3	326 of 404	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.1	279 of 399	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.7	326 of 415	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.6	283 of 401	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	21.4	375 of 452	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.3	359 of 479	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	334 of 464	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.8	356 of 476	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.4	291 of 437	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.1	339 of 454	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.2	316 of 438	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	28.6	92 of 113	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.1	68 of 116	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	85 of 107	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.3	92 of 131	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.0	57 of 97	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.6	93 of 120	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.7	82 of 114	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	32.5	192 of 265	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	56.0	112 of 307	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	144 of 298	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	26.6	223 of 288	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.1	159 of 260	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.1	227 of 282	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.2	193 of 253	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	48.1	210 of 415	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	161 of 440	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.2	242 of 436	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.0	232 of 438	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.4	186 of 422	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.9	279 of 428	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	42.3	270 of 428	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2025)49th percentile+29 vs school

Homeless (2025)32nd percentile+12 vs school

African American (2025)31st percentile+11 vs school

Special Education (2025)28th percentile+7 vs school

Asian (2025)23rd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)21st percentile~ school

Female (2025)19th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)19th percentile~ school

Male (2025)17th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)13th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Reading29%-21 vs state

Math25%-21 vs state

1.8

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

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1★4

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Very bad school students cant work with teachers very well Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, October 31, 2018

This school has the crappiest teachers, too many fights, too many kids who are complete bhes and the 7th graders are completely forgotten! Close Quote

by a parent
Thursday, April 7, 2016

Since when did a parent's involvement in a child's education become a problem?? The administrators and teachers here do not like for parents to be involved in their child's school career. By that, I mean that the students are almost always made to make certain decisions without consulting with their parents. Even if the child says that they wish to speak with their parents first before deciding about something, they are made to feel as though they did something wrong by wanting to involve their parents in their decision. And then guess what? They're made to make a decision anyway. Not only that, most of the teachers that I have encountered during my child's tenure at Nicollet Junior High are not as enthused about teaching and dealing with the students as I think they should be. Also, you must be on top of your child's grades. There have been so many instances where my child has turned in assignments but when I check the online grade book, they're marked missing or late. When I have confronted the teachers about them, they'd forgotten to input the grade, or mismarked the assignment's grade, or some other bs excuse. I totally dislike this school, the administrators, and the teachers and staff. If you can avoid sending your child to this school, do it. I'm glad this is my child's last year at this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Joseph Nicollet Middle School

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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 (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 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
Joseph Nicollet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	400 E 134th St	Burnsville	55337	Dakota County	Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(952) 707-2600	50	51	.9	56.0%	17 (34.0%)	17 (34.0%)	8 (16.0%)	4 (8.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)	24.5	414^th of 519 public middle schools	20.2%		33.9	369^th of 545 public middle schools	32.3%	45	24.7	20.3	28.8	24.6	29.5	28.3	28.5	28.8	$14,713
Universal Academy South Middle/High	Public, Charter	7	600 W Travelers Trl	Burnsville	55337	Dakota County	Universal Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 442-3124	11	1	18.9	81.8%	0 (0.0%)	11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville	Public, Charter	6-9	14450 Burnhaven Dr	Burnsville	55306	Dakota County	STEP Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 285-1920	96	4	24.7	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	96 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.6	393^rd of 519 public middle schools	24.3%		31.5	392^nd of 545 public middle schools	28.1%	1	21.4	12.5	16.1	16.9	46.4	24.0	45.2	39.3
Valley Middle School of STEM	Public	6-8	900 Garden View Dr	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 431-8300	1,090	69	15.8	44.7%	447 (41.0%)	246 (22.6%)	212 (19.4%)	47 (4.3%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (12.1%)	48.5	267^th of 519 public middle schools	48.6%		49.3	270^th of 545 public middle schools	50.5%	3	33.0	34.2	39.8	35.6	46.3	41.5	37.4	41.9	$12,751
Eagle Ridge Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	13955 Glendale Rd	Savage	55378	Scott County	Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(952) 707-2800	46	46	1.0	71.7%	9 (19.6%)	12 (26.1%)	16 (34.8%)	4 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.9%)	26.2	407^th of 519 public middle schools	21.6%		34.3	366^th of 545 public middle schools	32.8%	41	21.0	25.8	17.1	21.4	38.6	32.0	30.4	33.7	$13,684
Compass Academy Secondary	Public, Charter	6-7	10640 Lyndale Ave S	Bloomington	55420	Hennepin County	New Century School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(952) 600-9250	47	1	47.0	83.0%	0 (0.0%)	47 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Oak Grove Middle	Public	6-8	1300 W 106th St	Bloomington	55431	Hennepin County	Bloomington Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(952) 681-6600	711	46	15.5	37.6%	350 (49.2%)	114 (16.0%)	127 (17.9%)	38 (5.3%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	77 (10.8%)	49.4	262^nd of 519 public middle schools	49.5%		52	255^th of 545 public middle schools	53.2%	7	38.7	35.3	32.5	35.5	57.7	36.5	33.8	42.9	$15,707
Falcon Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	12900 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 431-8760	1,088	62	17.5	31.0%	614 (56.4%)	129 (11.9%)	171 (15.7%)	54 (5.0%)	10 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	109 (10.0%)	79.8	78^th of 519 public middle schools	85.0%		72.9	121^st of 545 public middle schools	77.8%	43	50.3	44.5	53.7	49.5	66.6	56.7	53.1	59.0	$12,226
Scott Highlands Middle	Public	6-8	14011 Pilot Knob Rd	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 423-7581	1,228	67	18.4	29.1%	655 (53.3%)	202 (16.4%)	117 (9.5%)	132 (10.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	121 (9.9%)	75.4	102^nd of 519 public middle schools	80.3%		78.6	81^st of 545 public middle schools	85.1%	21	44.2	50.7	47.7	47.7	64.3	52.2	50.3	55.2	$11,260
Lakeville Online Academy-Middle	Public, Virtual	6-8	17630 Juniper Path	Lakeville	55044	Dakota County	Lakeville Area Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(952) 232-2023	50	3	16.1	24.0%	34 (68.0%)	5 (10.0%)	2 (4.0%)	2 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.0%)	55.9	216^th of 519 public middle schools	58.4%		48.4	279^th of 545 public middle schools	48.8%	63		37.5	6.7	23.7		50.0	60.0	50.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph Nicollet Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Joseph Nicollet Middle School?

Students at Joseph Nicollet Middle School are 34% White, 34% African American, 16% Hispanic, 8% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Joseph Nicollet Middle School attend?

Students who attend Joseph Nicollet Middle School usually go on to attend Burnsville High School

How many students attend Joseph Nicollet Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 50 students attended Joseph Nicollet Middle School.

Is Joseph Nicollet Middle School a good school?

Joseph Nicollet Middle School ranks in the bottom 20.2% of Minnesota middle schools.

What district is Joseph Nicollet Middle School in?

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCA-III test scoresAug 29, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 8, 2025

2022–23 graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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.