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

New rankings! Minnesota test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings TODAY.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Joseph Nicollet Middle School

Q: Is Joseph Nicollet Middle School a good school?

Joseph Nicollet Middle School ranks 406 th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-8

406^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 26% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Joseph Nicollet Middle School is a small public school serving about 50 students in grades 6–8 in Burnsville, Minnesota, part of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools district in the south Twin Cities metro. For 2025–2026 it ranks 406th of 546 Minnesota middle schools (26th percentile, 1 star), and its proficiency rates trail both its district and the state: 24.8% in math, 34.2% in reading, and 6.0% in science, compared with district rates of 28.2%, 35.8%, and 11.6% and state rates of 44.9%, 48.6%, and 25.5%.

Compared with its same-district neighbor Eagle Ridge Middle School (about 3 miles away, 46 students), Joseph Nicollet is slightly ahead in math and reading and slightly behind in science, but both sit near the bottom of the state. Nearby comprehensive schools score much higher: Valley Middle School of STEM, about 3 miles away, reaches 34.8% in math, 51.5% in reading, and 19.0% in science, and Scott Highlands Middle, Olson Middle, Falcon Ridge Middle, and Oak Grove Middle outpace Joseph Nicollet by roughly 10–29 points in math, 10–28 points in reading, and 13–22 points in science. Joseph Nicollet does score higher than several nearby small or alternative schools, including STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville, Compass Academy Secondary, and Universal Academy South Middle/High in most subjects.

Within the school, reading is the relative strength — above the district in every grade and up from 28.82% to 34.2% — while science is the clearest weakness at 6%. Seventh grade is the weakest group in both math (16.5%) and reading (25.2%). The school's effectiveness ranking is lowest for low-income, English language learner, and special education students; the special education ranking fell from the 64th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 26th in 2025–2026. About 56% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025, down from roughly 67% two years earlier. With only 50 students, yearly percentages can swing widely, and the reported student-teacher ratio of 0.9 should be treated cautiously.

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 — 34th percentile in 2016 → 26th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 1 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (27% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

!Math scores 20 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school27%

District avg29%

Minnesota avg43%

406^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to bottom 26% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools

344^th of 458Burnsville-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
2026	29.5	406 of 546	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	43.2	111 of 185	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	21.6	88 of 112	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	32.8	128 of 170	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	27.4	355 of 467	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	21.1	168 of 195	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	29.8	16 of 21	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	29.2	358 of 458	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	27.5	369 of 483	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	36.7	88 of 124	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
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%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	34 of 62	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	31.3	219 of 296	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	51.4	196 of 435	54.9%	★★★☆☆
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 (2026)55th percentile+29 vs school

Native American (2026)45th percentile+20 vs school

African American (2026)40th percentile+14 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)29th percentile+3 vs school

Special Education (2026)26th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)25th percentile~ school

Female (2026)24th percentile~ school

Homeless (2026)24th percentile~ school

Male (2026)24th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)22nd percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2026)21st percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2026)14th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading34%-14 vs state

Math25%-20 vs state

Science6%-20 vs state

1.8

5 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★4

Rate Joseph Nicollet Middle School

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

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

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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 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%)	29.5	406^th of 546 public middle schools	25.6%		24.5	414^th of 519 public middle schools	20.2%	8	42.6	25.2	33.6		34.2	6.0		6.0	32.7	16.5	23.8	24.8	$14,713
Universal Academy South Middle/High	Public, Charter	7-8	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)		20.0			16.7							18.8
STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville	Public, Charter	6-10	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%)	22.2	438^th of 546 public middle schools	19.8%		29.6	393^rd of 519 public middle schools	24.3%	45	37.5	40.9	38.1	22.2	35.3	0.0	17.6	7.9	4.2	9.1	14.3	9.0
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%)	61.1	187^th of 546 public middle schools	65.8%		48.5	267^th of 519 public middle schools	48.6%	80	57.1	40.9	57.5		51.5	19.0		19.0	37.1	30.4	37.4	34.8	$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%)	26.5	415^th of 546 public middle schools	24.0%		26.2	407^th of 519 public middle schools	21.6%	8	39.0	24.0	32.3		31.7	7.3		7.3	26.5	22.2	21.6	23.4	$13,684
Compass Academy Secondary	Public, Charter	6-8	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%)	24.1	427^th of 546 public middle schools	21.8%					(n/a)	33.3	28.0	25.0		29.2	5.0		5.0	22.2	28.0	20.0	23.6
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%)	56.4	222^nd of 546 public middle schools	59.3%		49.4	262^nd of 519 public middle schools	49.5%	40	50.2	44.3	39.2		44.5	15.1		15.1	34.4	44.3	38.3	39.2	$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%)	85.7	49^th of 546 public middle schools	91.0%		79.8	78^th of 519 public middle schools	85.0%	29	66.5	53.4	66.9		62.1	28.4		28.4	44.4	51.9	64.8	53.5	$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%)	83.4	61^st of 546 public middle schools	88.8%		75.4	102^nd of 519 public middle schools	80.3%	41	66.5	57.2	61.8		61.9	24.2		24.2	50.8	44.8	55.1	50.5	$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) 232-3900	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%)								(n/a)					45.8							20.8

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 406^th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What district is Joseph Nicollet Middle School in?

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools

Rate Joseph Nicollet Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Middle School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Burnsville, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Joseph Nicollet Middle School!

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.