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Carlton Secondary

Q: Is Carlton Secondary a good school?

Carlton Secondary ranks 68 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

68^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 86% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Carlton Secondary is a small public school in Carlton, MN, serving grades 6–12 with 145 students as part of the Carlton Public School District. Despite the district's modest 2-star, 39th-percentile rating, the school itself has climbed sharply: it ranked 68th of 473 Minnesota high schools (86th percentile, 4 stars) in 2025–2026, up from the 53rd percentile the year before and the 41st percentile two years earlier. That puts it ahead of Proctor Senior High, Cloquet Senior, and Denfeld High School, though behind Wrenshall Secondary and Lincoln Secondary.

Science is a relative strength, especially at the upper level: End of Course science proficiency was 54.2%, far above the state's 35.0%, and all-grade science (35.9%) topped both the district and the state. Graduation has stayed above 90% for five straight years and above the state each year. Subgroup results also show real strengths — female students ranked in the 94th percentile and low-socioeconomic-status students in the 89th percentile in 2025–2026 — even though about 42% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The core challenges are math and reading: all-grade math was 27.7% and reading 34.0%, both below state and below most nearby comprehensive high schools. Results split sharply by grade — 10th-grade reading, 11th-grade math, and End of Course science were above state, while grades 7–8 fell far below in both subjects, with 8th-grade science at 6.7%. Dropout improved to 4.0% but remains higher than several nearby schools. With only 145 students, year-to-year swings are large, so multi-year trends matter more than any single year.

145

Students ?

14.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,284

Per pupil spending ?

42.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

405 School Ave
Carlton, MN 55718-0310

(218) 384-4226

District: Carlton Public School District

Feeder schools for Carlton Secondary:

Elementary:

South Terrace Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.4%

Two or more races:

13.1%

American Indian:

12.4%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Carlton Secondary to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 34th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 14% of Minnesota high schools

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Minnesota average (85%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 52 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (32% vs 43% meeting standards)

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

!Math scores 17 pts below the Minnesota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school32%

District avg32%

Minnesota avg43%

Middle school

466^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

68^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 14%▲ up 51 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

280^th of 458Carlton 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	17.2	466 of 546	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.0	471 of 519	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.6	396 of 545	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	54.0	234 of 529	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	33.5	364 of 520	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.5	327 of 521	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.6	364 of 533	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	23.9	423 of 518	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	39.6	344 of 523	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.2	369 of 508	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	45.3	303 of 516	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	41.4	317 of 490	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.0	291 of 488	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	54.9	246 of 469	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	42.8	317 of 478	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	39.4	324 of 454	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	39.3	167 of 230	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.1	320 of 409	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	20.9	356 of 403	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	53.0	229 of 406	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	65.5	154 of 396	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2004	37.6	298 of 387	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	28.9	354 of 474	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.4	279 of 467	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	66.1	118 of 443	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	50.2	232 of 439	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.9	360 of 436	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	43.8	260 of 473	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.0	336 of 415	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	304 of 401	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	40.5	292 of 479	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.4	277 of 464	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.7	392 of 476	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	362 of 437	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	356 of 454	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.4	367 of 438	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	10.6	416 of 435	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	393 of 440	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.3	241 of 436	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.9	394 of 438	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	34.6	279 of 422	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	26.6	354 of 428	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	393 of 428	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	80.9	68 of 473	85.6%	★★★★☆
2025	58.2	213 of 450	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.7	282 of 480	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	64.7	161 of 476	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.3	228 of 472	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.7	315 of 428	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	66.2	181 of 492	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.8	300 of 494	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.6	295 of 489	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.5	322 of 489	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	41.6	330 of 504	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	41.5	333 of 483	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	74.3	106 of 534	80.1%	★★★★☆
2012	59.0	281 of 539	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	61.0	263 of 545	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	68.3	180 of 540	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.9	148 of 234	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	56.0	267 of 460	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	68.3	165 of 463	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	74.3	120 of 450	73.3%	★★★★☆
2005	54.7	309 of 452	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.0	315 of 433	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	25 of 398	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	9 of 396	97.7%	★★★★★
2021	44.8	213 of 339	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.8	246 of 401	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.6	334 of 395	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	83.6	43 of 377	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	63.3	123 of 393	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.2	111 of 370	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	57.5	164 of 374	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	172 of 395	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	23.5	330 of 405	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.4	266 of 398	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	69.3	116 of 403	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.3	103 of 411	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	162 of 398	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2023	33.8	25 of 36	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	81.2	47 of 394	88.1%	★★★★☆
2025	42.5	232 of 376	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.5	293 of 402	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	67.0	116 of 398	70.9%	★★★★☆
2022	41.2	276 of 401	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.5	302 of 364	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	60.0	182 of 412	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	36.5	312 of 414	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)45th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2024)39th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2024)25th percentile~ school

White (2026)4th percentile-10 vs school

High school

Female (2026)94th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)89th percentile+3 vs school

White (2026)88th percentile~ school

Male (2026)56th percentile-29 vs school

Native American (2023)31st percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Science36%+10 vs state

Reading34%-15 vs state

Math28%-17 vs state

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Schools Near Carlton Secondary

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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 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
Carlton Secondary	Public	6-12	405 School Ave	Carlton	55718	Carlton County	Carlton Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 384-4226	145	10	14.9	42.1%	105 (72.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (12.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (13.1%)	80.9	68^th of 473 public high schools	85.6%		58.2	213^th of 450 public high schools	52.7%	145		20.0	18.8	50.0	34.0	6.7	54.2	35.9		20.0	18.8	38.1	27.7	$13,284
Cloquet Senior	Public	9-12	1000 18th St	Cloquet	55720	Carlton County	Cloquet Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 879-3393	761	35	21.7	38.6%	525 (69.0%)	2 (0.3%)	23 (3.0%)	4 (0.5%)	85 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (16.0%)	65.9	162^nd of 473 public high schools	65.8%		58.5	212^th of 450 public high schools	52.9%	50				50.3	50.3		37.0	37.0				29.0	29.0	$13,227
Cloquet Area Alternative Education Programs	Public	6-12	302 14th St	Cloquet	55720	Carlton County	Cloquet Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 879-0115	74	7	10.9	50.0%	36 (48.6%)	2 (2.7%)	4 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (17.6%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (25.7%)	13.6	418^th of 473 public high schools	11.6%		5.1	441^st of 450 public high schools	2.0%	23					18.8		20.0	13.3				0.0	0.0	$18,351
Caaep Extended Day Program	Public	9-12	302 14th St	Cloquet	55720	Carlton County	Cloquet Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 879-0115	7	0			6 (85.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (14.3%)								(n/a)														$3,366
Wrenshall Secondary	Public	7-12	207 Pioneer Dr	Wrenshall	55797	Carlton County	Wrenshall Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 384-4274	160	14	11.2	43.8%	138 (86.3%)	2 (1.3%)	3 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.5%)	82.7	59^th of 473 public high schools	87.5%		83.5	62^nd of 450 public high schools	86.2%	3		52.0	59.1	52.6	54.5	18.2	72.2	42.5		28.0	52.4	37.5	38.6	$14,674
Lincoln Secondary	Public	7-12	2 E Highway 61	Esko	55733	Carlton County	Esko Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 879-4673	603	32	18.6	10.3%	550 (91.2%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (5.1%)	88.9	33^rd of 473 public high schools	93.0%		89.4	29^th of 450 public high schools	93.6%	4		66.7	67.4	57.0	63.8	21.3	53.4	37.3		59.8	51.1	47.7	53.5	$11,097
Rails Academy	Public	9-12	131 9th Ave	Proctor	55810	St. Louis County	Proctor Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 520-3184	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$3,664
Proctor Senior High	Public	9-12	131 9th Ave	Proctor	55810	St. Louis County	Proctor Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 628-4926	540	34	15.7	33.1%	472 (87.4%)	3 (0.6%)	19 (3.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.8%)	61.5	192^nd of 473 public high schools	59.4%		77.3	96^th of 450 public high schools	78.7%	96				38.3	38.3		33.7	33.7				39.5	39.5	$15,109
Alternative Learning Center SWS Denfeld	Public	9-12	401 N 44th Ave W	Duluth	55807	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(218) 336-8830	57	1	38.7	78.9%	28 (49.1%)	6 (10.5%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (28.1%)								(n/a)
Denfeld High School	Public	9-12	401 N 44th Ave W	Duluth	55807	St. Louis County	Duluth Public School District	No	No	No	No	(218) 336-8830	951	59	16.0	48.5%	615 (64.7%)	66 (6.9%)	51 (5.4%)	6 (0.6%)	50 (5.3%)	1 (0.1%)	162 (17.0%)	27.4	354^th of 473 public high schools	25.2%		36.9	306^th of 450 public high schools	32.0%	48				24.3	24.3		23.2	23.2				18.0	18.0	$17,519

Frequently Asked Questions about Carlton Secondary

Is Carlton Secondary a good school?

Carlton Secondary ranks 68^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Carlton Secondary in?

Carlton Public School District

What schools feed into Carlton Secondary?

Carlton Secondary is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South Terrace Elementary

How many students attend Carlton Secondary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 145 students attended Carlton Secondary.

What is the racial makeup of Carlton Secondary?

Students at Carlton Secondary are 72% White, 13% Two or more races, 12% American Indian, 2% Hispanic.

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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.