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Dakota Meadows Middle School

Q: Is Dakota Meadows Middle School a good school?

Dakota Meadows Middle School ranks 92 nd of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

92^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 83% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Dakota Meadows Middle School is a public middle school in North Mankato, Minnesota, serving 852 students in grades 6–8 as part of the Mankato Public School District. In 2025–2026, it ranked 92nd of 546 Minnesota middle schools (83rd percentile, 4 stars) — the best showing in its displayed history and above both nearby middle schools in this comparison.

Reading is the school's standout strength: 56.9% of students tested proficient, compared with 47.5% at Prairie Winds Middle School, 54.2% at St. Peter Middle School, 54.3% across the Mankato Public School District, and 48.6% statewide. Eighth-grade math is also strong at 55.0, beating Prairie Winds (49.5), St. Peter (53.4), the district (52.3), and the state (42.3). Notably, Dakota Meadows outranks both nearby schools despite a higher student-teacher ratio (19.1 versus 17.8 and 18.2), though its lower free/reduced-lunch rate of 30.16% is a contextual advantage.

A few areas are worth watching. Sixth-grade math proficiency of 41.5 trails Prairie Winds (48.4) and the district (45.3), though it remains above the state (39.5). The all-grade science figure of 20.3 looks low, but Dakota Meadows only tests science in 8th grade; at that level it is above the state (16.7) and nearby schools, although the long-term trend has declined. Among student groups, special education and low-income students have improved markedly, while female students (67th percentile) rank below male students (87th percentile), and multi-racial students sit at the 37th percentile.

852

Students ?

19.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,176

Per pupil spending ?

30.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

1900 Howard Dr West
North Mankato, MN 56002-8741

(507) 387-5077

District: Mankato Public School District

Students who attend Dakota Meadows Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mankato West Senior High

Feeder schools for Dakota Meadows Middle School:

Elementary:	Hoover Elementary
	Jefferson Elementary
	Monroe Elementary
	Roosevelt Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.8%

African American:

8.8%

Two or more races:

7.5%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Dakota Meadows Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 77th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Minnesota middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg50%

Minnesota avg43%

92^nd of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Mankato Public School District

105^th of 458Mankato 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	76.0	92 of 546	83.2%	★★★★☆
2025	75.3	103 of 519	80.2%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	126 of 545	76.9%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	137 of 529	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	64.5	164 of 520	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.1	130 of 521	75.0%	★★★★☆
2019	76.1	95 of 533	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	74.6	104 of 518	79.9%	★★★★☆
2017	74.0	119 of 523	77.2%	★★★★☆
2016	73.0	118 of 508	76.8%	★★★★☆
2015	73.4	112 of 516	78.3%	★★★★☆
2014	76.9	81 of 490	83.5%	★★★★☆
2013	79.1	73 of 488	85.0%	★★★★☆
2012	80.9	49 of 469	89.6%	★★★★☆
2011	77.9	72 of 478	84.9%	★★★★☆
2010	75.6	81 of 454	82.2%	★★★★☆
2009	73.5	44 of 230	80.9%	★★★★☆
2008	76.6	67 of 409	83.6%	★★★★☆
2007	69.7	110 of 403	72.7%	★★★★☆
2006	74.1	83 of 406	79.6%	★★★★☆
2005	79.1	67 of 396	83.1%	★★★★☆
2004	79.7	63 of 387	83.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	53.4	74 of 185	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.2	90 of 169	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	26.1	141 of 179	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.3	96 of 164	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.5	76 of 162	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.9	63 of 141	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.1	66 of 148	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.8	80 of 137	41.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	35.7	106 of 158	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.6	55 of 133	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.1	64 of 130	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.4	19 of 120	84.2%	★★★★☆
2018	46.9	42 of 109	61.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	153 of 467	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.2	148 of 450	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.9	160 of 474	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.9	147 of 455	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.2	198 of 467	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.7	139 of 443	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.8	121 of 439	72.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.4	119 of 436	72.7%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	55 of 195	71.8%	★★★★☆
2025	47.8	83 of 175	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.5	42 of 186	77.4%	★★★★☆
2023	70.6	29 of 178	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.4	30 of 188	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	53.4	59 of 156	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.0	61 of 171	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.7	23 of 163	85.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.7	126 of 458	72.5%	★★★★☆
2025	56.8	166 of 432	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.0	193 of 473	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.3	217 of 459	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.3	188 of 404	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.8	198 of 399	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.2	127 of 415	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.3	162 of 401	59.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	79.8	63 of 483	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	78.1	73 of 452	83.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	83 of 479	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.9	105 of 464	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	68.5	121 of 476	74.6%	★★★★☆
2021	69.3	110 of 437	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	76.9	87 of 454	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	87 of 438	80.1%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	42.9	78 of 124	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.1	71 of 113	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.6	57 of 116	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.1	75 of 107	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.9	109 of 131	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.3	80 of 97	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	56.7	52 of 114	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.0	79 of 296	73.3%	★★★★☆
2025	64.1	68 of 265	74.3%	★★★★☆
2024	46.7	152 of 307	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.8	36 of 298	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	71.4	46 of 288	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	77.7	23 of 260	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	65.2	78 of 282	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	41 of 253	83.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	67.2	111 of 435	74.5%	★★★★☆
2025	70.5	100 of 415	75.9%	★★★★☆
2024	64.7	122 of 440	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	62.3	147 of 436	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	181 of 438	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.6	134 of 422	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	71.8	84 of 428	80.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.4	86 of 428	79.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2026)87th percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)74th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)73rd percentile-10 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2026)72nd percentile-11 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile-16 vs school

African American (2026)60th percentile-23 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)37th percentile-46 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)33rd percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading57%+8 vs state

Math47%~ state avg

Science20%-5 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

5★2

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3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

My kids benefitted from the great education they received from the Mankato public schools. The schools prepared them well for college, and after college they went on (so far) to solid careers. Close Quote

Schools Near Dakota Meadows 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 (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 5th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 6th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 7th Grade	MCA-IV Reading 8th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science All Grades	MCA-III Math 5th Grade	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Dakota Meadows Middle School	Public	6-8	1900 Howard Dr West	North Mankato	56002	Nicollet County	Mankato Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 387-5077	852	45	19.1	30.2%	646 (75.8%)	75 (8.8%)	55 (6.5%)	8 (0.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (7.5%)	76	92^nd of 546 public middle schools	83.2%		75.3	103^rd of 519 public middle schools	80.2%	11		61.7	49.3	59.8	56.9		20.3	20.3		41.5	43.5	55.0	46.9	$11,176
Central Middle School Alternative Learning Center	Public	6-8	110 Fulton Street	Mankato	56001	Blue Earth County	Mankato Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 387-3047	0	1	2.9	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Prairie Winds Middle School	Public	6-8	1200 Prairie Winds Dr	Mankato	56001	Blue Earth County	Mankato Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 345-6625	887	50	17.8	42.8%	562 (63.4%)	166 (18.7%)	79 (8.9%)	16 (1.8%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	54 (6.1%)	67.1	147^th of 546 public middle schools	73.1%		66	155^th of 519 public middle schools	70.1%	8		54.0	40.3	47.7	47.5		19.7	19.7		48.4	40.7	49.5	46.3	$11,184
St. Peter Middle School	Public	5-8	100 Lincoln Dr	Saint Peter	56082	Nicollet County	St. Peter Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 934-4210	617	34	18.2	39.2%	415 (67.3%)	45 (7.3%)	117 (19.0%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.2%)	66.7	150^th of 546 public middle schools	72.5%		67.7	146^th of 519 public middle schools	71.9%	4	60.7	56.6	41.7	57.5	54.2	35.6	18.2	26.6	37.7	37.1	35.4	53.4	41.0	$4,389

Frequently Asked Questions about Dakota Meadows Middle School

What high school do graduates of Dakota Meadows Middle School attend?

Students who attend Dakota Meadows Middle School usually go on to attend Mankato West Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Dakota Meadows Middle School?

Students at Dakota Meadows Middle School are 76% White, 9% African American, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What district is Dakota Meadows Middle School in?

Mankato Public School District

Is Dakota Meadows Middle School a good school?

Dakota Meadows Middle School ranks 92^nd of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dakota Meadows Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 852 students attended Dakota Meadows Middle School.

Rate Dakota Meadows Middle School!

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

2019–20 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 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.