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Sanford Middle

Q: Is Sanford Middle a good school?

Sanford Middle ranks 82 nd of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

82^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 85% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Sanford Middle is a grades 6–8 school in Minneapolis, MN, with 728 students, part of the Minneapolis Public School District.

Sanford is ranked 82 of 546 middle schools statewide in 2025–2026 (85th percentile, 4 stars), a dramatic rise from 28th percentile in 2017–2018. Reading proficiency is 58.4% and math is 49.4%, both above district and state averages, and every grade-level math and reading result exceeds the state. Science is the clear weak spot: all-grade science is 18.5%, below district and state, and fell from 39.57% in 2022–2023; however, 8th-grade science (18.5%) is above district 8th-grade (14.6%) and state 8th-grade (16.7%). Among nearby schools, Sanford has the highest math proficiency and the second-highest reading, behind only Laura Jeffrey Academy Charter. Avalon Middle School and CVA Hybrid Middle School (6-8) outperform Sanford in science, but Sanford beats them in math and reading.

Subgroup effectiveness rankings are uneven: high for White students (93rd percentile), male (85th), female (79th), special education (77th), and English language learners (71st), but lower for low-income (44th), African American (41st), and Native American (34th) students. The ELL ranking swung from 18th percentile in 2024–2025 to 71st in 2025–2026. Compared with same-district Andersen Middle, which is larger (1,052 students) with higher free/reduced lunch (70.82% vs 34.34%) and a lower student-teacher ratio (13.3 vs 15.9), Sanford outperforms by about 23 points in math, 31 in reading, and 7 in science. Sanford’s own student-teacher ratio improved from 27.5 to 15.9. Overall, Sanford is a strong performer with a sustained upward trajectory, but the science decline and uneven subgroup results are worth monitoring.

728

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,027

Per pupil spending ?

34.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3524 42nd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406-8888

(612) 668-4900

District: Minneapolis Public School District

Students who attend Sanford Middle usually attend:

High:

Roosevelt High - SWS

Feeder schools for Sanford Middle:

Elementary:	Hiawatha Elementary
	Howe Elementary
	Lake Nokomis Wenonah Elementary
	Northrop Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.0%

African American:

11.4%

Hispanic:

9.8%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Sanford Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 34th percentile in 2016 → 85th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Minnesota average (49% vs 43% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Minnesota middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 51 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 school49%

District avg37%

Minnesota avg43%

82^nd of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 51 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to top 15% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7Middle Schools in the Minneapolis Public School District

310^th of 458Minneapolis 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	78.3	82 of 546	85.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.9	98 of 519	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	66.9	158 of 545	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	68.3	144 of 529	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	67.6	148 of 520	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	59.0	197 of 521	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.0	357 of 533	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.7	372 of 518	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.8	364 of 523	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.7	334 of 508	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.1	334 of 516	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	31.0	378 of 490	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.0	380 of 488	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.1	400 of 469	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	24.8	402 of 478	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	22.6	393 of 454	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.7	198 of 230	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	22.6	360 of 409	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	23.6	350 of 403	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	22.0	358 of 406	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	4.4	378 of 396	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	0.8	376 of 387	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	43.5	109 of 185	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.2	67 of 169	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.8	106 of 179	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.4	110 of 164	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.6	81 of 162	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.8	60 of 141	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.7	93 of 148	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.0	102 of 137	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	42.9	63 of 112	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	70 of 108	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.6	49 of 170	71.2%	★★★★☆
2025	29.6	126 of 153	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.5	71 of 158	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.2	106 of 133	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	46.5	52 of 130	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.4	34 of 102	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.9	77 of 120	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.1	54 of 109	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	73.3	99 of 467	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	75.1	85 of 450	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	64.6	140 of 474	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	63.7	142 of 455	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	149 of 467	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.9	172 of 443	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.5	333 of 439	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.1	329 of 436	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	76 of 195	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.9	80 of 175	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.0	105 of 186	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.0	114 of 178	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.3	127 of 188	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	49.0	68 of 156	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	27.0	141 of 171	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.3	144 of 163	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	75.4	2 of 28	92.9%	★★★★★
2024	55.4	11 of 30	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.9	8 of 25	68.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	45.5	256 of 458	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.9	221 of 432	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.3	326 of 473	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	325 of 459	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.1	296 of 404	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	42.3	233 of 399	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.8	355 of 415	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.0	349 of 401	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	77.0	74 of 483	84.7%	★★★★☆
2025	69.8	114 of 452	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	63.1	152 of 479	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.0	126 of 464	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	65.3	145 of 476	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.4	197 of 437	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.6	310 of 454	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.6	338 of 438	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	63 of 124	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.3	54 of 113	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.9	46 of 116	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	48 of 107	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.3	82 of 131	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.5	57 of 120	52.5%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	38.7	41 of 62	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.6	29 of 50	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.2	38 of 55	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	26 of 49	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	67.4	5 of 22	77.3%	★★★★☆
2019	21.9	21 of 23	8.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.0	22 of 23	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	64.3	69 of 296	76.7%	★★★★☆
2025	55.8	104 of 265	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.6	84 of 307	72.6%	★★★★☆
2023	46.0	153 of 298	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	64.8	71 of 288	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	49.6	123 of 260	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.5	171 of 282	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	40.6	148 of 253	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	87.2	29 of 435	93.3%	★★★★★
2025	85.7	32 of 415	92.3%	★★★★★
2024	75.8	67 of 440	84.8%	★★★★☆
2023	80.4	47 of 436	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	77.5	52 of 438	88.1%	★★★★☆
2021	77.0	58 of 422	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	70.8	90 of 428	79.0%	★★★★☆
2018	78.5	51 of 428	88.1%	★★★★☆

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)93rd percentile+8 vs school

Homeless (2025)93rd percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)85th percentile~ school

Female (2026)79th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)77th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)71st percentile-14 vs school

Hispanic (2026)61st percentile-24 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)49th percentile-36 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile-41 vs school

Asian (2019)44th percentile+11 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile-44 vs school

Native American (2026)34th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading58%+10 vs state

Math49%+4 vs state

Science18%-7 vs state

4.5

4 ratings

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1★0

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Schools Near Sanford Middle

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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 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
Sanford Middle	Public	6-8	3524 42nd Ave S	Minneapolis	55406	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(612) 668-4900	728	46	15.9	34.3%	437 (60.0%)	83 (11.4%)	71 (9.8%)	10 (1.4%)	60 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (9.2%)	78.3	82^nd of 546 public middle schools	85.0%		75.9	98^th of 519 public middle schools	81.1%	16		59.5	57.0	58.6	58.4		18.5	18.5		48.0	51.6	48.3	49.4	$14,027
Aurora Middle School	Public, Charter	5-8	2103 E 26th St	Minneapolis	55404	Hennepin County	Aurora Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 200-9590	180	12	15.1	83.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	180 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8.1	515^th of 546 public middle schools	5.7%		7.4	493^rd of 519 public middle schools	5.0%	22	11.6	7.5	18.8	19.0	14.5	7.0	4.8	5.9	7.0	2.5	4.2	7.1	5.2	$10,045
Avalon Middle School	Public, Charter	6-8	700 Glendale Street	Saint Paul	55114	Ramsey County	Avalon School	Yes	No	No	No	(651) 649-5795	75	7	10.1	29.3%	43 (57.3%)	7 (9.3%)	11 (14.7%)	2 (2.7%)	2 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (13.3%)	64.9	165^th of 546 public middle schools	69.8%		50.3	255^th of 519 public middle schools	50.9%	90		47.1	50.0	50.0	49.3		27.3	27.3		29.4	43.5	37.5	37.5	$9,584
Hiawatha College Prep - Northrop	Public, Charter	6-8	4640 17th Ave S	Minneapolis	55407	Hennepin County	Hiawatha Academies	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 455-4044	438	23	19.4	91.3%	2 (0.5%)	24 (5.5%)	405 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	6.5	525^th of 546 public middle schools	3.8%		9.9	483^rd of 519 public middle schools	6.9%	42		15.5	8.8	14.2	12.8		4.0	4.0		7.8	2.4	4.7	4.9	$25,560
Laura Jeffrey Academy Charter	Public, Charter	5-8	1550 Summit Ave	Saint Paul	55105	Ramsey County	Laura Jeffrey Academy Charter	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 414-6000	117	17	6.9	15.4%	72 (61.5%)	7 (6.0%)	16 (13.7%)	8 (6.8%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (11.1%)	75	97^th of 546 public middle schools	82.2%		73.8	115^th of 519 public middle schools	77.8%	18	58.3	77.1	57.1	60.0	64.8	33.3	25.0	27.5	18.2	35.3	32.1	46.2	35.4	$22,768
Andersen Middle	Public	6-8	1098 Andersen Lane	Minneapolis	55407	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-4200	1,052	79	13.3	70.8%	228 (21.7%)	167 (15.9%)	571 (54.3%)	12 (1.1%)	34 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	39 (3.7%)	27.8	411^th of 546 public middle schools	24.7%		19.9	432^nd of 519 public middle schools	16.8%	21		28.3	25.2	29.0	27.6		11.2	11.2		21.8	26.9	30.2	26.3
CVA Hybrid Middle School (6-8)	Public, Charter	6-8	3810 East 56th Street	Minneapolis	55417	Hennepin County	Cyber Village Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 523-7170	39	5	7.3	35.9%	26 (66.7%)	3 (7.7%)	4 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (15.4%)	52.8	247^th of 546 public middle schools	54.8%		29.8	392^nd of 519 public middle schools	24.5%	145				40.0	42.9		25.0	25.0				28.6	31.8
Hennepin Schools Upper Campus	Public, Charter	5-8	1001 E 46th St	Minneapolis	55407	Hennepin County	Hennepin Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(612) 843-5050	207	13	15.8	96.1%	1 (0.5%)	154 (74.4%)	37 (17.9%)	15 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21.3	448^th of 546 public middle schools	17.9%		22.5	420^th of 519 public middle schools	19.1%	28	37.1	18.9	9.8	37.8	25.3	16.7	10.9	13.4	36.1	13.2	17.1	28.3	22.7	$20,100
HGA Junior High	Public, Charter	6-7	1381 Marshall Ave	Saint Paul	55104	Ramsey County	Higher Ground Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 645-1000	196	3	73.1	93.9%	13 (6.6%)	181 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39.9	335^th of 546 public middle schools	38.6%		37.7	336^th of 519 public middle schools	35.3%	1		47.5	35.4		40.8					32.9	19.8		25.7
Highland Park Middle School	Public	6-8	975 Snelling Ave S	Saint Paul	55116	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 293-8950	811	42	19.4	48.2%	284 (35.0%)	134 (16.5%)	246 (30.3%)	52 (6.4%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	90 (11.1%)	54.4	234^th of 546 public middle schools	57.1%		44.3	291^st of 519 public middle schools	43.9%	57		52.2	42.7	47.0	47.4		20.2	20.2		31.4	30.7	31.7	31.3	$13,758

Frequently Asked Questions about Sanford Middle

What high school do graduates of Sanford Middle attend?

Students who attend Sanford Middle usually go on to attend Roosevelt High - SWS

Is Sanford Middle a good school?

Sanford Middle ranks 82^nd of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sanford Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 728 students attended Sanford Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Sanford Middle?

Students at Sanford Middle are 60% White, 11% African American, 10% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 8% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What district is Sanford Middle in?

Minneapolis Public School District

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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.