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Southwest High

Q: Is Southwest High a good school?

Southwest High ranks 114 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

114^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 76% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Southwest High is a 9–12 comprehensive high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving 1,195 students in the Minneapolis Public School District. In 2025–2026 it ranked 114th of 473 high schools statewide (76th percentile, 4 stars), a strong showing for a school in a district ranked 310th of 458 (32nd percentile, 2 stars). This school-versus-district contrast is one of the most striking things about Southwest.

Southwest's outcomes stand out against nearby traditional high schools. Its 2024–2025 graduation rate was 91.5% with a 1.0% dropout rate, compared with 89.7% and 3.5% at Washburn High and 89.7% and 2.6% at St. Louis Park Senior High. In 2025–2026 test scores, Southwest led in Math (44.7%) and Reading (48.7%), while Science (35.3%) was essentially tied with Washburn (35.5%) and well ahead of St. Louis Park (26.1%). Southwest's Science proficiency also came in roughly 10 points above the state. Its free/reduced lunch rate of 25.61% is lower than Washburn's (38.33%) and St. Louis Park's (37.44%), and its student-teacher ratio of 15.7 is lower than both, improving sharply from 27.9 in 2022–2023. Edina Virtual Pathway is a small virtual school with a very different profile and is not a like-for-like comparison.

Two items are worth monitoring. First, 2025–2026 is a step down from Southwest's 2024–2025 peak, when it ranked 31st statewide with 5 stars; test scores also eased from recent highs, though results remain top-quartile and the long-term trend since 2018–2019 is clearly upward. Second, effectiveness rankings vary across student groups, with lower and more inconsistent results for low-SES and English Language Learner students. Graduation, dropout, and Science remain Southwest's clearest strengths.

1,195

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,735

Per pupil spending ?

25.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

3414 W 47th St
Minneapolis, MN 55410-8888

(612) 668-3030

District: Minneapolis Public School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.1%

African American:

15.3%

Hispanic:

8.9%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Southwest High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 66th percentile in 2016 → 76th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 24% of Minnesota high schools

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

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 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 school43%

District avg37%

Minnesota avg43%

114^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 24%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 34% (2016) to top 24% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 10High 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	73.4	114 of 473	75.9%	★★★★☆
2025	89.2	31 of 450	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	84.2	51 of 480	89.4%	★★★★☆
2023	74.7	100 of 476	79.0%	★★★★☆
2022	61.2	190 of 472	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	81.5	49 of 428	88.6%	★★★★☆
2019	48.2	299 of 492	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	76.0	115 of 494	76.7%	★★★★☆
2017	58.9	237 of 489	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.1	164 of 489	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	53.8	276 of 504	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.8	280 of 483	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	71.0	138 of 534	74.2%	★★★★☆
2012	69.8	183 of 539	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.6	161 of 545	70.5%	★★★★☆
2010	79.7	62 of 540	88.5%	★★★★☆
2009	85.3	25 of 234	89.3%	★★★★☆
2008	81.1	85 of 460	81.5%	★★★★☆
2007	92.1	19 of 463	95.9%	★★★★★
2006	84.7	45 of 450	90.0%	★★★★★
2005	52.0	322 of 452	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	48.2	324 of 433	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	50.8	55 of 114	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.9	46 of 95	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	20.7	92 of 109	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	86 of 98	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.0	56 of 102	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.4	90 of 103	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.6	72 of 106	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2018	65.9	23 of 76	69.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	22.0	101 of 102	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	41.1	50 of 87	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.6	19 of 85	77.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	79.2	57 of 398	85.7%	★★★★☆
2025	85.8	30 of 358	91.6%	★★★★★
2024	88.6	28 of 403	93.1%	★★★★★
2023	56.8	173 of 396	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.8	202 of 388	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	76.5	53 of 339	84.4%	★★★★☆
2019	42.0	267 of 401	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	85.7	22 of 395	94.4%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	57.1	47 of 135	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.4	52 of 124	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	66 of 145	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	64 of 136	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.0	55 of 135	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	24.7	85 of 101	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	48.1	65 of 132	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	251 of 377	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.4	117 of 333	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.8	268 of 389	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	267 of 393	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	21.2	257 of 312	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.2	229 of 270	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.5	330 of 370	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.4	278 of 374	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.8	161 of 395	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	84.0	47 of 377	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	70.6	108 of 405	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	79.1	63 of 398	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	57.2	171 of 403	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	81.0	44 of 351	87.5%	★★★★☆
2019	39.0	282 of 411	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.6	223 of 398	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	62.7	23 of 75	69.3%	★★★★☆
2023	44.8	36 of 64	43.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	110 of 224	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	34.1	131 of 178	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	80.1	22 of 221	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	23.3	181 of 216	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.1	140 of 214	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.9	127 of 173	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.5	116 of 220	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	95 of 394	75.9%	★★★★☆
2025	92.4	14 of 376	96.3%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	36 of 402	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	72.7	87 of 398	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	62.3	150 of 401	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	86.5	26 of 364	92.9%	★★★★★
2019	64.0	152 of 412	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	83.3	36 of 414	91.3%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2026)86th percentile+10 vs school

White (2026)76th percentile~ school

Asian (2018)70th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)69th percentile-7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)65th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2026)59th percentile-17 vs school

African American (2026)52nd percentile-24 vs school

Special Education (2026)51st percentile-25 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)33rd percentile-42 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)1st percentile-88 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading49%~ state avg

Math45%~ state avg

Science35%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near Southwest High

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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 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Southwest High	Public	9-12	3414 W 47th St	Minneapolis	55410	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-3030	1,195	76	15.7	25.6%	790 (66.1%)	183 (15.3%)	106 (8.9%)	36 (3.0%)	14 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (5.5%)	73.4	114^th of 473 public high schools	75.9%		89.2	31^st of 450 public high schools	93.1%	83			48.7	48.7		35.3	35.3			44.7	44.7	$13,735
Southwest High - SWS	Public	9-12	3414 W 47th St	Minneapolis	55410	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	Yes	(612) 668-3030	1	0		—	0 (0.0%)	1 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)												$13,416
Edina Virtual Pathway	Public, Virtual	9-12	5701 Normandale Rd	Edina	55424	Hennepin County	Edina Public School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(952) 848-4950	75	9	8.3	72.0%	11 (14.7%)	57 (76.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	2 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.0%)								(n/a)			14.3	14.3
Washburn High	Public	9-12	201 W 49th St	Minneapolis	55419	Hennepin County	Minneapolis Public School District	No	No	No	No	(612) 668-3400	1,521	85	17.8	38.3%	805 (52.9%)	229 (15.1%)	368 (24.2%)	38 (2.5%)	13 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	66 (4.3%)	69.8	133^rd of 473 public high schools	71.9%		71.8	126^th of 450 public high schools	72.0%	7			46.6	46.6		35.5	35.5			41.4	41.4	$12,757
Project SEARCH	Public	12	6401 France Ave S	Edina	55435	Hennepin County	Edina Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(952) 848-4013	4	0		—	3 (75.0%)	1 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
School #542	Public	6-12	3400 W 66th St	Edina	55435	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(763) 205-7612	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
283-Ind Stdy 15 And Under - I.S.	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6000	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
St. Louis Park Senior High	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	St. Louis Park Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6100	1,397	64	21.7	37.4%	675 (48.3%)	333 (23.8%)	199 (14.2%)	47 (3.4%)	8 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	133 (9.5%)	55.6	223^rd of 473 public high schools	52.9%		76.3	100^th of 450 public high schools	77.8%	123			38.5	38.5		26.1	26.1			40.8	40.8	$14,273
283-St. Louis Park Alternative Learning Center	Public	9-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	Intermediate School District 287	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6500	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Special Education	Public	7-12	6425 W 33rd St	Saint Louis Park	55426	Hennepin County	St. Louis Park Public School District	No	No	No	No	(952) 928-6068	15	2	8.1	33.3%	6 (40.0%)	5 (33.3%)	1 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (20.0%)								(n/a)												$3,988

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest High

Is Southwest High a good school?

Southwest High ranks 114^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest High?

Students at Southwest High are 66% White, 15% African American, 9% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Southwest High in?

Minneapolis Public School District

How many students attend Southwest High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,195 students attended Southwest High.

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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.