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Willow Creek Middle School

Q: Is Willow Creek Middle School a good school?

Willow Creek Middle School ranks 206 th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

206^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 62% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Willow Creek Middle School is a public school in Rochester, MN, serving 864 students in grades 6–8 as part of Rochester Public School District. Its 2025–2026 rank is 206th of 546 Minnesota middle schools (62nd percentile, 3 stars), above the district average and in the upper-middle tier. The school has improved substantially, rising from the 16th percentile in 2021–2022 to the 62nd percentile in 2025–2026, though it remains below its 2015–2016 peak of the 67th percentile.

Academically, Willow Creek's 2025–2026 all-grade proficiency rates are 37.1% in math, 47.2% in reading, and 19.0% in science. Reading is near district and state averages, while all-grade math and science are lower. Grade-level results are more encouraging: Willow Creek is above the district's middle-grade average in math in grades 6, 7, and 8, and its 8th-grade science score (19.0%) is above both district (18.8%) and state (16.7%) averages. Within Rochester, Willow Creek is essentially tied with John Adams Middle School for the top comprehensive middle school position and outranks Kellogg Middle School and Dakota Middle School, especially in math. Middle School Alternative Learning Center serves a different population and is not directly comparable.

Compared with nearby out-of-district schools, Willow Creek trails Byron Middle School, Kasson-Mantorville Middle School, Pine Island Middle, Dover-Eyota Middle School, and Plainview-Elgin-Millville Middle in math and reading, but it has higher science proficiency than Pine Island Middle, Dover-Eyota Middle School, Plainview-Elgin-Millville Middle, and Stewartville Middle. Willow Creek serves a higher-poverty population than most of those schools, so comparisons are not apples-to-apples. Its clearest equity concern is the low-SES subgroup, which ranks in the 27th percentile (1 star), though this has improved from the 18th percentile. English learner and special education results have improved sharply, reaching the 75th and 66th percentiles, respectively.

864

Students ?

17.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,038

Per pupil spending ?

35.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

2425 11th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904-8888

(507) 328-5900

District: Rochester Public School District

Students who attend Willow Creek Middle School usually attend:

High:

Mayo High School

Feeder schools for Willow Creek Middle School:

Elementary:	Bamber Valley Elementary School
	Folwell Elementary School
	Franklin Elementary School
	Pinewood Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.0%

Hispanic:

19.8%

African American:

9.7%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Willow Creek Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 54th percentile in 2015 → 62nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 8 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Minnesota median (62nd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg41%

Minnesota avg43%

206^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to top 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Middle Schools in the Rochester Public School District

227^th of 458Rochester 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	59.1	206 of 546	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.4	252 of 519	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.4	308 of 545	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.4	437 of 520	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.0	418 of 521	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.7	399 of 533	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.2	356 of 518	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.9	318 of 523	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	65.6	168 of 508	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.4	235 of 516	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.0	277 of 490	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.9	266 of 488	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	61.9	193 of 469	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.9	118 of 478	75.3%	★★★★☆
2010	73.2	93 of 454	79.5%	★★★★☆
2009	73.7	43 of 230	81.3%	★★★★☆
2008	69.8	112 of 409	72.6%	★★★★☆
2007	77.6	62 of 403	84.6%	★★★★☆
2006	75.0	77 of 406	81.0%	★★★★☆
2005	74.7	98 of 396	75.3%	★★★★☆
2004	55.4	212 of 387	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	85 of 185	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.5	78 of 169	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	88 of 179	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	19.6	141 of 162	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.2	97 of 141	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.5	131 of 148	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.3	94 of 137	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.3	35 of 112	68.8%	★★★★☆
2025	73.5	30 of 106	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.8	31 of 111	72.1%	★★★★☆
2022	22.3	82 of 110	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.6	54 of 87	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	76 of 112	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.5	60 of 108	44.4%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.3	43 of 170	74.7%	★★★★☆
2025	38.7	89 of 153	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.3	92 of 158	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.3	122 of 130	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	63.9	16 of 102	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	27.2	108 of 120	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	96 of 109	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	48.5	233 of 467	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	41.6	274 of 450	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	288 of 474	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	16.3	403 of 467	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.2	387 of 443	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.2	349 of 439	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.8	325 of 436	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	39.5	113 of 195	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.6	118 of 175	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.8	143 of 186	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.4	179 of 188	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.2	128 of 156	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.0	166 of 171	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.7	145 of 163	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	30.3	12 of 15	20.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	34.1	334 of 458	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.0	347 of 432	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.5	386 of 473	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.2	379 of 404	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.1	354 of 399	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.6	393 of 415	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	15.9	357 of 401	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	147 of 483	69.6%	★★★★☆
2025	52.4	203 of 452	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.6	283 of 479	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	18.6	402 of 476	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.1	334 of 437	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	346 of 454	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	37.9	313 of 438	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	41.1	81 of 124	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.9	91 of 113	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.8	103 of 116	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.0	128 of 131	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	93 of 97	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	105 of 120	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.3	96 of 114	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	100 of 296	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	63.2	70 of 265	73.6%	★★★★☆
2024	37.2	196 of 307	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.4	229 of 288	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	221 of 260	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.2	220 of 282	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.0	172 of 253	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	142 of 435	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.4	233 of 415	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.2	229 of 440	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.4	395 of 438	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.1	388 of 422	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	38.6	288 of 428	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.0	258 of 428	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2026)75th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2026)70th percentile+7 vs school

Asian (2026)69th percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)67th percentile+5 vs school

Special Education (2026)66th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)54th percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)50th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)42nd percentile-20 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)35th percentile-28 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile-35 vs school

Homeless (2022)20th percentile+4 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading47%~ state avg

Math37%-8 vs state

Science19%-6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willow Creek 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
Willow Creek Middle School	Public	6-8	2425 11th Ave SE	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-5900	864	0	17.5	35.5%	484 (56.0%)	84 (9.7%)	171 (19.8%)	58 (6.7%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (7.3%)	59.1	206^th of 546 public middle schools	62.3%		50.4	252^nd of 519 public middle schools	51.4%	46		50.5	45.1	45.5	47.2		19.0	19.0		35.7	39.0	36.8	37.1	$12,038
Middle School Alternative Learning Center	Public	6-8	1200 Broadway Ave S	Rochester	55904	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 328-5650	31	0		61.3%	20 (64.5%)	4 (12.9%)	3 (9.7%)	1 (3.2%)	1 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.5%)	6.6	524^th of 546 public middle schools	4.0%					(n/a)		14.3	5.3	30.0	17.0		0.0	0.0		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Kellogg Middle School	Public	6-8	503 17th St NE	Rochester	55906	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-5800	769	0	17.8	40.6%	423 (55.0%)	121 (15.7%)	106 (13.8%)	48 (6.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (9.0%)	51.4	257^th of 546 public middle schools	52.9%		55.8	217^th of 519 public middle schools	58.2%	40		46.9	45.0	46.6	46.2		13.9	13.9		29.4	34.2	35.1	32.8	$12,077
John Adams Middle School	Public	6-8	1525 31st St NW	Rochester	55901	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 328-5700	867	0	19.4	37.4%	460 (53.1%)	152 (17.5%)	96 (11.1%)	87 (10.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (8.0%)	59.8	200^th of 546 public middle schools	63.4%		45.4	285^th of 519 public middle schools	45.1%	85		54.3	39.8	49.8	48.0		23.4	23.4		35.7	31.1	37.7	34.9	$11,895
Dakota Middle School	Public	6-8	5501 65th St NW	Rochester	55901	Olmsted County	Rochester Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(507) 328-4530	921	0	18.1	38.1%	452 (49.1%)	173 (18.8%)	80 (8.7%)	128 (13.9%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (9.0%)	43.5	316^th of 546 public middle schools	42.1%		46.6	279^th of 519 public middle schools	46.2%	37		48.2	38.0	42.6	42.7		18.3	18.3		25.4	23.7	23.5	24.2
Stewartville Middle	Public	6-8	440 6th Ave SW	Stewartville	55976	Olmsted County	Stewartville Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 533-1666	480	30	16.0	23.5%	418 (87.1%)	5 (1.0%)	31 (6.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.0%)	56.3	223^rd of 546 public middle schools	59.2%		59.2	192^nd of 519 public middle schools	63.0%	31		54.0	39.3	51.3	48.3		12.5	12.5		38.0	42.8	29.7	36.7	$9,186
Dover-Eyota Middle School	Public	6-8	615 S Ave SW	Eyota	55934	Olmsted County	Dover-Eyota Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 545-2631	237	13	18.1	20.7%	212 (89.5%)	2 (0.8%)	12 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.6%)	71.5	111^th of 546 public middle schools	79.7%		48.7	265^th of 519 public middle schools	48.9%	154		56.6	58.9	52.6	56.0		15.6	15.6		50.0	38.4	48.7	45.8	$6,804
Byron Middle School	Public	6-8	601 4th St NW	Byron	55920	Olmsted County	Byron Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 775-2189	577	32	17.9	14.2%	508 (88.0%)	5 (0.9%)	25 (4.3%)	14 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	91.3	27^th of 546 public middle schools	95.1%		87.8	38^th of 519 public middle schools	92.7%	11		76.4	66.7	71.9	71.6		33.3	33.3		53.1	51.0	59.3	54.2	$10,272
Plainview-Elgin-Millville Middle	Public	6-8	70 1st St SE	Elgin	55932	Wabasha County	Plainview-Elgin-Millville	No	No	No	No	(507) 876-2521	235	13	18.0	37.4%	200 (85.1%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (11.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	64	174^th of 546 public middle schools	68.1%		79.1	82^nd of 519 public middle schools	84.2%	92		55.9	46.9	52.5	51.6		16.3	16.3		35.6	33.0	52.6	40.0	$8,656
Kasson-Mantorville Middle School	Public	5-8	1400 5th Ave NE	Kasson	55944	Dodge County	Kasson-Mantorville School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 634-4030	685	40	17.2	21.8%	597 (87.2%)	9 (1.3%)	41 (6.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.0%)	74.7	101^st of 546 public middle schools	81.5%		80.9	72^nd of 519 public middle schools	86.1%	29	71.3	58.6	49.7	57.8	59.4	32.3	20.0	26.0	46.7	38.7	50.3	50.3	46.7	$8,392

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Creek Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Willow Creek Middle School?

Students at Willow Creek Middle School are 56% White, 20% Hispanic, 10% African American, 7% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Willow Creek Middle School attend?

Students who attend Willow Creek Middle School usually go on to attend Mayo High School

How many students attend Willow Creek Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 864 students attended Willow Creek Middle School.

Is Willow Creek Middle School a good school?

Willow Creek Middle School ranks 206^th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Willow Creek Middle School in?

Rochester Public School District

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Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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

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.