Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Minnesota rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Valley Middle School of STEM

Q: Is Valley Middle School of STEM a good school?

Valley Middle School of STEM ranks 187 th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

187^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 546 Minnesota Middle Schools

Better than 66% of Minnesota middle schools

Summary

Valley Middle School of STEM is a grades 6–8 school in Apple Valley, Minnesota, part of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district (ISD 196), serving about 1,090 students — one of the larger middle schools in the area — with 44.7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25.

In 2025–26 the school ranked 187th of 546 Minnesota middle schools (66th percentile, 3 stars), the highest in its available ten-year history and a 17-point jump from the previous year's 49th percentile. Its district is strong — 85th of 458 in Minnesota (81st percentile, 4 stars). Against nearby schools with higher poverty rates, Valley compares very well: it beats Joseph Nicollet Middle School, Eagle Ridge Middle School and STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville by 16–18 points in reading and 10 or more points in math. Within its own district, though, Falcon Ridge Middle (91st percentile) and Scott Highlands Middle (89th) serve considerably less poverty and produce 16–19 more points of math proficiency and about 10 more in reading.

Reading is the engine of the improvement: proficiency rose from 41.9% to 51.5% in a single year and now sits above the state's 48.6%, while math has stayed flat at 34.8% — roughly 10 points below the state and nearly 20 below the district — for four straight years, with 7th grade math the weakest spot. Science came in at 19.0%, above the state's 16.7%, and low-income students ranked at the 61st percentile, close to the school's overall standing, which points to unusually broad subgroup strength. English learners remain the one clear unresolved gap, stuck between the 27th and 35th percentile for three years. Keep in mind that district and state figures include high school grades, and large single-year swings can be either breakthroughs or noise.

1,090

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,751

Per pupil spending ?

44.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in Minnesota receive free school meals.

900 Garden View Dr
Apple Valley, MN 55124-7113

(952) 431-8300

District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

Students who attend Valley Middle School of STEM usually attend:

High:

Apple Valley Senior High

Feeder schools for Valley Middle School of STEM:

Elementary:	Cedar Park Elementary STEM School
	Echo Park Leadership Engineer/Technical
	Southview Elementary
	Westview Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

41.0%

African American:

22.6%

Hispanic:

19.4%

See top rated Minnesota middle schools

Compare Valley Middle School of STEM to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 18 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Minnesota median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Math scores 10 pts below the Minnesota average

!Near the bottom of Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg52%

Minnesota avg43%

187^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 6Middle Schools in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

85^th of 458Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan 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	61.1	187 of 546	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	48.5	267 of 519	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.3	270 of 545	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.4	247 of 529	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	296 of 520	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.2	274 of 521	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.8	239 of 533	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.9	295 of 518	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.5	235 of 523	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.6	264 of 508	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	58.5	215 of 516	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	55.9	223 of 490	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.4	185 of 488	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	47.4	296 of 469	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2011	46.4	303 of 478	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.1	286 of 454	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2009	45.7	153 of 230	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.9	214 of 409	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	58.6	175 of 403	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.6	162 of 406	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2005	60.2	191 of 396	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2004	71.7	114 of 387	70.5%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.6	67 of 185	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.9	66 of 169	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.9	95 of 179	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.7	61 of 164	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.0	71 of 162	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.0	54 of 141	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.7	49 of 148	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.8	62 of 137	54.7%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	88.9	17 of 112	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.7	23 of 106	78.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.5	34 of 111	69.4%	★★★★☆
2023	66.4	36 of 116	69.0%	★★★★☆
2022	71.2	30 of 110	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	74.0	21 of 87	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	62.0	38 of 112	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.2	57 of 108	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	119 of 170	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.6	112 of 153	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	102 of 158	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.2	49 of 133	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	57 of 130	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.6	21 of 102	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	43.4	63 of 120	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.1	66 of 109	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	209 of 467	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.2	258 of 450	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.9	282 of 474	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.8	229 of 455	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.1	285 of 467	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.6	291 of 443	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.7	220 of 439	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.9	261 of 436	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	56.9	70 of 195	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.5	97 of 175	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.3	117 of 186	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.4	79 of 178	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.2	108 of 188	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.6	79 of 156	49.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.7	114 of 171	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.3	119 of 163	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	55.7	177 of 458	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.1	293 of 432	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.8	329 of 473	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.1	279 of 459	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.3	246 of 404	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.4	251 of 399	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.3	216 of 415	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.8	275 of 401	31.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.5	151 of 483	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	45.7	248 of 452	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	242 of 479	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.3	235 of 464	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.3	277 of 476	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	51.9	208 of 437	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.8	225 of 454	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.8	255 of 438	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	53.2	54 of 124	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.9	88 of 113	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	41.9	70 of 116	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.3	51 of 107	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	25.5	106 of 131	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.2	76 of 97	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.5	83 of 120	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.5	59 of 114	48.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	57.8	108 of 296	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.7	125 of 265	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	140 of 307	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.9	121 of 298	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.7	172 of 288	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	139 of 260	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.6	129 of 282	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.4	87 of 253	65.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	63.5	131 of 435	69.9%	★★★★☆
2025	52.9	183 of 415	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.9	139 of 440	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.5	156 of 436	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.9	204 of 438	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.8	183 of 422	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.9	105 of 428	75.5%	★★★★☆
2018	61.5	153 of 428	64.3%	★★★☆☆

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)

Asian (2026)85th percentile+19 vs school

White (2026)70th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2026)69th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)64th percentile~ school

African American (2026)64th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)64th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)61st percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)56th percentile-9 vs school

Female (2026)55th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)30th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading52%+3 vs state

Math35%-10 vs state

Science19%-6 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Valley Middle School of STEM

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Valley Middle School of STEM

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCA-IV Reading (2026)					MCA-IV Science (2026)			MCA-III Math (2026)				Vaccination (2025-26)		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 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 All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Total
Valley Middle School of STEM	Public	6-8	900 Garden View Dr	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 431-8300	1,090	69	15.8	44.7%	447 (41.0%)	246 (22.6%)	212 (19.4%)	47 (4.3%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (12.1%)	61.1	187^th of 546 public middle schools	65.8%		48.5	267^th of 519 public middle schools	48.6%	80	57.1	40.9	57.5		51.5	19.0		19.0	37.1	30.4	37.4	34.8			$12,751
STEP Academy 6-12 - Burnsville	Public, Charter	6-10	14450 Burnhaven Dr	Burnsville	55306	Dakota County	STEP Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 285-1920	96	4	24.7	96.9%	0 (0.0%)	96 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.2	438^th of 546 public middle schools	19.8%		29.6	393^rd of 519 public middle schools	24.3%	45	37.5	40.9	38.1	22.2	35.3	0.0	17.6	7.9	4.2	9.1	14.3	9.0	21.1%	0%
Joseph Nicollet Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	400 E 134th St	Burnsville	55337	Dakota County	Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(952) 707-2600	50	51	.9	56.0%	17 (34.0%)	17 (34.0%)	8 (16.0%)	4 (8.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.0%)	29.5	406^th of 546 public middle schools	25.6%		24.5	414^th of 519 public middle schools	20.2%	8	42.6	25.2	33.6		34.2	6.0		6.0	32.7	16.5	23.8	24.8			$14,713
Scott Highlands Middle	Public	6-8	14011 Pilot Knob Rd	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 423-7581	1,228	67	18.4	29.1%	655 (53.3%)	202 (16.4%)	117 (9.5%)	132 (10.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	121 (9.9%)	83.4	61^st of 546 public middle schools	88.8%		75.4	102^nd of 519 public middle schools	80.3%	41	66.5	57.2	61.8		61.9	24.2		24.2	50.8	44.8	55.1	50.5			$11,260
Lakeville Online Academy-Middle	Public, Virtual	6-8	17630 Juniper Path	Lakeville	55044	Dakota County	Lakeville Area Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(952) 232-3900	50	3	16.1	24.0%	34 (68.0%)	5 (10.0%)	2 (4.0%)	2 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.0%)								(n/a)					45.8							20.8
Century Middle School	Public	6-8	18610 Ipava Ave	Lakeville	55044	Dakota County	Lakeville Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(952) 232-2301	950	50	18.8	13.6%	614 (64.6%)	69 (7.3%)	47 (4.9%)	144 (15.2%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.7%)	89.4	33^rd of 546 public middle schools	94.0%		87.3	41^st of 519 public middle schools	92.1%	8	68.2	53.1	76.3		65.8	28.4		28.4	52.9	51.7	75.4	59.9			$10,910
Falcon Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	12900 Johnny Cake Ridge Rd	Apple Valley	55124	Dakota County	Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan	No	No	No	No	(952) 431-8760	1,088	62	17.5	31.0%	614 (56.4%)	129 (11.9%)	171 (15.7%)	54 (5.0%)	10 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	109 (10.0%)	85.7	49^th of 546 public middle schools	91.0%		79.8	78^th of 519 public middle schools	85.0%	29	66.5	53.4	66.9		62.1	28.4		28.4	44.4	51.9	64.8	53.5			$12,226
Universal Academy South Middle/High	Public, Charter	7-8	600 W Travelers Trl	Burnsville	55337	Dakota County	Universal Academy Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 442-3124	11	1	18.9	81.8%	0 (0.0%)	11 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		20.0			16.7							18.8
Kenwood Trail Middle School	Public	6-8	19455 Kenwood Tr	Lakeville	55044	Dakota County	Lakeville Area Schools	No	No	No	No	(952) 232-3800	854	54	15.7	23.3%	561 (65.7%)	64 (7.5%)	111 (13.0%)	43 (5.0%)	7 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (7.8%)	82.6	63^rd of 546 public middle schools	88.5%		81.4	68^th of 519 public middle schools	86.9%	5	62.9	54.3	58.5		58.5	19.6		19.6	47.8	56.7	67.3	57.0			$12,649
Eagle Ridge Middle School	Public, Magnet	6-8	13955 Glendale Rd	Savage	55378	Scott County	Burnsville-Eagan-Savage Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(952) 707-2800	46	46	1.0	71.7%	9 (19.6%)	12 (26.1%)	16 (34.8%)	4 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.9%)	26.5	415^th of 546 public middle schools	24.0%		26.2	407^th of 519 public middle schools	21.6%	8	39.0	24.0	32.3		31.7	7.3		7.3	26.5	22.2	21.6	23.4			$13,684

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Middle School of STEM

How many students attend Valley Middle School of STEM?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,090 students attended Valley Middle School of STEM.

What district is Valley Middle School of STEM in?

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

Is Valley Middle School of STEM a good school?

Valley Middle School of STEM ranks 187^th of 546 Minnesota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Valley Middle School of STEM attend?

Students who attend Valley Middle School of STEM usually go on to attend Apple Valley Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Valley Middle School of STEM?

Students at Valley Middle School of STEM are 41% White, 23% African American, 19% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Rate Valley Middle School of STEM!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MNMinnesota Middle School Rankings

MNMinnesota District Rankings

Schools in Apple Valley, MN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Valley Middle School of STEM!

Latest Minnesota data All new data »

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