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St. Cloud Area Learning Center

Public Grades 6-12

448^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 5% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

St. Cloud Area Learning Center is a public school in Waite Park, Minnesota serving 237 students in grades 6–12 as part of the St. Cloud Public School District, and it ranks among the lowest-performing high schools in Minnesota — 448th of 473 high schools (5th percentile, 0 stars) in 2025–2026, well below its district's own ranking of 363rd of 458 districts (21st percentile, 1 star).

Outcomes here differ sharply from nearby schools. The 2024–2025 graduation rate was 39.3%, compared with 67.3% for the district and 84.9% statewide, while the dropout rate was 16.8% — more than double the district's 8.5% and roughly four times the state's 4.2%. Within the same district, Technical Senior High graduated 83.4% of students and Apollo Senior High 71.0%, and Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High in a neighboring district reached 88.0%. Test proficiency in 2025–2026 was 3% in math, 0% in reading, and 9.1% in science, far below Technical (18.8% math, 30.2% reading) and Apollo (15.4% math, 28.2% reading).

Poverty alone does not appear to explain the gap: 63.71% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, similar to Technical (63.55%) and Apollo (61.79%). The student–teacher ratio of 12:1 is lower than those schools, yet has not translated into stronger results. Graduation has improved from 24.2% in 2021–2022 to 39.3% in 2024–2025, but the dropout rate also climbed, from 10.3% in 2020–2021. The school has stayed in the bottom 3–6% of Minnesota high schools for six consecutive years, earning no more than 1 star in the years shown, and no student group has ranked above the 8th percentile recently. Other area alternative and virtual programs, including Newport Academy, Central Minnesota Virtual Academy, and Benton-Stearns Education District, also report very low results. Some middle-school test data is suppressed by the state, which limits comparisons.

237

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,847

Per pupil spending ?

63.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

216 N 8th Ave
Waite Park, MN 56387-1165

(320) 370-6790

District: St. Cloud Public School District

Racial breakdown:

African American:

51.9%

White:

25.3%

Two or more races:

13.1%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare St. Cloud Area Learning Center to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 6th percentile in 2016 → 5th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (3% vs 43% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Minnesota average (39% vs 85%)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school3%

District avg26%

Minnesota avg43%

448^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Bottom 5%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3High Schools in the St. Cloud Public School District

363^rd of 458St. Cloud 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	6.9	448 of 473	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.9	436 of 450	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.5	458 of 480	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.6	447 of 476	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.9	454 of 472	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	410 of 428	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.6	474 of 492	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.6	426 of 494	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	6.1	442 of 489	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	4.4	461 of 489	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.9	469 of 504	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	3.5	468 of 483	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.2	489 of 534	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	15.2	430 of 539	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	12.0	447 of 545	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	8.2	466 of 540	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	6.8	435 of 460	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.8	409 of 463	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	6.4	431 of 450	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	12.0	404 of 452	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	7.2	394 of 433	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	9.0	108 of 109	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.4	93 of 98	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	101 of 102	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	7.7	101 of 103	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.4	99 of 106	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2022	21.8	80 of 87	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.6	70 of 85	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	5.4	385 of 403	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.9	384 of 396	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.0	382 of 388	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.2	395 of 401	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	366 of 395	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	9.4	364 of 377	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	7.9	325 of 333	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.9	371 of 389	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.7	371 of 393	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.6	300 of 312	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.6	262 of 270	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.1	361 of 370	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.1	322 of 374	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	4.0	396 of 405	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	379 of 398	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.1	391 of 403	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.9	394 of 411	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.5	368 of 398	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	4.6	385 of 402	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	3.4	391 of 401	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	1.6	407 of 412	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.4	389 of 414	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2022)8th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2024)4th percentile~ school

White (2024)4th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2024)2nd percentile~ school

African American (2024)1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Science9%-16 vs state

Math3%-42 vs state

Reading0%-49 vs state

★

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Schools Near St. Cloud Area Learning Center

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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 10th Grade	MCA-IV Reading All Grades	MCA-IV Science 5th Grade	MCA-IV Science 8th Grade	MCA-IV Science End of Course	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 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
St. Cloud Area Learning Center	Public	6-12	216 N 8th Ave	Waite Park	56387	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 370-6790	237	20	12.0	63.7%	60 (25.3%)	123 (51.9%)	16 (6.8%)	2 (0.8%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (13.1%)	6.9	448^th of 473 public high schools	5.3%		5.9	436^th of 450 public high schools	3.1%	12					0.0	0.0				9.1					3.4	3.0	$18,847
Central Minnesota Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	1201 2nd St S	Waite Park	56387	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(320) 370-8656	53	0		58.5%	16 (30.2%)	29 (54.7%)	6 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)
Apollo Senior High	Public	9-12	1000 44th Ave N	Saint Cloud	56303	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 370-6790	1,264	76	16.6	61.8%	406 (32.1%)	494 (39.1%)	195 (15.4%)	74 (5.9%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (7.0%)	25.3	366^th of 473 public high schools	22.6%		22.6	367^th of 450 public high schools	18.4%	1					28.2	28.2			18.7	18.7					15.4	15.4	$16,195
180 Degrees / Youth Shelter	Public	6-12	1101 Washington Memorial Dr	Saint Cloud	56301	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(320) 370-8020	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Technical Senior High	Public	9-12	4200 33rd St S	Saint Cloud	56301	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 370-8350	1,561	87	17.9	63.5%	559 (35.8%)	735 (47.1%)	107 (6.9%)	25 (1.6%)	10 (0.6%)	5 (0.3%)	120 (7.7%)	30.7	338^th of 473 public high schools	28.5%		33.1	330^th of 450 public high schools	26.7%	8					30.2	30.2			21.7	21.7					18.8	18.8	$12,760
Newport Academy	Public	7-12	1726 7th Ave S	Saint Cloud	56301	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 370-6895	17	2	10.2	17.6%	16 (94.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Benton-Stearns Education District	Public	5-12	324 3rd Avenue South	Sauk Rapids	56379	Benton County	Benton-Stearns Education District	No	No	No	No	(320) 252-8427	24	4	6.4	66.7%	19 (79.2%)	2 (8.3%)	2 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.2%)								(n/a)						0.0										0.0
Benton Stearns Education 18-22	Public	12	324 3rd Ave South	Sauk Rapids	56379	Benton County	Benton-Stearns Education District	No	No	No	No	(320) 253-8940	17	2	8.5	58.8%	17 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Alternative Learning Center - Sartell	Public	9-12	212 3rd Ave N	Sartell	56377	Stearns County	St. Cloud Public School District	No	No	No	No	(320) 656-0748	2	0			2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Mn Correctional Facility-St. Cloud	Public	9-12	2305 Minnesota Blvd SE	Saint Cloud	56302	Stearns County	Minnesota Department Of Corrections	No	No	No	No	(320) 240-3062	14	0		78.6%	7 (50.0%)	4 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.1%)	2 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about St. Cloud Area Learning Center

What district is St. Cloud Area Learning Center in?

St. Cloud Public School District

What is the racial makeup of St. Cloud Area Learning Center?

Students at St. Cloud Area Learning Center are 52% African American, 25% White, 13% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

How many students attend St. Cloud Area Learning Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 237 students attended St. Cloud Area Learning Center.

Is St. Cloud Area Learning Center a good school?

St. Cloud Area Learning Center ranks in the bottom 5.3% of Minnesota high schools.

Rate St. Cloud Area Learning Center!

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MNMinnesota High School Rankings

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Schools in Waite Park, MN

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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.