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Creative Arts Secondary School

Q: Is Creative Arts Secondary School a good school?

Creative Arts Secondary School ranks 210 th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades 6-12

210^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 473 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 56% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Creative Arts Secondary School is a 6–12 school in downtown Saint Paul, MN, serving 382 students as part of Saint Paul Public Schools. Its 2025–2026 school rank is 210 of 473 — the 56th percentile, with 3 stars — a sharp jump from 2020–2021 through 2023–2024, when it sat between the 10th and 27th percentile, mostly at 1 star. About 75.39% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2024–2025, down from 82.2% in 2022–2023, and the student-teacher ratio was 18.3.

Among nearby options, the school trails Open World Learning Secondary (97th percentile, 5 stars) and St Paul Conservatory Performing Art (85th percentile, 4 stars), but it outperforms STEP Academy Charter School, HOPE Community Academy High School, St. Paul City High School, Humboldt High School, and MMSA Secondary School. Context matters: the two top performers serve far fewer low-income students, while Creative Arts generally does better than several nearby high-poverty schools.

Results are mixed. The 2024–2025 graduation rate was 70.9%, below the district (77.8%) and state (84.9%), yet the 3.2% dropout rate beat both. In 2025–2026, all-grades proficiency was 11.7% in math, 28.5% in reading, and 9.3% in science, all below district and state averages. Science is the weakest area. High school grades look stronger — 10th grade reading was 51.9% and 11th grade math 31.8%, both above district — while middle school grades lag well behind, including 8th grade science at just 2.9%.

382

Students ?

18.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,324

Per pupil spending ?

75.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

65 Kellogg Blvd E
Saint Paul, MN 55101-1115

(651) 292-3480

District: Saint Paul Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

30.6%

White:

22.5%

Hispanic:

17.8%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Creative Arts Secondary School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 21st percentile in 2015 → 56th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 35 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Minnesota median (56th percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (19% vs 43% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Minnesota average (71% vs 85%)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school19%

District avg29%

Minnesota avg43%

Middle school

488^th of 546

Minnesota public middle schools ?

Bottom 11%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

210^th of 473

Minnesota public high schools ?

Top 44%▲ up 36 pts since 2016

From bottom 20% (2016) to top 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 10High Schools in the Saint Paul Public Schools

346^th of 458Saint Paul Public Schools 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	12.3	488 of 546	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.0	479 of 519	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.7	491 of 545	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.9	510 of 529	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.7	481 of 520	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.9	464 of 521	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	488 of 533	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.4	473 of 518	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.2	484 of 523	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	9.3	459 of 508	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.1	473 of 516	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	9.4	183 of 185	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	164 of 169	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	143 of 179	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	162 of 164	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.1	162 of 162	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	129 of 148	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	111 of 137	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	12.7	104 of 112	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	9.1	104 of 106	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	103 of 111	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.9	108 of 116	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	96 of 110	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	112 of 112	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.7	94 of 108	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	104 of 153	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	111 of 158	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.4	86 of 120	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.8	64 of 109	41.3%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	15.5	408 of 467	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.2	420 of 450	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	435 of 474	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	4.7	444 of 455	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.4	446 of 467	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.4	422 of 443	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.9	420 of 439	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.7	413 of 436	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	147 of 195	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.4	150 of 175	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	130 of 171	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.4	153 of 163	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	14.1	419 of 458	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	408 of 432	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	429 of 473	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	443 of 459	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.6	364 of 404	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.5	381 of 399	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.7	396 of 415	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	20.6	339 of 401	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	6.3	468 of 483	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.4	403 of 452	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	423 of 479	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	7.8	437 of 464	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	437 of 476	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	407 of 454	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	6.4	409 of 438	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	10.7	291 of 296	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.2	253 of 265	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	293 of 298	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	278 of 282	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2025	28.5	325 of 415	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.9	317 of 440	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	358 of 428	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.1	402 of 428	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	210 of 473	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.2	352 of 480	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.2	402 of 476	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.7	400 of 472	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	386 of 428	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.1	374 of 492	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.6	295 of 494	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	26.6	371 of 489	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.9	391 of 489	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.7	399 of 504	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2019	36.9	67 of 103	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.0	56 of 106	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2018	25.3	59 of 76	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	61.8	161 of 398	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	32.1	294 of 403	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	2.7	384 of 388	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.1	337 of 401	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.5	321 of 395	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2018	84.0	12 of 129	90.7%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	37.9	250 of 377	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	295 of 389	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	350 of 393	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	5.1	308 of 312	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	26.4	288 of 370	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	57.5	165 of 374	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2023	6.1	381 of 398	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.5	349 of 411	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	66.3	136 of 398	65.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2026	89.3	20 of 394	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	58.7	193 of 414	53.4%	★★★☆☆

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)

Middle school

English Language Learner (2025)32nd percentile+24 vs school

Hispanic (2026)25th percentile+14 vs school

White (2025)22nd percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile~ school

Asian (2026)7th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)3rd percentile-8 vs school

Special Education (2026)2nd percentile-9 vs school

African American (2026)1st percentile-10 vs school

High school

White (2026)95th percentile+39 vs school

Hispanic (2018)91st percentile+50 vs school

Female (2026)60th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2019)35th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)34th percentile-22 vs school

Asian (2018)22nd percentile-18 vs school

Male (2023)4th percentile-11 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2025-2026) ?

Reading28%-20 vs state

Math12%-33 vs state

Science9%-16 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, October 13, 2023

In 2021 to 2022, there were some very caring teachers, assistant admin, nurse, behavioral specialist and outside counseling contractors. I would not, however, recommend this school if your child will need to go through any special education identification services. Principal and a few teachers ant the school presented as indifferent and avoidant. We were told by the principal they didn't have the resources to ensure physical location and safety of students. And: that may be true. This may be a good choice if your child has few needs and is in high school, though. Good variety of arts class offerings, though only one visual arts teacher, strangely, for an arts school. Close Quote

Schools Near Creative Arts Secondary 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/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 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 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	Total
Creative Arts Secondary School	Public, Magnet	6-12	65 Kellogg Blvd E	Saint Paul	55101	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(651) 292-3480	382	21	18.3	75.4%	86 (22.5%)	117 (30.6%)	68 (17.8%)	61 (16.0%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (12.0%)	58.1	210^th of 473 public high schools	55.6%					(n/a)	20.0	20.4	34.1	51.9	28.5	2.9	20.0	9.3	3.7	7.8	16.7	31.8	11.7	$15,324
St Paul Conservatory Performing Art	Public, Charter	9-12	16 W 5th Street	Saint Paul	55102	Ramsey County	St Paul Conservatory Performing Art	Yes	No	No	No	(651) 290-2225	336	17	19.2	15.8%	212 (63.1%)	21 (6.3%)	48 (14.3%)	15 (4.5%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (11.0%)	80.5	72^nd of 473 public high schools	84.8%		75.7	102^nd of 450 public high schools	77.3%	30				69.0	69.0		51.1	51.1				26.9	26.9	$11,858
St. Paul City High School	Public, Charter	9-12	215 University Ave W	Saint Paul	55103	Ramsey County	St. Paul City School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 225-9177	152	11	14.1	88.8%	4 (2.6%)	39 (25.7%)	89 (58.6%)	9 (5.9%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.6%)	16.8	407^th of 473 public high schools	14.0%		5.1	442^nd of 450 public high schools	1.8%	35				22.7	22.7		22.7	22.7				0.0	0.0
Journeys Secondary School	Public	8-12	90 Western Ave	Saint Paul	55102	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 744-1900	73	14	5.2	80.8%	11 (15.1%)	42 (57.5%)	9 (12.3%)	2 (2.7%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (11.0%)								(n/a)														$43,351
Open World Learning Secondary	Public, Magnet	6-12	640 Humboldt Avenue	Saint Paul	55107	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(651) 293-8670	504	24	20.6	30.0%	297 (58.9%)	38 (7.5%)	60 (11.9%)	40 (7.9%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.9%)	94.1	14^th of 473 public high schools	97.0%		77.7	92^nd of 450 public high schools	79.6%	78	78.1	52.1	79.5	68.1	69.6	27.1	54.8	40.2	54.2	45.1	61.4	52.7	53.4	$5,237
Humboldt High School	Public	6-12	30 Baker St E	Saint Paul	55107	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 293-8600	955	52	18.3	84.0%	53 (5.5%)	236 (24.7%)	212 (22.2%)	387 (40.5%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.5%)	11.2	430^th of 473 public high schools	9.1%		12.7	406^th of 450 public high schools	9.8%	24	13.8	11.1	6.9	15.5	11.3	0.0	13.8	6.5	7.8	7.5	6.9	4.1	6.4	$17,564
HOPE Community Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	720 Payne Ave	Saint Paul	55130	Ramsey County	Hope Community Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(651) 796-4500	124	7	17.1	85.5%	1 (0.8%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	115 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	31.2	335^th of 473 public high schools	29.2%					(n/a)				31.3	31.3		25.8	25.8				12.9	12.9
Guadalupe Alternative Programs	Public	7-12	381 Robie St E	Saint Paul	55107	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(651) 262-5801	83	0		96.4%	4 (4.8%)	34 (41.0%)	28 (33.7%)	11 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.2%)								(n/a)														$17,337
Step Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	6-12	835 5th St E	Saint Paul	55106	Ramsey County	STEP Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(651) 289-6120	366	16	22.8	92.1%	1 (0.3%)	362 (98.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	51.9	246^th of 473 public high schools	48.0%					(n/a)	37.5	23.1	45.2	47.8	40.4	4.8	26.1	15.9	9.4	3.8	7.1	14.3	7.9	$17,333
Focus Beyond	Public	9-12	340 Colborne St	Saint Paul	55102	Ramsey County	Saint Paul Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(651) 293-5997	212	24	8.7	78.3%	46 (21.7%)	71 (33.5%)	36 (17.0%)	46 (21.7%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)								(n/a)														$31,474

Frequently Asked Questions about Creative Arts Secondary School

Is Creative Arts Secondary School a good school?

Creative Arts Secondary School ranks 210^th of 473 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Creative Arts Secondary School?

Students at Creative Arts Secondary School are 31% African American, 23% White, 18% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is Creative Arts Secondary School in?

Saint Paul Public Schools

How many students attend Creative Arts Secondary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 382 students attended Creative Arts Secondary School.

Rate Creative Arts Secondary School!

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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.