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Waseca Area Learning Center

Public Grades 7-12

413^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 450 Minnesota High Schools

Better than 8% of Minnesota high schools

Summary

Waseca Area Learning Center is a public high school serving grades 7-12 in Waseca, Minnesota, with an enrollment of just 61 students. While the school plays an important role in providing alternative educational opportunities, it has consistently underperformed compared to the state and its local Waseca Public School District.

Academically, Waseca Area Learning Center struggles, with only 6.25% of 11th graders proficient in math and 20% of 10th graders proficient in reading, far below state and district averages. The school's four-year graduation rate of 84.2% is on par with the state, but its dropout rate of 18.5% is significantly higher than the district (6.1%) and state (7.4%) averages. Additionally, Waseca Area Learning Center serves a high-needs population, with 78.69% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 36.27% at the district's main high school, Waseca Senior High.

Compared to nearby high schools like Owatonna Senior High and Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Secondary, Waseca Area Learning Center's academic performance lags significantly. The school's small size, alternative learning environment, and high percentage of economically disadvantaged students may contribute to these challenges. Addressing the unique needs of Waseca Area Learning Center's student population will require targeted interventions and support to improve academic outcomes and student success.

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,839

Per pupil spending ?

70.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 Elm Ave E
Waseca, MN 56093-3360

(507) 835-5588

District: Waseca Public School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.8%

Hispanic:

32.3%

Two or more races:

10.8%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Waseca Area Learning Center to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2010 → 8th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Minnesota average (12% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Minnesota average (7% vs 84%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school12%

District avg43%

Minnesota avg47%

413^th of 450

Minnesota public high schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From bottom 15% (2016) to bottom 8% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Minnesota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2High Schools in the Waseca Public School District

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
2025	10.8	413 of 450	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	27.3	359 of 480	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	4.0	459 of 472	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.0	480 of 494	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.1	440 of 489	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.8	415 of 489	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	4.3	499 of 534	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	14.8	431 of 539	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	57.9	290 of 545	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	5.1	499 of 540	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Minnesota percentile	Rating
2024	38.1	254 of 389	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)35th percentile+9 vs school

By subject vs Minnesota (2024-2025) ?

Reading20%-30 vs state

Math6%-39 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waseca Area Learning Center

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCA-III Math (2025)					MCA-III Reading (2025)					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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
SWMetro Waseca-Transitions	Public	9-12	501 Elm Ave E	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	No	No	No	(952) 567-8117	12	0		50.0%	11 (91.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Waseca Area Learning Center	Public	7-12	501 Elm Ave E	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5588	65	6	11.4	70.8%	35 (53.8%)	2 (3.1%)	21 (32.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (10.8%)	10.8	413^th of 450 public high schools	8.2%		27.3	359^th of 480 public high schools	25.2%	54				6.3	6.3				20.0	20.0	$15,839
Waseca Senior High	Public	9-12	1717 2nd St NW	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5470	555	35	15.7	36.4%	424 (76.4%)	11 (2.0%)	75 (13.5%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.7%)	55.7	225^th of 450 public high schools	50.0%		62.4	194^th of 480 public high schools	59.6%	31				27.6	27.6				50.8	50.8	$14,758
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Senior	Public	9-12	500 Paquin St E	Waterville	56096	Le Sueur County	Waterville-Elysian-Morristown	No	No	No	No	(507) 362-4431	232	17	13.4	24.6%	206 (88.8%)	3 (1.3%)	10 (4.3%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	62.6	183^rd of 450 public high schools	59.3%		40.4	311^th of 480 public high schools	35.2%	128				29.7	29.7				56.3	56.3	$15,960
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Sec	Public	7-12	110 E 3rd St	Janesville	56048	Waseca County	Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton	No	No	No	No	(507) 234-5181	312	25	12.4	26.3%	279 (89.4%)	5 (1.6%)	9 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.6%)	13 (4.2%)	65.5	164^th of 450 public high schools	63.6%		56.7	225^th of 480 public high schools	53.1%	61		61.8	62.5	38.3	53.5		73.5	43.8	50.0	53.8	$14,329
Nrheg Secondary	Public	6-12	306 Ash Ave S	New Richland	56072	Waseca County	Nrheg School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 465-3205	408	28	14.6	36.8%	368 (90.2%)	5 (1.2%)	25 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	53.8	233^rd of 450 public high schools	48.2%		32.9	343^rd of 480 public high schools	28.5%	110	20.0	23.9	32.0	24.2	25.0	45.6	40.4	37.7	51.1	43.6	$11,400
CHOICE Technical Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	315 South Grove Ave	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Technical Academies Of Minnesota	Yes	No	No	Yes	(507) 400-4009	44	1	38.5	75.0%	27 (61.4%)	1 (2.3%)	13 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.8%)								(n/a)					0.0					11.8	$18,679
Owatonna Summer School 9-12	Public	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)											$9,614
Owatonna Night School	Public	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)											$3,535
Owatonna Online 9-12	Public, Virtual	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	Yes	No	(507) 444-8001	136	1	136.0	49.3%	85 (62.5%)	18 (13.2%)	23 (16.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.6%)	25.4	358^th of 450 public high schools	20.4%		6.1	452^nd of 480 public high schools	5.8%	94				0.0	0.0				40.0	40.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Waseca Area Learning Center

Is Waseca Area Learning Center a good school?

Waseca Area Learning Center ranks in the bottom 8.2% of Minnesota high schools.

How many students attend Waseca Area Learning Center?

In the 2024-25 school year, 65 students attended Waseca Area Learning Center.

What district is Waseca Area Learning Center in?

Waseca Public School District

What is the racial makeup of Waseca Area Learning Center?

Students at Waseca Area Learning Center are 54% White, 32% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 3% African American.

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Schools in Waseca, MN

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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.