Summary:
ZIP code 56002 is home to two public high schools serving grades 9–12: Mankato East Senior High with 1,302 students and Mankato West Senior High with 1,232 students, both part of the Mankato Public School District. Combined enrollment is 2,534 students.
The two schools have distinctly different academic profiles. West is stronger in Math and Reading in both reported years — in 2025–2026 it reached 46.9% proficient in Math and 49.4% in Reading, above the state (44.9% and 48.6%), while East posted 35.8% and 45.4%, below the state. Science reverses that: East led with 41.9% in 2025–2026 versus West's 27.8%, far above the district's 26.4% and the state's 25.5%. Rankings tell a similar story from different angles. West ranked 35th of 480 and 55th of 450 in the two prior years, then slipped to 147th of 473 with 3 stars; East moved from 158th to 255th to 129th of 473, now holding the higher current rank with 4 stars. Reading comparisons across years should be read with caution because the test label changed from MCA-III to MCA-IV.
On completion, West graduates 91.7% and East 88.0%, both above the state's 84.9%. Dropout rates are 4.3% and 4.9%, both below the district's 6.0% but at or slightly above the state's 4.2%. East serves more students from low-income families (36.87% free/reduced lunch versus West's 26.54%) yet has a slightly smaller student-teacher ratio (19.7 versus 20.4). In short, West has the stronger traditional academic and completion profile, while East has stronger current momentum, a clear Science advantage and a better current rank.
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