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

Best High Schools in Zip Code 56097

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Minnesota Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Minnesota Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

School

343

Students

Top rankedUnited South Central High School294^th of 450 Minnesota high schools

See the top-ranked Minnesota schools →

Summary:

The 56097 zip code is home to a single high school, United South Central High School, which serves students in grades 9-12. The school's performance has seen some fluctuations in recent years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 4 out of 5 stars in 2023-2024 to 2 out of 5 stars in 2024-2025.

United South Central High School's academic performance is a concern, with test scores in both math and reading consistently falling below the state averages. The school's four-year graduation rate of 84.2% is slightly below the state average, and its dropout rate of 4.4% is higher than the state average. Additionally, a significant portion of the student population (48.28%) receives free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student body.

Despite these challenges, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 16.2, which is slightly higher than the state average. The school's performance and ranking have been inconsistent in recent years, making it difficult to identify clear long-term trends. To address these issues, the school and the United South Central Schools district may need to implement targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes and ensure the school's long-term success.

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 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 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	Total
United South Central High School	Public	7-12	600 11th St SW	Wells	56097	Faribault County	United South Central Schools	No	No	No	No	(507) 553-5819	343	23	14.9	44.3%	275 (80.2%)	2 (0.6%)	52 (15.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	40.8	294^th of 450 public high schools	34.7%		70	137^th of 480 public high schools	71.5%	157	21.3	8.8	34.0	20.8	32.8	24.6	30.2	29.2	$14,396

Cities Near Zip Code 56097

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wells	0.54 mi	3	313^th
Minnesota Lake	8.43 mi	1
Alden	8.97 mi	5	162^nd
New Richland	15.56 mi	1	315^th
Mapleton	16.62 mi	3	105^th

See the top MN Minnesota cities

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.