Best Public Schools in Zip Code 56303

ZIP code 56303 in St. Cloud, Minnesota is home to 12 schools — four elementary, three middle, one traditional high school, and four alternative or hospital-based programs — serving roughly 3,879 students in a mix of district and charter settings.

Enrollment is heavily concentrated: Apollo Senior High alone has 1,264 students, about 32.6% of the ZIP total, and the four largest schools account for about 83%. The St. Cloud Public School District enrolls about 86% of students here, while the two charter districts — Saint Cloud Math and Science Academy and Success Academy St. Cloud Elementary and their sister campuses — enroll about 14%. Westwood Elementary is the local standout: the only 2-star school in the ZIP, ranked at the 30th percentile, and the highest all-grade scores in math (39.0%), reading (39.1%), and science (21.9%). It beats district averages by 14.1, 8.1, and 7.1 points respectively, though it still trails Minnesota state averages. St. Cloud Math & Science Middle is another bright spot relative to its very high poverty rate, outperforming North Junior High in all three subjects.

At the other end, the Success Academy middle school ranks 544 of 546 — the 0th percentile — with math and reading both at 9.7%, while its elementary campus sits at the 4th percentile with 0% reported science proficiency. Apollo Senior High shows mixed results: a 71.0% graduation rate, above the district's 67.3% but below the state's 84.9%, alongside low test scores. Science is the ZIP's weakest subject overall (about 12.8% average versus the state's 25.5%). Most alternative and hospital programs have suppressed test data, so they cannot be compared with traditional schools.