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Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

Q: Is Carl Ben Eielson Middle School a good school?

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School ranks 41 st of 59 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 677 students attended Carl Ben Eielson Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

Students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School are 57% White, 17% African American, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 3% American Indian.

Q: What high school do graduates of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School usually go on to attend South High School

Public Grades 6-8

41^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 59 North Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 31% of North Dakota middle schools

Summary

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School is a public middle school in Fargo, North Dakota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 639 students. The school is part of the Fargo 1 School District, which is ranked 14 out of 23 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of the Fargo 1 district, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School consistently underperforms academically compared to the district and state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 39% of students were proficient or better in math and 34% were proficient or better in reading, compared to 41% and 38% for the Fargo 1 district, respectively. The school also has significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 39% in the 2024-2025 school year compared to 20% for the Fargo 1 district, as well as higher dropout rates, ranging from 4% to 5% in recent years, compared to the district's 4% rate.

When comparing Carl Ben Eielson Middle School to other nearby middle schools in the Fargo 1 district, such as Discovery Middle School and Ben Franklin Middle School, it becomes evident that Carl Ben Eielson consistently underperforms academically. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, Discovery Middle School had 49% of students proficient or better in math, compared to Carl Ben Eielson's 39%. These challenges may be related to the school's higher percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 42.25% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the Fargo 1 district's 30.92% and 12.72% at Central Cass Middle School.

677

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,015

Per pupil spending ?

45.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1601 13th Ave S
Fargo, ND 58103

(701) 446-1700

District: Fargo 1

Students who attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School usually attend:

High:

South High School

Feeder schools for Carl Ben Eielson Middle School:

Elementary:

Lincoln Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.2%

African American:

17.1%

Hispanic:

12.0%

See top rated North Dakota middle schools

Compare Carl Ben Eielson Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2021 → 31st in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 31st (2025) from a 22nd-percentile low (2021)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 20% North Dakota)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg38%

North Dakota avg40%

41^st of 59

North Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 46% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Fargo 1

104^th of 134Fargo 1 among North Dakota districts

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	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.3	41 of 59	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	39 of 57	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.7	39 of 61	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.1	46 of 61	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.9	47 of 60	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	38.2	41 of 55	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	41 of 55	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.7	29 of 55	47.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.1	32 of 52	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	56.0	22 of 53	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	48.1	28 of 52	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	36.4	105 of 136	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	31.8	115 of 135	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.1	111 of 124	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	15 of 15	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	17 of 17	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	41.7	9 of 15	40.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.4	10 of 14	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.2	9 of 13	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2020	34.7	10 of 11	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.9	8 of 9	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.0	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	34.4	9 of 10	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	43.2	8 of 10	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	49.9	3 of 7	57.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2022	14.8	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	9.9	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2020	13.8	5 of 5	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	15.7	5 of 5	0.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	21.1	3 of 4	25.0%	★★★★☆
2017	33.0	4 of 5	20.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	33.4	3 of 4	25.0%	★★★★☆
2015	20.1	2 of 2	0.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	32.0	10 of 12	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	10 of 11	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.7	8 of 9	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.3	8 of 9	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.8	5 of 7	28.6%	★★★☆☆
2020	42.5	4 of 7	42.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	42.5	4 of 7	42.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.5	3 of 4	25.0%	★★★★☆
2017	32.7	4 of 5	20.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	38.7	3 of 5	40.0%	★★★★☆
2015	45.7	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.6	28 of 37	24.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	30 of 36	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.1	25 of 39	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.1	29 of 37	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.5	30 of 37	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	31.6	29 of 34	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	29 of 34	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.9	20 of 31	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	49.1	17 of 34	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.3	17 of 32	46.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.9	13 of 30	56.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	7 of 14	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	36.9	11 of 14	21.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.3	10 of 14	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.7	13 of 13	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.6	10 of 10	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2020	55.8	6 of 12	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.7	7 of 13	46.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.1	3 of 8	62.5%	★★★★☆
2016	42.4	4 of 5	20.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	43.0	4 of 4	0.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	25 of 31	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.8	21 of 28	25.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	23.4	23 of 28	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.0	23 of 24	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	21 of 24	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	22.3	25 of 26	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.9	25 of 26	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	35.2	17 of 25	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	39.1	16 of 25	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.9	14 of 23	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.8	15 of 23	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	32.0	30 of 37	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	32 of 36	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	38.0	26 of 39	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.3	25 of 37	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.1	29 of 37	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	45.5	23 of 34	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.1	23 of 34	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.2	14 of 31	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.1	18 of 34	47.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.7	14 of 32	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.8	13 of 30	56.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.0	18 of 23	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.8	16 of 24	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	11 of 22	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.5	15 of 24	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.0	17 of 22	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2020	42.4	15 of 21	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	15 of 21	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.9	6 of 20	70.0%	★★★★☆
2017	63.5	9 of 19	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.1	6 of 19	68.4%	★★★★☆
2015	66.7	8 of 18	55.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2025)24th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)22nd percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile-11 vs school

Male (2025)19th percentile-12 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)17th percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2022)<1st percentile-25 vs school

African American (2025)<1st percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science44%+6 vs state

Math39%~ state avg

Reading34%-6 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Monday, April 16, 2018

As a student at Carl Ben Eielson,I would like to state that my experience here is generally positive. The reason I have given the school 2 stars is because of the unbearably high stress levels in various students. I have complaints about a couple of the staff members though. The trumpet teacher has given me a hard time considering how hard it is to play my instrument, There were often times where I broke down because of the overall stress levels. Our math teacher is very nice most of the time but sometimes,class sessions get really harsh. There are often times where she says that we are the worst team,that we are her least favorite class,and that some students will never amount to anything. I,along with many of my peers have suffered mental chaos because we worry so much that what she says is true and that math will ruin our lives because we failed it. Recently,She failed nearly every student,Including me,we may have deserved it but it is still really harsh. I can't really talk to the counselors because I don't trust them. There was one specific case where I mentioned a friend of mine who used to cut in a test-like thing and I was called to the counselor's office. I was asked about my friend and I replied that she used to cut but she was already getting counseling and that she completely stopped. Later that day,my friend was pulled out of class to the counselor's office to discuss the cutting and my mother got a call from her mother telling her about it. Not to mention the fact that the counselor specifically said she wouldn't tell somebody something that you didn't want them to. I believe that day that the counselor violated not only my rights,but my friend's as well,that,I could never forgive nor forget. To improve the school,I suggest making staff evaluations to make sure that you have the best staff possible.Thank you for your consideration. Close Quote

Schools Near Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				A-Plus Math (2025)					A-Plus Reading (2025)					A-Plus Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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	A-Plus Math 5th Grade	A-Plus Math 6th Grade	A-Plus Math 7th Grade	A-Plus Math 8th Grade	A-Plus Math All Grades	A-Plus Reading 5th Grade	A-Plus Reading 6th Grade	A-Plus Reading 7th Grade	A-Plus Reading 8th Grade	A-Plus Reading All Grades	A-Plus Science 8th Grade	A-Plus Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carl Ben Eielson Middle School	Public	6-8	1601 13th Ave S	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-1700	677	58	11.5	45.5%	387 (57.2%)	116 (17.1%)	81 (12.0%)	32 (4.7%)	23 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (5.5%)	35.3	41^st of 59 public middle schools	30.5%		31.6	39^th of 57 public middle schools	31.6%	2		35.0	41.0	44.0	39.0		25.0	39.0	44.0	34.0	44.0	44.0	$16,015	$895	$15,120
Self-Directed Academy	Public	6-8	1305 9th Avenue South	Fargo	58103	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(701) 446-3000	16	7	2.2		12 (75.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (6.3%)								(n/a)					44.5					64.5			$37,225	$453	$36,772
Ben Franklin Middle School	Public	6-8	1420 8th St N	Fargo	58102	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3600	873	72	12.1	33.6%	624 (71.5%)	73 (8.4%)	65 (7.4%)	23 (2.6%)	33 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.3%)	45.4	36^th of 59 public middle schools	39.0%		51.1	23^rd of 57 public middle schools	59.6%	13		52.0	45.0	43.0	47.0		38.0	36.0	43.0	38.0	52.0	52.0	$14,912	$681	$14,231
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	1717 40th Ave S	Fargo	58104	Cass County	Fargo 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 446-3300	992	74	13.3	29.4%	623 (62.8%)	191 (19.3%)	58 (5.8%)	60 (6.0%)	15 (1.5%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.4%)	51.1	30^th of 59 public middle schools	49.2%		63.2	14^th of 57 public middle schools	75.4%	16		50.0	47.0	50.0	49.0		40.0	42.0	49.0	44.0	46.0	46.0	$15,491	$618	$14,873
Cheney Middle School	Public	6-8	825 17th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2090	1,006	86	11.6	40.8%	636 (63.2%)	173 (17.2%)	72 (7.2%)	35 (3.5%)	32 (3.2%)	6 (0.6%)	52 (5.2%)	42.1	38^th of 59 public middle schools	35.6%		40.6	34^th of 57 public middle schools	40.4%	4		48.0	50.0	47.0	48.0		31.0	40.0	40.0	37.0	43.0	43.0	$14,186	$961	$13,226
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	801 36th Ave E	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-2671	1,103	106	10.4	24.8%	736 (66.7%)	209 (18.9%)	52 (4.7%)	48 (4.4%)	17 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (3.7%)	55.3	22^nd of 59 public middle schools	62.7%		47.5	27^th of 57 public middle schools	52.6%	5		53.0	53.0	47.0	51.0		33.0	48.0	50.0	43.0	50.0	50.0	$13,165	$874	$12,291
West Fargo Middle Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-8	207 Main Ave W	West Fargo	58078	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 356-2001	13				7 (53.8%)	4 (30.8%)	1 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (7.7%)								(n/a)													$11,073	$844	$10,229
Heritage Middle School	Public	6-8	6350 76th Ave S	Horace	58047	Cass County	West Fargo 6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 356-5910	799	79	10.1	12.6%	681 (85.2%)	50 (6.3%)	17 (2.1%)	10 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.8%)	68.5	9^th of 59 public middle schools	84.7%		41.4	32^nd of 57 public middle schools	43.9%	23		64.0	63.0	51.0	59.0		56.0	52.0	46.0	51.0	47.0	47.0	$12,317	$937	$11,381
Kindred Middle School	Public	6-8	255 Dakota Street	Kindred	58051	Cass County	Kindred 2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(701) 428-3177	205	19	10.7	4.9%	197 (96.1%)	2 (1.0%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		74.0	69.0	59.0	66.0		59.0	54.0	39.0	50.0	34.0	34.0	$7,972	$00	$7,972
Central Cass Middle School	Public	5-8	802 5th St N	Casselton	58012	Cass County	Central Cass 17	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 347-5352	343	20	17.4	13.1%	331 (96.5%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	76.7	4^th of 59 public middle schools	93.2%		74.2	3^rd of 57 public middle schools	94.7%	1	44.0	64.0	59.0	54.0	56.0	34.0	54.0	64.0	54.0	51.0	54.0	54.0	$11,665	$441	$11,224

IMPORTANT NOTE: North Dakota does not publish exact assessment percentages; instead, results are reported as ranges (e.g., 20-29%) to protect student privacy in smaller groups. The proficiency rates displayed on SchoolDigger are calculated using midpoint imputation—the center value of each reported range. Actual values may differ by up to 5 percentage points from the figures shown.

Frequently Asked Questions about Carl Ben Eielson Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

Students at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School are 57% White, 17% African American, 12% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 3% American Indian.

What high school do graduates of Carl Ben Eielson Middle School attend?

Students who attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School usually go on to attend South High School

What district is Carl Ben Eielson Middle School in?

Fargo 1

How many students attend Carl Ben Eielson Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 677 students attended Carl Ben Eielson Middle School.

Is Carl Ben Eielson Middle School a good school?

Carl Ben Eielson Middle School ranks 41^st of 59 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Carl Ben Eielson Middle School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

About North Dakota Assessment Data: To protect student privacy, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction reports assessment results as percentage ranges rather than exact values. SchoolDigger calculates proficiency rates using midpoint imputation, which uses the center value of each reported range. For example, a reported range of 20-29% is represented as 24.5%. As a result, the proficiency rates shown may vary by approximately ±5 percentage points from actual values. This variance is most significant for individual grade/subject combinations and diminishes when data is aggregated across multiple grades or subjects.

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.