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

Ben Franklin Middle School

Q: Is Ben Franklin Middle School a good school?

Ben Franklin Middle School ranks 36 th of 59 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Q: How many students attend Ben Franklin Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 873 students attended Ben Franklin Middle School.

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

Students at Ben Franklin Middle School are 71% White, 8% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian.

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

Students who attend Ben Franklin Middle School usually go on to attend North High School

Public Grades 6-8

36^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 59 North Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 39% of North Dakota middle schools

Summary

Ben Franklin Middle School is a public middle school in Fargo, North Dakota, serving 899 students in grades 6-8 and part of the Fargo 1 School District. This school consistently ranks among the top middle schools in the state, with strong academic performance, particularly in mathematics and science. However, the school faces challenges in supporting its low-socioeconomic status (SES) students compared to its peers.

Ben Franklin Middle School's test scores are generally higher than the district and state averages, with 52% of students proficient or better in science in 2024-2025, compared to 35% for the Fargo 1 district and 38% for the state. The school's reading proficiency rates are also slightly higher than the surrounding area. In contrast, Carl Ben Eielson Middle School and Cheney Middle School have lower rankings and test scores. Ben Franklin Middle School's higher per-student spending of around $14,000 and lower student-teacher ratio of 12-13 students per teacher may contribute to its strong academic performance.

While Ben Franklin Middle School generally performs well, it struggles more with low-SES students compared to its peers, ranking 12th out of 12 ND middle schools for this subgroup in 2024-2025. This suggests the school may need to focus more on supporting and addressing the needs of this student population. Nearby schools like Discovery Middle School and Heritage Middle School also perform well academically but have different student demographics and funding levels.

873

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,912

Per pupil spending ?

33.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1420 8th St N
Fargo, ND 58102

(701) 446-3600

District: Fargo 1

Students who attend Ben Franklin Middle School usually attend:

High:

North High School

Feeder schools for Ben Franklin Middle School:

Elementary:	Clara Barton Hawthorne Elementary School
	Horace Mann Roosevelt Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	Longfellow Elementary School
	More...
	Madison Elementary School
	McKinley Elementary School
	Washington Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.5%

African American:

8.4%

Hispanic:

7.4%

See top rated North Dakota middle schools

Compare Ben Franklin Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2016 → 39th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the North Dakota average (46% vs 40% meeting standards)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 20% North Dakota)

!Ranking has slipped — down 48 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg38%

North Dakota avg40%

36^th of 59

North Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 42 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	45.4	36 of 59	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.1	23 of 57	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.4	25 of 61	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.2	30 of 61	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.6	19 of 60	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2020	67.6	12 of 55	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.3	12 of 55	78.2%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	7 of 55	87.3%	★★★★☆
2017	67.4	11 of 52	78.8%	★★★★☆
2016	76.7	7 of 53	86.8%	★★★★☆
2015	70.6	10 of 52	80.8%	★★★★☆
2014	67.1	42 of 136	69.1%	★★★★☆
2013	58.3	58 of 135	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.4	52 of 124	58.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.8	16 of 17	5.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	15 of 15	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	37.1	11 of 14	21.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.8	7 of 13	46.2%	★★★☆☆
2020	51.3	5 of 11	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.7	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.4	11 of 12	8.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.8	7 of 10	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	58.7	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	38.0	6 of 7	14.3%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2024	67.4	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	72.5	2 of 12	83.3%	★★★★★
2024	64.0	6 of 11	45.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.8	4 of 9	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2020	57.5	3 of 7	57.1%	★★★★☆
2019	57.5	3 of 7	57.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	15 of 37	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.7	17 of 36	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.5	17 of 39	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	15 of 37	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.3	14 of 37	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2020	69.1	5 of 34	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	68.6	6 of 34	82.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.4	3 of 31	90.3%	★★★★★
2017	70.5	5 of 34	85.3%	★★★★☆
2016	74.1	4 of 32	87.5%	★★★★★
2015	65.8	5 of 30	83.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	20.0	13 of 14	7.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.6	13 of 14	7.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.0	14 of 14	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	10 of 13	23.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2020	27.3	12 of 12	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	13 of 13	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	61.9	3 of 10	70.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	20.7	27 of 31	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.5	22 of 28	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.1	22 of 28	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	20 of 24	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.4	14 of 24	41.7%	★★★☆☆
2020	48.1	7 of 26	73.1%	★★★★☆
2019	47.5	7 of 26	73.1%	★★★★☆
2018	38.9	16 of 25	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.0	15 of 25	40.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.2	7 of 23	69.6%	★★★★☆
2015	52.3	7 of 23	69.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	29 of 37	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	47.0	19 of 36	47.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.1	21 of 39	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.1	17 of 37	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.5	11 of 37	70.3%	★★★★☆
2020	66.5	9 of 34	73.5%	★★★★☆
2019	66.2	9 of 34	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	68.6	8 of 31	74.2%	★★★★☆
2017	62.8	10 of 34	70.6%	★★★★☆
2016	78.1	3 of 32	90.6%	★★★★★
2015	69.2	6 of 30	80.0%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	16.3	10 of 10	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	43.6	7 of 10	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2020	86.7	2 of 10	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	86.7	2 of 9	77.8%	★★★★☆
2015	85.5	1 of 6	83.3%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.4	16 of 23	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.5	8 of 24	66.7%	★★★★☆
2023	59.8	9 of 22	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.1	8 of 24	66.7%	★★★★☆
2021	77.2	3 of 22	86.4%	★★★★★
2020	75.0	4 of 21	81.0%	★★★★☆
2019	75.0	4 of 21	81.0%	★★★★☆
2018	76.9	3 of 20	85.0%	★★★★☆
2017	82.5	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆
2016	90.5	2 of 19	89.5%	★★★★★
2015	78.3	4 of 18	77.8%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2025)83rd percentile+44 vs school

Female (2025)59th percentile+20 vs school

Asian (2024)50th percentile-10 vs school

White (2025)30th percentile-9 vs school

Male (2025)22nd percentile-17 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)13th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2025)7th percentile-32 vs school

African American (2025)7th percentile-32 vs school

Native American (2025)<1st percentile-39 vs school

By subject vs North Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science52%+14 vs state

Math47%+6 vs state

Reading38%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Ben Franklin Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a student
Thursday, August 17, 2017

THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SCHOOL WITH GOOD TEACHERS I LEARNED SO MUCH AND AM NOW THIRD IN THE STATE FOR MATH!!!!) Close Quote

Schools Near Ben Franklin 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

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 Ben Franklin Middle School

Is Ben Franklin Middle School a good school?

Ben Franklin Middle School ranks 36^th of 59 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Ben Franklin Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ben Franklin Middle School usually go on to attend North High School

How many students attend Ben Franklin Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 873 students attended Ben Franklin Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Ben Franklin Middle School?

Students at Ben Franklin Middle School are 71% White, 8% African American, 7% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% American Indian, 3% Asian.

What district is Ben Franklin Middle School in?

Fargo 1

Rate Ben Franklin Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

NDNorth Dakota Middle School Rankings

NDNorth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Fargo, ND

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Ben Franklin Middle School!

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.