Total enrollment
6,680
-149 (-2%) vs SY 2020-21
Benton County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Benton County runs 16 public K-12 schools inside Minnesota, with the county population around 41,593. The mix is 7 elementary, 2 middle, and 7 high.
4-year change in Benton County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
13
+1 (+8%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Benton County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Minnesota | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 42.2% | #45 of 80 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 6,680 | #23 of 80 | #1,095 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 13 | #45 of 80 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.7:1 | #75 of 80 | #1,976 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 34.9% | #61 of 80 | #2,275 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 31.9% | #52 of 80 | #1,733 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Benton County school rankings
Residents
41,593
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
16
4 districts
Enrollment
6,680
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$74,410
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
34.9%
Below Minnesota avg
Elementary
7
2,837 students
Middle
2
1,836 students
High
7
2,007 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools
4,331 students · 4 districts in Benton County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Benton County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
26.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.9%
civilian labor
Median age
36
25.3% under 18
Test scores in Benton County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 9 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- FOLEY ELEMENTARY· 68.5%
- FOLEY SENIOR HIGH· 57.9%
- FOLEY INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTARY· 54.9%
- Rice Elementary· 49.7%
- Mississippi Heights Elementary· 48.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- LINCOLN ELEMENTARY· 18.3%
- Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High· 44.6%
- Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School· 45.7%
- Pleasantview Elementary· 47.9%
- Mississippi Heights Elementary· 48.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High | Sauk Rapids | High | 09-12 | 1,319 | · |
| Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School | Sauk Rapids | Middle | 06-08 | 1,055 | · |
| Mississippi Heights Elementary | Sauk Rapids | Elementary | KG-05 | 808 | · |
| FOLEY INTERMEDIATE ELEMENTARY | Foley | Middle | 04-08 | 781 | · |
| Pleasantview Elementary | Sauk Rapids | Elementary | PK-05 | 734 | · |
| FOLEY SENIOR HIGH | Foley | High | 09-12 | 588 | · |
| FOLEY ELEMENTARY | Foley | Elementary | PK-03 | 552 | · |
| Rice Elementary | Rice | Elementary | PK-05 | 357 | · |
| LINCOLN ELEMENTARY | Saint Cloud | Elementary | 04-05 | 328 | · |
| ALC - Sauk Rapids | Sauk Rapids | High | 07-12 | 59 | · |
| Hillside Early Childhood Center | Sauk Rapids | Elementary | PK-PK | 58 | · |
| Benton-Stearns Education District | Sauk Rapids | High | 05-12 | 24 | · |
| Benton Stearns Education District 1 | Sauk Rapids | High | 12-12 | 17 | · |
| ALC - Foley | Foley | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| Sauk Rapids ECFE | Sauk Rapids | Elementary | PK-PK | 0 | · |
| Sauk Rapids-Rice Online School (SRR | Sauk Rapids | High | 06-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Benton County
About Benton County
Benton County is a compact Minnesota county of about 41,593 residents, home to 16 public schools and roughly 6,680 students.
For perspective, census numbers show the median household earns about $74,410 a year, about 26% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
In terms of grade levels, Benton County is built around 7 elementary schools (2,837 students), 2 middle schools (1,836), and 7 high schools (2,007).
The largest single district in Benton County is Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, which alone enrolls about 4,331 students.
Looking at the last 4 years. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment held roughly steady: 6,829 students in SY 2020-21 versus 6,680 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 12 to 13 across the same 4-year window.
On this page, the community for Benton County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data