Total enrollment
9,034
+297 (+3%) vs SY 2020-21
Blue Earth County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Blue Earth County is one of Minnesota's public-school counties, with 31 schools serving about 9,034 students (13 elementary, 2 middle, and 14 high). Median household income in the county is roughly $74,477.
4-year change in Blue Earth County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
25
+3 (+14%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Blue Earth County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Minnesota | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 49.7% | #12 of 80 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 9,034 | #15 of 80 | #875 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 25 | #20 of 80 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.6:1 | #74 of 80 | #1,949 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 37.0% | #53 of 80 | #2,211 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 43.9% | #25 of 80 | #1,338 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.
Blue Earth County school rankings
Residents
69,871
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
31
5 districts
Enrollment
9,034
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$74,477
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
37.0%
Below Minnesota avg
Elementary
13
3,770 students
Middle
2
887 students
High
14
4,126 students
Combined / other
2
251 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
6,234 students · 5 districts in Blue Earth County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Blue Earth 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+
34.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.9%
civilian labor
Median age
32
19.7% under 18
Test scores in Blue Earth County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 17 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Lk Crystal Wellcome Memorial El· 69.5%
- FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY· 68.7%
- MANKATO WEST SENIOR HIGH· 64.0%
- ST. CLAIR ELEMENTARY· 62.2%
- KENNEDY ELEMENTARY· 61.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Kato Public Charter School· 26.7%
- Rosa Parks Elementary· 44.3%
- Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Sec· 44.4%
- MANKATO EAST SENIOR HIGH· 44.7%
- ST. CLAIR SECONDARY· 46.4%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MANKATO EAST SENIOR HIGH | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 1,302 | · |
| MANKATO WEST SENIOR HIGH | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 1,232 | · |
| Prairie Winds Middle School | Mankato | Middle | 06-08 | 887 | · |
| Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Sec | Lake Crystal | High | 06-12 | 506 | · |
| Maple River Secondary | Mapleton | High | 06-12 | 502 | · |
| Rosa Parks Elementary | Mankato | Elementary | KG-05 | 425 | · |
| Maple River Elementary | Mapleton | Elementary | PK-05 | 424 | · |
| Lk Crystal Wellcome Memorial El | Lake Crystal | Elementary | PK-05 | 423 | · |
| ST. CLAIR ELEMENTARY | Saint Clair | Elementary | PK-06 | 411 | · |
| ST. CLAIR SECONDARY | Saint Clair | High | 07-12 | 409 | · |
| FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY | Mankato | Elementary | PK-05 | 388 | · |
| WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY | Mankato | Elementary | KG-05 | 376 | · |
| KENNEDY ELEMENTARY | Mankato | Elementary | PK-05 | 347 | · |
| ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY | Mankato | Elementary | KG-05 | 302 | · |
| EAGLE LAKE ELEMENTARY | Eagle Lake | Elementary | KG-05 | 270 | · |
| SPECIAL EDUCATION | Mankato | Combined | PK-12 | 233 | · |
| JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY | Mankato | Elementary | KG-05 | 191 | · |
| Mankato Schools Center for Learning | Mankato | Elementary | PK-PK | 165 | · |
| Central High Area Learning Center | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 79 | · |
| Kato Public Charter School | Mankato | High | 06-12 | 77 | · |
| LCWM ECSE | Lake Crystal | Elementary | PK-PK | 28 | · |
| ECSE | Mapleton | Elementary | PK-PK | 20 | · |
| INSITE | Mankato | High | 12-12 | 18 | · |
| Prairie Care Mankato | Mankato | Combined | KG-12 | 18 | · |
| CENTRAL FREEDOM SCHOOL | Mankato | High | 07-12 | 1 | · |
| Central Middle School ALC | Mankato | Middle | 06-08 | 0 | · |
| LCWM ALP | Lake Crystal | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| LIFE LINES ADULT CONNECTION | Mankato | High | 11-12 | 0 | · |
| MANKATO AREA NIGHT SCHOOL | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| MANKATO AREA SUMMER SCHOOL | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Mankato Area Public Schools Online | Mankato | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
Cities in Blue Earth County
About Blue Earth County
In Minnesota, Blue Earth County is a medium-population county of about 69,871 residents. 31 public schools across the county hosts about 9,034 students between them.
For perspective, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $74,477, about 34% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
On the school-mix side, Blue Earth County consists of 13 elementary schools (3,770 students), 2 middle schools (887), 14 high schools (4,126), and 2 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Blue Earth County is MANKATO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, which alone enrolls about 6,234 students.
Over the past 4-year window. Total public-school enrollment in Blue Earth County has rose 3% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 8,737 students to 9,034. Blue Earth County now counts 25 public schools, up from 22 in SY 2020-21.
On allk12, the community for Blue Earth County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data