Total enrollment
8,301
-950 (-10%) vs SY 2017-18
Rice County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Rice County operates 40 public K-12 schools across Minnesota, with a combined student body of roughly 8,301 and a county population near 67,917. By level, that breaks down as 15 elementary, 7 middle, and 13 high schools.
7-year change in Rice County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
30
+2 (+7%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
59%
was 67%
% Hispanic
23%
was 17%
% Black
11%
was 11%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
40
12 districts
Enrollment
8,301
NCES CCD
Median income
$83,181
Above Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
46.3%
Above Minnesota avg
Elementary
15
3,715 students
Middle
7
1,668 students
High
13
2,734 students
Combined / other
5
184 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
NORTHFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
3,849 students · 12 districts in Rice County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Rice 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+
30.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.3%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.6%
civilian labor
Median age
37
21.4% under 18
Test scores in Rice County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 17 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- BRIDGEWATER ELEMENTARY· 64.3%
- NORTHFIELD SENIOR HIGH· 64.0%
- ARCADIA CHARTER SCHOOL· 63.0%
- Spring Creek Elementary· 62.8%
- NORTHFIELD MIDDLE· 61.9%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY· 24.4%
- LINCOLN ELEMENTARY· 26.9%
- FARIBAULT MIDDLE· 27.5%
- Surad Academy· 27.8%
- FARIBAULT SENIOR HIGH· 33.0%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHFIELD SENIOR HIGH | Northfield | High | 09-12 | 1,283 | · |
| FARIBAULT SENIOR HIGH | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 956 | · |
| NORTHFIELD MIDDLE | Northfield | Middle | 06-08 | 845 | · |
| FARIBAULT MIDDLE | Faribault | Middle | 06-08 | 594 | · |
| BRIDGEWATER ELEMENTARY | Northfield | Elementary | KG-05 | 564 | · |
| GREENVALE PARK ELEMENTARY | Northfield | Elementary | PK-05 | 488 | · |
| ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY | Faribault | Elementary | PK-05 | 473 | · |
| Spring Creek Elementary | Northfield | Elementary | PK-05 | 445 | · |
| LINCOLN ELEMENTARY | Faribault | Elementary | KG-05 | 391 | · |
| JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY | Faribault | Elementary | PK-05 | 389 | · |
| Lonsdale Pre K-6 | Lonsdale | Elementary | PK-06 | 331 | · |
| CANNON RIVER STEM SCHOOL | Faribault | Elementary | KG-08 | 224 | · |
| FARIBAULT AREA LEARNING CENTER | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 118 | · |
| Northfield Community Education Cntr | Northfield | Elementary | PK-PK | 117 | · |
| ARCADIA CHARTER SCHOOL | Northfield | High | 06-12 | 116 | · |
| MORRISTOWN ELEMENTARY | Morristown | Middle | 05-06 | 115 | · |
| NORTHFIELD AREA LEARNING CENTER | Northfield | High | 06-12 | 107 | · |
| WATERVILLE-ELYSIAN-MORRISTOWN JR. | Morristown | Middle | 07-08 | 105 | · |
| NERSTRAND CHARTER SCHOOL | Nerstrand | Elementary | KG-05 | 102 | · |
| Minnesota State Academy for Deaf | Faribault | Combined | PK-12 | 88 | · |
| EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION | Faribault | Elementary | PK-PK | 78 | · |
| Surad Academy | Faribault | Elementary | KG-06 | 77 | · |
| Falcons Online Academy-HS | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 62 | · |
| CVSEC STEP | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 47 | · |
| Minnesota State Academy for Blind | Faribault | Combined | PK-12 | 46 | · |
| Discovery Public School - Faribault | Faribault | High | 06-12 | 45 | · |
| McKinley PreK | Faribault | Elementary | PK-PK | 36 | · |
| Alexander Learning Academy | Faribault | Combined | KG-12 | 32 | · |
| Laura Baker SUN Program | Faribault | Combined | KG-12 | 18 | · |
| Falcons Online Academy-Middle | Faribault | Middle | 05-08 | 9 | · |
| Big 9 Online Elementary | Northfield | Elementary | KG-05 | 0 | · |
| Big 9 Online High School | Northfield | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Big 9 Online Middle School | Northfield | Middle | 06-08 | 0 | · |
| FARIBAULT DAY SCHOOL ALC | Faribault | Middle | 06-08 | 0 | · |
| Faribault Allina PHP | Faribault | High | 06-12 | 0 | · |
| MN CORRECTIONAL FACILITY-FARIBAULT | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| MSAD Online Academy | Faribault | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| Out of State Care and Treatment | Northfield | Combined | KG-12 | 0 | · |
| SECONDARY AREA LEARNING CNTR SUMMER | Faribault | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| School Readiness Plus | Northfield | Elementary | PK-KG | 0 | · |
Cities in Rice County
About Rice County
Across the middle-population Minnesota county of Rice County of about 67,917 residents, the public-school footprint covers 40 schools and about 8,301 students.
For perspective, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $83,181, 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 7% higher than the Minnesota median.
In terms of grade levels, Rice County covers 15 elementary schools (3,715 students), 7 middle schools (1,668), 13 high schools (2,734), and 5 combined or other schools.
NORTHFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 3,849 students across Rice County.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Rice County has declined 10% since SY 2017-18, moving from about 9,251 students to 8,301. The school count climbed from 28 to 30 across the same 7-year window. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 67% to 59% over the same window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Rice County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Rice County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data