Total enrollment
24,160
+65 (+0%) vs SY 2017-18
Stearns County
Minnesota · Public K-12
Parents in Stearns County researching K-12 options have 74 public schools to consider, with combined enrollment near 24,160 (30 elementary, 9 middle, and 24 high).
7-year change in Stearns County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
64
+8 (+14%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
64%
was 73%
% Hispanic
10%
was 6%
% Black
20%
was 16%
% Asian
2%
was 2%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
74
20 districts
Enrollment
24,160
NCES CCD
Median income
$77,066
Below Minnesota avg
Free/reduced lunch
43.7%
Above Minnesota avg
Elementary
30
10,557 students
Middle
9
4,126 students
High
24
8,746 students
Combined / other
11
731 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
8,314 students · 20 districts in Stearns County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Stearns 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+
28.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
7.6%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
4.1%
civilian labor
Median age
35
23.6% under 18
Test scores in Stearns County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 41 schools ranked. Minnesota state average: 49.9%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Sartell Middle· 64.6%
- HOLDINGFORD ELEMENTARY· 64.1%
- AVON ELEMENTARY· 63.2%
- Riverview Intermediate School· 60.6%
- Paynesville Area Elementary· 59.6%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TECHNICAL SENIOR HIGH | Saint Cloud | High | 09-12 | 1,561 | · |
| Sartell Senior High | Sartell | High | 09-12 | 1,269 | · |
| APOLLO SENIOR HIGH | Saint Cloud | High | 09-12 | 1,264 | · |
| Sartell Middle | Sartell | Middle | 06-08 | 983 | · |
| Riverview Intermediate School | Sartell | Elementary | 03-05 | 914 | · |
| OAK HILL COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY | Saint Cloud | Elementary | PK-05 | 878 | · |
| SOUTH JUNIOR HIGH | Saint Cloud | Middle | 06-08 | 831 | · |
| ROCORI SENIOR HIGH | Cold Spring | High | 09-12 | 824 | · |
| NORTH JUNIOR HIGH | Saint Cloud | Middle | 06-08 | 720 | · |
| MADISON ELEMENTARY | Saint Cloud | Elementary | PK-05 | 704 | · |
| COLD SPRING ELEMENTARY | Cold Spring | Elementary | PK-05 | 656 | · |
| SAUK CENTRE SECONDARY | Sauk Centre | High | 07-12 | 597 | · |
| HOLDINGFORD ELEMENTARY | Holdingford | Elementary | PK-06 | 589 | · |
| Albany Area High School | Albany | High | 09-12 | 584 | · |
| KENNEDY COMMUNITY SCHOOL | Saint Joseph | Combined | PK-09 | 582 | · |
| DISCOVERY COMMUNITY ELEMENTARY | Waite Park | Elementary | PK-05 | 572 | · |
| Stride Academy K-8 Charter School | Saint Cloud | Elementary | KG-08 | 569 | · |
| ROCORI MIDDLE | Cold Spring | Middle | 06-08 | 563 | · |
| WESTWOOD ELEMENTARY | Saint Cloud | Elementary | PK-05 | 531 | · |
| MELROSE ELEMENTARY | Melrose | Elementary | PK-05 | 512 | · |
| HOLDINGFORD SECONDARY | Holdingford | High | 07-12 | 509 | · |
| MELROSE SECONDARY | Melrose | High | 09-12 | 505 | · |
| Pine Meadow Primary School | Sartell | Elementary | 01-02 | 489 | · |
| Paynesville Area Secondary School | Paynesville | High | 06-12 | 465 | · |
| Albany Area Middle School | Albany | Middle | 06-08 | 457 | · |
| Paynesville Area Elementary | Paynesville | Elementary | PK-05 | 429 | · |
| KIMBALL SECONDARY | Kimball | High | 06-12 | 413 | · |
| EDEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY | Eden Valley | Elementary | KG-06 | 383 | · |
| ALBANY ELEMENTARY | Albany | Elementary | 01-05 | 380 | · |
| SAUK CENTRE ELEMENTARY | Sauk Centre | Elementary | PK-04 | 368 | · |
| KIMBALL ELEMENTARY | Kimball | Elementary | PK-05 | 346 | · |
| Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Sec. | Belgrade | High | 06-12 | 316 | · |
| MELROSE MIDDLE | Melrose | Middle | 06-08 | 296 | · |
| Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Elementary | Brooten | Elementary | PK-05 | 294 | · |
| Oak Ridge Early Learning Center | Sartell | Elementary | PK-KG | 288 | · |
| Saint Cloud Math and Science Academ | Saint Cloud | Elementary | KG-05 | 266 | · |
| AVON ELEMENTARY | Avon | Elementary | PK-05 | 264 | · |
| Athlos Academy of Saint Cloud | Saint Cloud | Elementary | KG-08 | 260 | · |
| EC Sp Ed at Quarryview Ed Center | Waite Park | Elementary | PK-PK | 245 | · |
| St. Cloud Area Learning Center | Waite Park | High | 06-12 | 237 | · |
| Success Academy St. Cloud Elem | Saint Cloud | Elementary | KG-05 | 140 | · |
| Sauk Centre Middle | Sauk Centre | Middle | 05-06 | 139 | · |
| RICHMOND ELEMENTARY | Richmond | Elementary | KG-05 | 135 | · |
| ROCKVILLE ELEMENTARY | Rockville | Elementary | KG-05 | 129 | · |
| Benton-Stearns Ed District EC | Sartell | Elementary | PK-PK | 99 | · |
| St. Cloud Math & Science Middle | Saint Cloud | Middle | 06-08 | 91 | · |
| Katherine Johnson Education Center | Saint Cloud | Combined | KG-12 | 79 | · |
| Rocori Online Learning Site | Cold Spring | High | 06-12 | 72 | · |
| Albany Area Early Learning Center | Albany | Elementary | PK-KG | 59 | · |
| Central Minnesota Virtual Academy | Waite Park | High | 06-12 | 53 | · |
| WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT B-2 | Melrose | Elementary | PK-PK | 50 | · |
| Success Academy St. Cloud - Middle | Saint Cloud | Middle | 06-08 | 46 | · |
| ROCORI ALC | Cold Spring | High | 07-12 | 27 | · |
| WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER | Melrose | High | 06-12 | 21 | · |
| ST. CLOUD HOSPITAL PROGRAMS NON-RES | Saint Cloud | Combined | PK-12 | 18 | · |
| Newport Academy | Saint Cloud | High | 07-12 | 17 | · |
| Roosevelt Education Center | Saint Cloud | Combined | KG-12 | 14 | · |
| Benton-Stearns Education - ASD | Sartell | Combined | KG-12 | 12 | · |
| BEACON PROGRAM W CENTRAL ED. DIST. | Melrose | Combined | PK-12 | 10 | · |
| Grafton School | Cold Spring | Combined | KG-12 | 10 | · |
| WCED 18-22 Program | Paynesville | High | 12-12 | 10 | · |
| Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers | Sartell | Elementary | KG-06 | 8 | · |
| St Cloud Hospital Progs-Residential | Saint Cloud | Combined | KG-12 | 6 | · |
| ALC - Sartell | Sartell | High | 09-12 | 2 | · |
| 180 Degrees / Youth Shelter | Saint Cloud | High | 06-12 | 0 | · |
| ALC - Holdingford | Holdingford | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| ALC - Kimball | Kimball | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| BBE LEARNING CENTER | Belgrade | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| WCED Credit Recovery | Melrose | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Grandview Academy Elementary | Nofoundcity | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| PAYNESVILLE MIDDLE | Paynesville | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| SPECIAL EDUCATION FACILITIES | Waite Park | Combined | PK-12 | · | · |
| STRIDE Virtual Academy | Saint Cloud | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| St. Cloud Social Justice Academy | Saint Cloud | Combined | M-M | · | · |
Cities in Stearns County
Saint Cloud21 schoolsSartell9 schoolsMelrose7 schoolsCold Spring6 schoolsWaite Park5 schoolsAlbany4 schoolsPaynesville4 schoolsHoldingford3 schoolsKimball3 schoolsSauk Centre3 schoolsBelgrade2 schoolsAvon1 schoolBrooten1 schoolEden Valley1 schoolNofoundcity1 schoolRichmond1 schoolRockville1 schoolSaint Joseph1 school
About Stearns County
Across the moderately sized Minnesota county of Stearns County of about 160,865 residents, the public-school footprint covers 74 schools and about 24,160 students.
In context, census numbers show typical household earnings sit around $77,066, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 8%.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Stearns County spans 30 elementary schools (10,557 students), 9 middle schools (4,126), 24 high schools (8,746), and 11 combined or other schools.
ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 8,314 students on its own.
Over the past 7-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 24,160 students, stayed largely flat from the 24,095 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Stearns County gained 8 schools, going from 56 to 64. On the demographic side, White enrollment moved from 73% to 64% over the same window.
On this page, the community for Stearns County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
Stearns County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data