Minnesota Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Minnesota reported 2,264 public schools for 2025-26 and 876,746 public PreK-12 students for 2024-25. The state employed 56,544 full-time-equivalent teachers during 2024-25.
Fiscal year 2024 current spending was $17,098 per pupil. School inventory, enrollment, staffing, and finance figures use their latest available official reporting periods rather than treating 2026 as a common data year.
Minnesota Education Snapshot
Each value retains the academic year or fiscal year used by its source.
Public Enrollment by Grade Band
MDE's statewide total reconciles PreK and early childhood, kindergarten, grades 1-6, and grades 7-12.
Minnesota PreK-12 Enrollment Composition
Student counts for the 2024-25 academic year
Secondary grades contained 411,458 students, while grades 1-6 contained 377,905. The four displayed bands total 876,746.
Chart analysis
- Grades 7-12 formed the largest band with 411,458 students, or 46.9% of enrollment.
- Grades 1-6 accounted for 377,905 students, or 43.1%.
- Kindergarten enrollment was 58,284.
- PreK and early childhood enrollment was 29,099.
- PreK and kindergarten together represented 10.0% of the reported statewide total.
Full Minnesota Education Indicator Table
School organizations, facilities, students, staff, graduates, and finance measures are presented with their reporting periods and units.
| Category | Indicator | Value | Unit | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Districts | Operating independent districts | 325 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Non-operating common districts | 2 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Special school districts | 2 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Intermediate districts | 4 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Integration districts | 1 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Charter school organizations | 169 | Organizations | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | State schools and academies | 2 | Organizations | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Education districts | 12 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Miscellaneous cooperative districts | 14 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Special education or vocational cooperatives | 20 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Districts | Telecommunication districts | 6 | Districts | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Public schools | 2,264 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Elementary schools | 1,020 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Middle schools | 254 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Secondary schools | 466 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Alternative learning schools | 378 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | State-approved distance programs | 142 | Programs | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Schools | Tribal-contract schools | 4 | Schools | 2025-26 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Public PreK-12 enrollment | 876,746 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | PreK and early childhood | 29,099 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Kindergarten | 58,284 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Grades 1-6 | 377,905 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Grades 7-12 | 411,458 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Charter school enrollment | 72,352 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Enrollment | Open enrollment to a nonresident district | 93,134 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Student services | Students receiving special education | 166,982 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Student services | English learners | 85,701 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE summary |
| Student services | Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 353,406 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Staff | Teachers | 56,544 | FTE | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Staff | Licensed staff | 74,584 | Headcount | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Staff | Non-licensed staff | 66,674 | Headcount | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Staff | New teacher FTE | 2,514 | FTE | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Outcomes | Public school graduates | 63,197 | Graduates | 2023-24 | MDE |
| Non-public | Non-public schools | 467 | Schools | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Non-public | Reporting non-public schools | 449 | Schools | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Non-public | Non-public K-12 enrollment | 72,871 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Non-public | Home-schooled students | 31,216 | Students | 2024-25 | MDE |
| Finance | Minnesota current spending per pupil | $17,098 | Nominal dollars | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Finance | Midwest current spending per pupil | $17,147 | Nominal dollars | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Finance | U.S. current spending per pupil | $17,619 | Nominal dollars | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Finance | Minnesota federal revenue share | 8.1% | Revenue share | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Finance | U.S. federal revenue share | 11.6% | Revenue share | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
Table analysis
- The MDE inventory contains 2,264 public schools across six reported school classifications.
- Elementary schools account for 1,020 of the statewide school total.
- Minnesota reported 325 operating independent districts and 169 charter school organizations.
- Public enrollment totaled 876,746 in 2024-25.
- There were approximately 15.5 enrolled students per teacher FTE when the statewide enrollment and teacher totals are divided.
- Special education services covered 166,982 students, equal to 19.0% of the enrollment total.
- Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility covered 353,406 students, equal to 40.3%.
- FY2024 current spending per pupil was $521 below the national figure.
- Headcounts, FTE values, enrollment counts, and fiscal-year finance measures are separate units.
School Structure, Enrollment Trend & Finance Context
Supporting modules separate facility classifications, student movement, program coverage, and fiscal measures.
Public School Inventory by Classification
MDE school counts for 2025-26
The six classifications total 2,264 schools. Elementary schools form the largest category.
Chart analysis
- Elementary schools account for 1,020 locations, or 45.1% of the inventory.
- Secondary schools account for 466 locations.
- Alternative learning classifications account for 378 locations.
- Middle schools account for 254 locations.
- Distance learning programs and tribal-contract schools account for 146 combined entries.
Public Enrollment Change
MDE statewide totals, 2020-21 through 2024-25
Enrollment declined through 2023-24 before increasing by 6,779 students in 2024-25.
Trend analysis
- Enrollment moved from 872,083 in 2020-21 to 876,746 in 2024-25.
- The five-period net increase was 4,663 students, or 0.5%.
- The lowest displayed total was 869,967 in 2023-24.
- The latest one-year increase was 6,779 students, or 0.8%.
FY2024 Current Spending per Pupil
Minnesota compared with the Midwest and United States
Minnesota's $17,098 was $49 below the Midwest weighted average and $521 below the national figure.
Chart analysis
- Minnesota reported $17,098 in current spending per pupil.
- The Midwest weighted average was $17,147, a difference of $49.
- The national figure was $17,619, a difference of $521.
- Minnesota's value was 3.0% below the national figure.
- Values are nominal and are not adjusted for regional prices.
Enrollment Trend Table
| Academic year | Enrollment | Annual change | Change rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 872,083 | Baseline | Baseline |
| 2021-22 | 870,506 | -1,577 | -0.18% |
| 2022-23 | 870,019 | -487 | -0.06% |
| 2023-24 | 869,967 | -52 | -0.01% |
| 2024-25 | 876,746 | +6,779 | +0.78% |
Table analysis
- Three consecutive annual declines occurred before the 2024-25 increase.
- The combined decline from 2020-21 through 2023-24 was 2,116 students.
- The 2024-25 increase exceeded the preceding three-year decline.
- The displayed series ends 4,663 students above its 2020-21 starting value.
Selected Student Counts and Shares
| Student group | Count | Share of enrollment | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligible | 353,406 | 40.3% | 2024-25 |
| Receiving special education services | 166,982 | 19.0% | 2024-25 |
| Open enrolled to a nonresident district | 93,134 | 10.6% | 2024-25 |
| English learners | 85,701 | 9.8% | 2024-25 |
| Charter school enrollment | 72,352 | 8.3% | 2024-25 |
Table analysis
- Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility was the largest selected group at 353,406 students.
- Special education services covered about one in five reported students.
- Open enrollment involved 93,134 students.
- English learners represented 9.8% of the MDE summary enrollment total.
- Group categories can overlap and must not be added together.
What the Minnesota Data Shows
The measures describe system size, student distribution, staffing, and reported spending without assigning causes.
Enrollment Rebound
The 2024-25 student total increased after three years of small declines. One year does not establish a long-term growth pattern.
School Mix
Elementary schools form the largest classification. Alternative and distance classifications together account for 520 entries.
Staffing Units
Teacher totals use FTE, while licensed and non-licensed totals use headcount. These measures are not interchangeable.
Spending Position
Minnesota's FY2024 current spending per pupil was close to the Midwest weighted average and below the national figure.
Revenue Structure
Federal sources supplied 8.1% of Minnesota school-system revenue, compared with 11.6% nationally in FY2024.
Period Alignment
School inventory is newer than enrollment and finance data. Comparisons retain the source periods instead of forcing a shared 2026 label.
Source and Methodology
Minnesota Education Summary
District, school, teacher, staff, enrollment, graduate, non-public school, and home-school figures come from the Minnesota Department of Education summary current as of August 6, 2025.
Enrollment Series
The five-year enrollment series comes from MDE enrollment reporting reproduced in the state's 2024-25 English Learners report.
School Finance
FY2024 current spending per pupil and regional and national comparison values come from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Spending Comparison
The Census Bureau's FY2024 regional publication reports Minnesota, Midwest, and national current-spending values.
Finance Definitions
Current spending covers operating costs and excludes capital outlay, debt service, and non-elementary-secondary programs.
Units and Rounding
Counts are displayed as reported. Derived shares use 876,746 as the denominator and are rounded to one decimal place. Dollar values are nominal.
MDE describes its statewide summary figures as close approximations derived from MDEORG, MARSS Student, and Staff Employment sources. The MDE total labeled K-12 reconciles to categories that include PreK and early childhood enrollment. Fiscal-year finance data use Census enrollment and accounting definitions and should not be multiplied by the MDE enrollment total to estimate statewide expenditures.
The 2026 title identifies the publication edition, not a single measurement year. School counts are from 2025-26, enrollment and staffing are from 2024-25, graduates are from 2023-24, and spending is from FY2024. Census current spending excludes capital outlay and debt service and is not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences. Student group categories overlap, so their counts cannot be summed.