9 public K-12 schools in Brainerd from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
9 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Brainerd's 9 public schools is Brainerd Senior High, scoring 12/100, against a city average of 39.7/100. Computed live across every Brainerd campus reporting to NCES.
How the Brainerd Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Brainerd, MN enrolls 3,433 students across 9 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 1 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 12.1:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 39.7/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Brainerd on this index is Brainerd Senior High, at 12/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,805 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Brainerd spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Brainerd Senior High accounts for 52.6% of all Brainerd public-school enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Brainerd a distant remainder — means Brainerd-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Brainerd school enrollment varies 129× across entities
Brainerd school enrollment ranges from 14 students (lowest) to 1,805 students (highest), a spread of 1,791 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Brainerd has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Brainerd student-teacher ratio is 12.1:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or per-school staffing investment that often correlates with stronger per-student supports)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Brainerd has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 11.1% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Areas above 30% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic charter school authorisation formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Brainerd
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Brainerd is Brainerd Senior High with a quality score of 12/100. There are 9 public schools in Brainerd with 3,433 total students.
How many schools are in Brainerd, MN? ▼
Brainerd has 9 public schools with a total enrollment of 3,433 students. 1 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 12.1:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
