Universal Academy Charter School

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Minneapolis, Minnesota - 2 schools

An equity score of 71/100 ranks Universal Academy Charter School #65 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,498 per pupil, Universal Academy Charter School ranks #220 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

498
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$14,498
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Universal Academy Charter School operates 2 public schools serving 498 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hennepin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,498 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 0.2% local, 74.3% state, and 25.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 71/100, ranked #65 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

and 7.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.7% African American, 0.6% White, 0.6% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Universal Academy Elementary, enrolling 411 students (73% of the district's total enrollment).

Universal Academy Elementary accounts for 72.7% of all Universal Academy Charter School student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Universal Academy Charter School a distant remainder — means Universal Academy Charter School-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Universal Academy Charter School has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 89.8% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Universal Academy Charter School chronic absenteeism rate is 7.1% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

25.5%
Federal
74.3%
State
0.2%
Local

Funding Equity

71
Equity Score
65 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Universal Academy Charter School.

White 0.6%
African American 96.7%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 1.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

7.1%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Universal Academy Charter School

School Enrollment
Universal Academy Elementary
Charter
411
Universal Academy Middle/High
Charter
154

How Universal Academy Charter School Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mountain Lake Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Fertile-Beltrami School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Round Lake-Brewster Public Schools Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Verndale Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lester Prairie Public School Dist. Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Universal Academy Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Minnesota

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Universal Academy Charter School

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Anoka-Hennepin School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Universal Academy Charter School?

Universal Academy Charter School has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 498 students.

How much does Universal Academy Charter School spend per student?

Universal Academy Charter School spends $14,498 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #65 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Universal Academy Charter School?

Universal Academy Charter School students are 96.7% African American, 0.6% White, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Universal Academy Charter School?

Universal Academy Charter School has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #65 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.