Enrollment
163
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Blue Earth, MN
Blue Earth Area Middle
Federal NCES profile for Blue Earth Area Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270013002497
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Earth Area Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Blue Earth · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 41.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Earth Area Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Earth Area Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Blue Earth, MN.
School address
District: Blue Earth Area School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270013002497 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Earth Area Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Earth Area Middle
Blue Earth Area Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Blue Earth, Minnesota, enrolling 163 students.
At 13.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.4% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 163 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 205 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #156, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 39/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Blue Earth Area School District spends $12,092 per pupil, 21% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Blue Earth Area School District also operates Blue Earth Area Elementary (515 students) and Blue Earth Area Secondary (378 students) alongside Blue Earth Area Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Blue Earth Area Middle compares
Blue Earth Area Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.4% | ▼ 3% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 163 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
163
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 42% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,092
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
Two or More 3.7%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.3, Blue Earth Area Middle is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blue Earth Area School District, which includes Blue Earth Area Middle.
$12,092
Per student
-21%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 63.5%
Federal 13.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Blue Earth Area Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth Area Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Earth Area Secondary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Earth Area Early Childhood Spe | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Earth Area Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~163 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Earth Area Middle's federal record.
- Compare Blue Earth Area Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Blue Earth Area School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Blue Earth Area Middle
How many students attend Blue Earth Area Middle?
Blue Earth Area Middle has 163 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Blue Earth, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Earth Area Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Earth Area Middle is 13.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blue Earth Area Middle?
41.4% of students at Blue Earth Area Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Earth Area Middle?
The largest demographic group at Blue Earth Area Middle is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in Blue Earth, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Earth Area Middle?
Blue Earth Area Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Blue Earth Area Middle rank among public schools in Blue Earth?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Earth Area Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Blue Earth, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Blue Earth on the city page.
Is Blue Earth Area Middle a good school?
Blue Earth Area Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Blue Earth Area School District?
Besides Blue Earth Area Middle, Blue Earth Area School District also operates Blue Earth Area Elementary (515 students), Blue Earth Area Secondary (378 students), and Blue Earth Area Early Childhood Spe (8 students). See the Blue Earth Area School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.