Enrollment
1,005
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Cottage Grove, MN
Cottage Grove Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cottage Grove Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 273381002465
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cottage Grove Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Minnesota schools.
- #8 of 13
- public schools in Cottage Grove · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 27.2:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 24.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Cottage Grove Middle School has class sizes larger than 94% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cottage Grove Middle School ranks #8 of 13 public schools in Cottage Grove, MN.
School address
District: South Washington County Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273381002465 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+72% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.5%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cottage Grove Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cottage Grove Middle School
Cottage Grove Middle School is a large middle school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, enrolling 1,005 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.2:1 is larger than about 94% of Minnesota schools and 72% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,005 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 242 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #105.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students) and Park High School (1,992 students) alongside Cottage Grove Middle School.
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 Cottage Grove Middle School compares
Cottage Grove Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.2:1 | ▲ 72% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.5% | ▼ 43% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,005 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.2:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,005
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
27.2:1
students per teacher
- 72% above state mean
Top 94% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,382
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 59.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
African American 9.9%
Asian 9.9%
Two or More 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Cottage Grove Middle School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Washington County Schools, which includes Cottage Grove Middle School.
$13,382
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 59.0%
Federal 6.9%
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 Cottage Grove Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cottage Grove Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,072
- Students per teacher
- 44.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,992
- Students per teacher
- 36.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 53:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 38.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~1,005 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~27.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cottage Grove Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cottage Grove Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- South Washington County Schools'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 Cottage Grove Middle School
How many students attend Cottage Grove Middle School?
Cottage Grove Middle School has 1,005 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cottage Grove, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cottage Grove Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cottage Grove Middle School is 27.2:1, which is 72% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 73% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cottage Grove Middle School?
24.5% of students at Cottage Grove Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cottage Grove Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cottage Grove Middle School is White at 59.8% of enrollment, in Cottage Grove, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cottage Grove Middle School?
Cottage Grove Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cottage Grove Middle School rank among public schools in Cottage Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Cottage Grove Middle School ranks #8 of 13 public schools in Cottage Grove, 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 Cottage Grove on the city page.
Is Cottage Grove Middle School a good school?
Cottage Grove Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Minnesota schools. 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 South Washington County Schools?
Besides Cottage Grove Middle School, South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students), Park High School (1,992 students), and Woodbury High School (1,943 students). See the South Washington County Schools 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.