Enrollment
921
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rochester, MN
Dakota Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dakota Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 0/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 273180005406
👥 S:T ratio 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dakota Middle School earns 0/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #6 of 6
- middle schools in Rochester · Resource Index
- 0
- Resource Index · Lower
- 36.8:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 33.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Dakota Middle School has class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dakota Middle School ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Rochester, MN.
School address
District: Rochester Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273180005406 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
36.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+133% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dakota Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dakota Middle School
Dakota Middle School is a large middle school in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolling 921 students.
Class loads run heavy: 36.8:1 is larger than about 97% of Minnesota schools and 133% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.7% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 93% of state schools at 921 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 228 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #228, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Rochester Public School District also operates Mayo Senior High (1,787 students) and Century Senior High (1,608 students) alongside Dakota 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 Dakota Middle School compares
Dakota 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 | 36.8:1 | ▲ 133% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.7% | ▼ 21% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 921 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
36.8:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
921
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
36.8:1
students per teacher
- 133% above state mean
Top 97% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$14,165
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.
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 49.1%
African American 18.8%
Asian 13.9%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.9, Dakota Middle School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rochester Public School District, which includes Dakota Middle School.
$14,165
Per student
-7%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.9%
State 63.1%
Federal 10.0%
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 Dakota Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Marshall Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Adams Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willow Creek Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dakota Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 43.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,608
- Students per teacher
- 42.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 45.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~921 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~36.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dakota Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dakota Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rochester Public 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 Dakota Middle School
How many students attend Dakota Middle School?
Dakota Middle School has 921 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rochester, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dakota Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dakota Middle School is 36.8:1, which is 133% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 134% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dakota Middle School?
33.7% of students at Dakota Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dakota Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dakota Middle School is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Rochester, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dakota Middle School?
Dakota Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Dakota Middle School rank among middle schools in Rochester?
By Resource Investment Index, Dakota Middle School ranks #6 of 6 middle schools in Rochester, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Rochester on the city page.
Is Dakota Middle School a good school?
Dakota Middle School earns 0/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Rochester Public School District?
Besides Dakota Middle School, Rochester Public School District also operates Mayo Senior High (1,787 students), Century Senior High (1,608 students), and John Marshall Senior High (1,549 students). See the Rochester Public 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.