Enrollment
2,856
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Savage, MN
Prior Lake High School
Federal NCES profile for Prior Lake High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 273006001277
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prior Lake High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Savage · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 13.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Prior Lake High School has class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prior Lake High School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Savage, MN.
School address
District: Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273006001277 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
133.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prior Lake High School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prior Lake High School
Prior Lake High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Savage, Minnesota, enrolling 2,856 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.5:1 is larger than about 87% of Minnesota schools and 36% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.8% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Minnesota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,856 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 29 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #24, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools spends $12,069 per pupil, 21% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools also operates Prior Lake-Savage Middle School (2,025 students) and Hamilton Ridge Elementary School (586 students) alongside Prior Lake High 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 Prior Lake High School compares
Prior Lake High 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 | 21.5:1 | ▲ 36% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.8% | ▼ 68% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,856 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,856
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 87% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.1%
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
$12,069
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 72.7%
African American 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Asian 6.0%
Two or More 5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.4, Prior Lake High School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, which includes Prior Lake High School.
$12,069
Per student
-21%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.6%
State 62.3%
Federal 6.1%
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 Prior Lake High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prior Lake-Savage Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Ridge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Redtail Ridge Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glendale Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prior Lake High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,025
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 556
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar high 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 (~2,856 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prior Lake High School's federal record.
- Compare Prior Lake High School against another school. Compare schools
- Prior Lake-Savage Area 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 Prior Lake High School
How many students attend Prior Lake High School?
Prior Lake High School has 2,856 students enrolled. It is a high school in Savage, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prior Lake High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prior Lake High School is 21.5:1, which is 36% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prior Lake High School?
13.8% of students at Prior Lake High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prior Lake High School?
The largest demographic group at Prior Lake High School is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Savage, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prior Lake High School?
Prior Lake High School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Prior Lake High School rank among public schools in Savage?
By Resource Investment Index, Prior Lake High School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Savage, 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 Savage on the city page.
Is Prior Lake High School a good school?
Prior Lake High School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota. 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 Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools?
Besides Prior Lake High School, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools also operates Prior Lake-Savage Middle School (2,025 students), Hamilton Ridge Elementary School (586 students), and Redtail Ridge Elementary School (556 students). See the Prior Lake-Savage Area 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.