Enrollment
97
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cottage Grove, MN
South Washington Alternative Hs
Federal NCES profile for South Washington Alternative Hs, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 273381001777
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Washington Alternative Hs earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Cottage Grove · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Washington Alternative Hs has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Washington Alternative Hs ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Cottage Grove, MN.
School address
District: South Washington County Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273381001777 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Washington Alternative Hs compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Washington Alternative Hs
South Washington Alternative Hs is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, enrolling 97 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 97 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 97 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students) and Park High School (1,992 students) alongside South Washington Alternative Hs.
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 South Washington Alternative Hs compares
South Washington Alternative Hs on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.6% | ▲ 35% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 97 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
97
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 97 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 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 41.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.7%
African American 14.4%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 41.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.4, South Washington Alternative Hs is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Washington County Schools, which includes South Washington Alternative Hs.
$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 South Washington Alternative Hs 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Washington Alternative Hs'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 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 (~97 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Washington Alternative Hs's federal record.
- Compare South Washington Alternative Hs 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 South Washington Alternative Hs
How many students attend South Washington Alternative Hs?
South Washington Alternative Hs has 97 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cottage Grove, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Washington Alternative Hs?
The student-teacher ratio at South Washington Alternative Hs is 16.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Washington Alternative Hs?
57.6% of students at South Washington Alternative Hs are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Washington Alternative Hs?
The largest demographic group at South Washington Alternative Hs is White at 41.2% of enrollment, in Cottage Grove, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Washington Alternative Hs?
South Washington Alternative Hs has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Washington Alternative Hs rank among high schools in Cottage Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, South Washington Alternative Hs ranks #1 of 4 high 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 high schools in Cottage Grove on the city page.
Is South Washington Alternative Hs a good school?
South Washington Alternative Hs earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 South Washington County Schools?
Besides South Washington Alternative Hs, 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.