Enrollment
411
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Minneapolis, MN
Universal Academy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Universal Academy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270039304758Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Universal Academy Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #14 of 49
- schools in Minneapolis · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 93.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Universal Academy Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Academy Elementary ranks #14 of 49 schools in Minneapolis, MN.
School address
District: Universal Academy Charter School · Minnesota
NCES ID 270039304758 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+118% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Universal Academy Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Universal Academy Elementary
Universal Academy Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, enrolling 411 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 93.3% of students qualify for free meals, 118% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 411 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 49 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 25.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Its district, Universal Academy Charter School, also runs Universal Academy Middle/High (154 students).
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 Universal Academy Elementary compares
Universal Academy Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.3% | ▲ 118% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
411
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 118% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,498
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
African American 97.8%
White 0.7%
Asian 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 97.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.3, Universal Academy Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Universal Academy Charter School, which includes Universal Academy Elementary.
$14,498
Per student
-5%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.2%
State 74.3%
Federal 25.5%
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 Universal Academy Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Academy Middle/High | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Universal Academy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 154
- Students per teacher
- -
Similar other 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 (~411 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Universal Academy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Universal Academy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Universal Academy Charter School'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 Universal Academy Elementary
How many students attend Universal Academy Elementary?
Universal Academy Elementary has 411 students enrolled. It is a public school in Minneapolis, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Universal Academy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Universal Academy Elementary is 17.1:1, which is 8% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Universal Academy Elementary?
93.3% of students at Universal Academy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Universal Academy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Universal Academy Elementary is African American at 97.8% of enrollment, in Minneapolis, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Universal Academy Elementary?
Universal Academy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Universal Academy Elementary rank among schools in Minneapolis?
By Resource Investment Index, Universal Academy Elementary ranks #14 of 49 schools in Minneapolis, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Minneapolis on the city page.
Is Universal Academy Elementary a good school?
Universal Academy Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. It is also less 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 Universal Academy Charter School?
Besides Universal Academy Elementary, Universal Academy Charter School also operates Universal Academy Middle/High (154 students). See the Universal Academy Charter School 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.