Education

Education
Educational facilities throughout northeastern Minnesota take pride in an excellent education system that molds workers from the Start. Schools here (from elementary to college) strive to provide an education that is contemporary, relevant and practical. As a result, students in northeastern Minnesota develop skills based on rigorous academic standards, evolving workforce expectations and the demands of an international marketplace.

In an effort to meet the needs of both new and expanding businesses in the region, Iron Range Resources has partnered with the Applied Learning Institute (ALImn.com), workforce training organizations and regional education institutions to prepare students right from the high school level, with specialized training needed by employers right here in northeastern Minnesota.

Elementary/Secondary education is top notch
More than a dozen school districts are located in NE Minnesota and like the state of Minnesota itself, the educational system within the region is a national model.

• Minnesota has the fourth highest graduation rate in the nation.
• Minnesota students have greater access to computers than do students in 45 other states.
• Minnesota's K-12 academic scores are second highest in the nation.
• Northeastern Minnesota K-12 scores are higher than the state average.

Compared to greater Minnesota, the northland region has a larger percentage of population with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Source: minnesotacompass.org

Elementary
Research clearly shows that better readers do better in school. Therefore, it is important to understand, at an early age, how well children can read, and to work to improve this ability, since it will influence all academic progress for the rest of their lives.

According to the following graph from minnesotacompass.org, at the third grade level, northern Minnesota clearly excels in reading standards compared to the rest of Minnesota.

Source: minnesotacompass.org

High school
All residents of Minnesota need, at minimum, a high school education. Very few jobs exist for people who do not graduate from high school. However, the loss is not just theirs; to grow, the northeast region needs workers with skills beyond high school. Lack of a high school diploma puts an individual at greater risk for poor health, lower lifetime earnings, unemployment and welfare, and prison.

However, northern Minnesota ranks higher than the rest of Minnesota when comparing the number of high school students that graduate on time.

And, 92% of employees within northeastern Minnesota have earned a high school diploma.

Source: minnesotacompass.org

Northeastern Minnesota education statistics
91% with high school education or above
31% with Bachelors degree
50% professional certificate or license

(Source: Bureau of Business & Economic Research, UMD School of Business and Economics)

Associates degree
Northeastern Minnesota is filled with colleges that offer customized training and research and a variety of career options. Eleven community colleges are scattered throughout the region, offering numerous training and educational opportunities for students.

Bachelors’ degree

With an estimated 31.5 percent of its population having completed a Bachelor's degree, Minnesota's population is one of the most educated in the nation, ranking 11th nationwide. More than 31% percent of employees within the northeast region alone have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher.

There are universities (University of Minnesota Duluth and University of Wisconsin Superior) located within or within driving distance of northeastern Minnesota, as well as a private college (College of Saint Scholastica).

ACT scores
Minnesota's 2009 high school graduates increased the state's average ACT score from 22.6 to 22.7 on a 0 to 36 scale, pushing Minnesota further ahead of other states where the majority of students take the ACT college entrance exam. Minnesota has led the nation in average ACT scores for five consecutive years and the average score has increased each of the last three years. The average ACT score for 2009 high school graduates nationally was 21.1.