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Schools in Big Lake

Big Lake’s public schools

Carlton Public School District and Cloquet Public School District have no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Big Lake. Each school below is shown with its own results.

—Not gradedK–12Where will my kid go?4/5schools above Minnesota’s middle

Tests spring 2022, when 98% of students in Minnesota’s tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s graduation rate (U.S. Department of Education). How TownRatings grades schools

Reading proficiency
47%
2021–22
Math proficiency
32%
2021–22
Graduate on time
90%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$15.9K
▼ 7% vs MN $17.1K
FY2024 · Cloquet Public
Students per teacher
15.0
MN 14.8
Schools in town
0
1,906 students on the public path
In brief

Big Lake’s schools, in brief

School by school

4 of Big Lake’s 5 district schools with test results score above the middle of Minnesota’s 1,645 public schools. South Terrace Elementary places highest (better than 84%); Carlton Secondary lowest (29%). See the path ↓

Which school depends on your street

Three elementary schools serve Big Lake, graded from B to A−, so it’s worth checking the specific school. Then two middle schools: Cloquet Middle and Carlton Secondary. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools in Big Lake, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–43 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressB to A−
5–122 schoolsDepends on your addressC to B−

Which school depends on your address. To confirm it, ask the Carlton Public School District.

Two districts serve Big Lake

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Carlton Public School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 2 schools · 308 students, down 22% since 2020–21 · 12.8 per teacher (MN 14.8)
$19,791MN $17,091 · FY2024
C+
Cloquet Public School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 8 schools · 2,529 students, down 4% since 2020–21 · 15.3 per teacher (MN 14.8)
$15,897MN $17,091 · FY2024
B
Test scores · 2021–22

Above the state in reading

Reading · PK–12, Carlton Public School District47%
State average 51.1% · 186 students tested
Math · PK–12, Carlton Public School District32%
State average 44.8% · 184 students tested
Reading · PK–12, Cloquet Public School District54%
State average 51.1% · 1361 students tested
Math · PK–12, Cloquet Public School District39%
State average 44.8% · 1312 students tested

Big Lake vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Minnesota towns that share Big Lake’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Big Lake—Carlton Public PK–12 · Cloquet Public PK–12

Every school in Big Lake

5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Minnesota’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Big Lakein other towns
Washington Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Cloquet
B
495 students13:1Rate it →
Churchill Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Cloquet
A−
351 students10:1Rate it →
South Terrace Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Carlton
A−
163 students11:1Rate it →
Cloquet Middle
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Cloquet
B−
752 students17:1Rate it →
Carlton Secondary
High · Grades 6–12 · Carlton
C
145 students15:1Rate it →

Questions about Big Lake’s schools

Are Big Lake’s schools good?

There’s no Schools grade for Big Lake. Carlton Public School District and Cloquet Public School District have no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Big Lake. Each school below is shown with its own results. School by school, 4 of its 5 district schools with test results score above the middle of Minnesota’s public schools on their 2020–21 results.

What school district is Big Lake in?

Carlton Public School District and Cloquet Public School District.

Where do Big Lake kids go to high school?

One of two high schools, depending on your address: Cloquet Middle and Carlton Secondary.

Parents talk

What Big Lake families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Big Lake → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). Stars are from neighbors.