Nelson’s public schools
Alexandria Public School District has no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Nelson. Each school below is shown with its own results.
Tests spring 2022, when 96% 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
Nelson’s schools, in brief
School by school
8 of Nelson’s 8 district schools with test results score above the middle of Minnesota’s 1,645 public schools. Garfield Elementary places highest (better than 93%); Alexandria Area High School lowest (62%). See the path ↓
Which school depends on your street
Six elementary schools serve Nelson, graded from B to A, so it’s worth checking the specific school. Then one middle school and one high school: Alexandria Area High School. 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 Nelson, with each school’s own grade.
Pre-K in Nelson · depends on your address
Early Education Center
Grades PK · 114 students · 15:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
Carlos Elementary
Grades PK–5 · 108 students · 11:1 students per teacher · in Carlos
6th grade in Nelson
Discovery Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 898 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
7th grade in Nelson
Discovery Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 898 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
8th grade in Nelson
Discovery Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 898 students · 16:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
9th grade in Nelson
Alexandria Area High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,315 students · 18:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
10th grade in Nelson
Alexandria Area High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,315 students · 18:1 students per teacher · in Alexandria
Which school depends on your address. To confirm it, ask the Alexandria Public School District.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Above the state in reading
Nelson vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Minnesota towns that share Nelson’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson | — | Alexandria Public |
| Osakis | — | Osakis Public PK–12 · Alexandria Public PK–12 |
| Alexandria | A− | Alexandria Public |
All 2 neighbors share Alexandria Public with Nelson, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.
Every school in Nelson
8 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).
Questions about Nelson’s schools
Are Nelson’s schools good?
There’s no Schools grade for Nelson. Alexandria Public School District has no state test or graduation results we can use, so there is no Schools grade for Nelson. Each school below is shown with its own results. School by school, 8 of its 8 district schools with test results score above the middle of Minnesota’s public schools on their 2020–21 results.
What school district is Nelson in?
Alexandria Public School District.
Where do Nelson kids go to high school?
Alexandria Area High School.
Parents talk
What Nelson families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Nelson → 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.