Is Waseca Senior High a good school?

Waseca Senior High ranks 194 th of 480 Minnesota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waseca Senior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 579 students attended Waseca Senior High.

What is the racial makeup of Waseca Senior High?

Students at Waseca Senior High are 80% White, 12% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Waseca Senior High?

Waseca Senior High is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Hartley Elementary Middle : Waseca Intermediate School Middle : Waseca Junior High

Waseca Senior High

Summary:

Waseca Senior High is a public high school located in Waseca, Minnesota, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 607. The school is part of the Waseca Public School District, which is ranked 236 out of 463 districts in Minnesota and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waseca Senior High has a higher percentage of white students (78.75%) compared to the state average, and a lower percentage of minority students. The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated, ranging from 51st out of 483 Minnesota high schools in 2013-2014 to 194th out of 480 in the current 2023-2024 school year, with a 3-star rating. Waseca Senior High performs better for male students and Hispanic students compared to its overall ranking. However, the school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 95.1% in 2017-2018 to 89.2% in 2021-2022, and its proficiency rates on state assessments are generally on par with or slightly below the state and district averages.

Compared to nearby schools, Waseca Senior High performs better than the Waseca Area Learning Center, but lags behind some other high schools in the area, such as Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Secondary and Owatonna Senior High, in terms of academic performance and statewide rankings. The school's increasing percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, from 19.55% in 2020-2021 to 35.75% in 2022-2023, suggests that it may be serving a more economically disadvantaged population, which could impact academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1717 2nd St NW
Waseca, MN 56093-2299

(507) 835-5470

District: Waseca Public School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
194^th of 480 Minnesota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,758

Feeder schools for Waseca Senior High:

Elementary:	Hartley Elementary
Middle:	Waseca Intermediate School
	Waseca Junior High

Student/teacher ratio: 17.0

Number of students: 579

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.6%

Hispanic:

12.4%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.3%

See top rated Minnesota high schools

Compare Waseca Senior High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Waseca Senior High ranks better than 59.6% of high schools in Minnesota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.36. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Waseca Senior High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.6%), Hispanic (12.4%), two or more races (5.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 36.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waseca Senior High is 17. (See more...)

Compare Waseca Senior High employs 33.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waseca Senior High is $14,758.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waseca Senior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Waseca Senior High 194^th of 480 Minnesota public high schools. (See Waseca Senior High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Waseca Public School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waseca Public School District 236^th of 463 Minnesota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Waseca Senior High?

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Rank History for Waseca Senior High

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Rank History for all students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2004	72.51	146^th	433	66.3%
2005	69.39	184^th	452	59.3%
2006	71.73	148^th	450	67.1%
2007	78.87	96^th	463	79.3%
2008	80.70	87^th	460	81.1%
2010	82.23	38^th	540	93.0%
2011	77.89	80^th	545	85.3%
2012	74.55	116^th	539	78.5%
2013	74.46	104^th	534	80.5%
2014	83.94	51^st	483	89.4%
2015	72.17	138^th	504	72.6%
2016	74.55	111^th	489	77.3%
2017	60.99	217^th	489	55.6%
2018	60.20	234^th	494	52.6%
2019	60.66	219^th	492	55.5%
2021	48.42	243^rd	428	43.2%
2022	65.46	167^th	472	64.6%
2023	69.21	133^rd	476	72.1%
2024	62.36	194^th	480	59.6%

See the entire list of Minnesota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	62.43	59^th	195	69.7%
2019	29.56	166^th	220	24.5%
2021	18.50	152^nd	173	12.1%
2022	32.69	161^st	214	24.8%
2023	47.45	112^th	216	48.1%
2024	43.16	129^th	221	41.6%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	44.30	229^th	374	38.8%
2019	26.96	285^th	370	23.0%
2021	68.06	68^th	270	74.8%
2022	34.64	215^th	312	31.1%
2023	69.28	91^st	393	76.8%
2024	56.71	164^th	389	57.8%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	44.54	261^st	395	33.9%
2019	60.82	164^th	401	59.1%
2021	46.55	207^th	339	38.9%
2022	52.28	205^th	388	47.2%
2023	57.24	170^th	396	57.1%
2024	60.66	160^th	403	60.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	61.02	165^th	398	58.5%
2019	46.05	254^th	411	38.2%
2021	36.33	243^rd	351	30.8%
2022	66.51	128^th	403	68.2%
2023	70.53	100^th	398	74.9%
2024	51.42	209^th	405	48.4%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	26.56	103^rd	129	20.2%
2019	61.13	40^th	132	69.7%
2021	23.85	87^th	101	13.9%
2022	23.62	113^th	135	16.3%
2023	50.40	61^st	136	55.1%
2024	52.07	65^th	145	55.2%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Waseca Senior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MN State Percentile
2018	54.59	213^th	414	48.6%
2019	46.14	258^th	412	37.4%
2021	42.39	233^rd	364	36.0%
2022	63.08	145^th	401	63.8%
2023	60.12	150^th	398	62.3%
2024	50.95	208^th	402	48.3%

See the entire list of Best Minnesota High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Minnesota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Waseca Senior High

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	627	0	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	634
1989	612	0	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	618
1990	624	0	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	634
1991	645	0	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	654
1992	666	1	8	10	4	n/a	n/a	689
1993	670	1	11	7	3	n/a	n/a	692
1994	682	2	10	10	2	n/a	n/a	706
1995	736	3	8	15	3	n/a	n/a	765
1996	736	3	8	15	3	n/a	n/a	765
1997	737	3	8	16	3	n/a	n/a	767
1998	755	3	12	14	3	n/a	n/a	787
1999	728	4	13	8	2	n/a	n/a	755
2000	723	8	13	9	3	n/a	n/a	756
2001	733	24	15	16	3	n/a	n/a	791
2002	706	37	14	19	4	n/a	n/a	780
2003	706	37	14	19	4	n/a	n/a	780
2004	698	26	15	20	4	n/a	n/a	763
2005	662	11	11	32	2	n/a	n/a	718
2006	693	11	7	31	1	n/a	n/a	743
2007	617	12	1	37	4	n/a	n/a	671
2008	587	10	5	33	1	n/a	n/a	636
2009	562	10	7	42	0	n/a	n/a	621
2010	558	8	7	39	2	n/a	n/a	614
2011	514	8	5	38	2	1	8	576
2012	520	10	3	47	1	0	10	591
2013	500	11	1	43	2	0	11	568
2014	525	10	2	53	5	0	6	601
2015	543	9	3	52	5	0	2	614
2016	551	13	4	54	3	0	1	626
2017	534	15	3	58	5	0	6	621
2018	524	19	3	76	3	0	5	630
2019	525	23	3	76	3	0	10	640
2020	499	21	3	82	4	0	7	616
2021	475	12	7	71	3	0	15	583
2022	482	9	6	80	3	0	24	604
2023	478	10	6	87	2	0	24	607
2024	461	8	6	72	0	0	32	579

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waseca Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	634	30.0	21.1	7.6
1989	618	38.1	16.2	8.1
1990	634	36.8	17.2	7.1
1991	654	36.1	18.1	7.6
1992	689	38.0	18.1	10.3
1993	692	40.2	17.2	8.8
1994	706	40.7	17.3	11.3
1995	765	43.7	17.5	10.6
1996	765	43.7	17.5	10.6
1997	767	44.2	17.4	9.5
1998	787	n/a	0.0	8.4
1999	755	49.4	15.3	9.9
2000	756	47.6	15.9	15.2
2001	791	41.5	19.1	15.9
2002	780	39.6	19.7	19.4
2003	780	39.6	19.7	19.4
2004	763	42.0	18.2	19.1
2005	718	43.2	16.6	16.7
2006	743	40.7	18.3	17.6
2007	671	40.9	16.4	18.8
2008	636	38.1	16.7	18.7
2009	621	37.3	16.6	22.2
2010	614	35.6	17.2	23.3
2011	576	33.5	17.1	23.6
2012	591	30.6	19.2	28.1
2013	568	31.5	17.9	29.9
2014	601	33.8	17.7	33.4
2015	614	34.0	18.0	35.7
2016	626	35.0	17.8	25.9
2017	621	34.7	17.8	26.6
2018	630	35.3	17.8	29.7
2019	640	34.7	18.4	29.1
2020	616	43.0	14.3	26.3
2021	583	35.6	16.3	19.6
2022	604	34.6	17.4	24
2023	607	33.4	18.1	35.7
2024	579	33.9	17.0	36.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Waseca Senior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	634	30.0	21.1	7.6
1989	618	38.1	16.2	8.1
1990	634	36.8	17.2	7.1
1991	654	36.1	18.1	7.6
1992	689	38.0	18.1	10.3
1993	692	40.2	17.2	8.8
1994	706	40.7	17.3	11.3
1995	765	43.7	17.5	10.6
1996	765	43.7	17.5	10.6
1997	767	44.2	17.4	9.5
1998	787	n/a	0.0	8.4
1999	755	49.4	15.3	9.9
2000	756	47.6	15.9	15.2
2001	791	41.5	19.1	15.9
2002	780	39.6	19.7	19.4
2003	780	39.6	19.7	19.4
2004	763	42.0	18.2	19.1
2005	718	43.2	16.6	16.7
2006	743	40.7	18.3	17.6
2007	671	40.9	16.4	18.8
2008	636	38.1	16.7	18.7
2009	621	37.3	16.6	22.2
2010	614	35.6	17.2	23.3
2011	576	33.5	17.1	23.6
2012	591	30.6	19.2	28.1
2013	568	31.5	17.9	29.9
2014	601	33.8	17.7	33.4
2015	614	34.0	18.0	35.7
2016	626	35.0	17.8	25.9
2017	621	34.7	17.8	26.6
2018	630	35.3	17.8	29.7
2019	640	34.7	18.4	29.1
2020	616	43.0	14.3	26.3
2021	583	35.6	16.3	19.6
2022	604	34.6	17.4	24
2023	607	33.4	18.1	35.7
2024	579	33.9	17.0	36.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waseca Senior High

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$14,758

Data source: Minnesota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Waseca Senior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 219^th of 492 High schools	Ranks 133^rd of 476 High schools	16.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade Reading (Waseca Senior High)	52.2	50.9	1.2%
10th Grade Reading (Waseca Public School District)	49.1	50	0.9%
10th Grade Reading (Minnesota)	60.4	51.7	8.7%
11th Grade Math (Waseca Senior High)	42.1	44.6	2.6%
11th Grade Math (Waseca Public School District)	36.8	39.4	2.6%
11th Grade Math (Minnesota)	45	36	9%
End of Course Science (Waseca Senior High)	57.2	43.2	14%
End of Course Science (Waseca Public School District)	54.8	41.6	13.2%
End of Course Science (Minnesota)	54.4	41.8	12.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	640	607	5.2%
African American	23	10	56.5%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	3	6	100%
Hispanic	76	87	14.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	525	478	9%
Two or More Races	10	24	140%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	29.1%	35.7%	6.7%

Schools Near Waseca Senior High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCA-III Math (2024)					MCA-III Reading (2024)					MCA-III Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCA-III Math 6th Grade	MCA-III Math 7th Grade	MCA-III Math 8th Grade	MCA-III Math 11th Grade	MCA-III Math All Grades	MCA-III Reading 6th Grade	MCA-III Reading 7th Grade	MCA-III Reading 8th Grade	MCA-III Reading 10th Grade	MCA-III Reading All Grades	MCA-III Science 8th Grade	MCA-III Science End of Course	MCA-III Science All Grades	Total
Waseca Senior High	Public	9-12	1717 2nd St NW	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5470	579	34	17.0	36.3%	461 (79.6%)	8 (1.4%)	72 (12.4%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.5%)	62.4	194^th of 480 public high schools	59.6%		69.2	133^rd of 476 public high schools	72.1%	61				35.8	35.8				48.2	48.2		42.7	42.7	$14,758
Waseca Area Learning Center	Public	7-12	501 Elm Ave E	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Waseca Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 835-5588	61	5	13.0	78.7%	32 (52.5%)	2 (3.3%)	19 (31.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (13.1%)	27.3	359^th of 480 public high schools	25.2%					(n/a)				0.0	0.0				53.9	53.9		8.3	8.3	$15,839
SWMetro Waseca-Transitions	Public	9-12	501 East Elm Ave	Waseca	56093	Waseca County	Southwest Metro Intermediate 288	No	No	No	No	(952) 567-8100	10	0	18.9	60.0%	7 (70.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (20.0%)								(n/a)
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Senior	Public	9-12	500 E Paquin St	Waterville	56096	Le Sueur County	Waterville-Elysian-Morristown	No	No	No	No	(507) 362-4431	257	19	13.7	27.6%	227 (88.3%)	5 (1.9%)	11 (4.3%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.1%)	40.4	311^th of 480 public high schools	35.2%		42.9	291^st of 476 public high schools	38.9%	20				21.1	21.1				40.6	40.6		35.7	35.7	$15,960
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Sec	Public	7-12	110 E 3rd St	Janesville	56048	Waseca County	Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton	No	No	No	No	(507) 234-5181	339	25	13.4	34.5%	311 (91.7%)	5 (1.5%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	8 (2.4%)	56.7	225^th of 480 public high schools	53.1%		53.6	231^st of 476 public high schools	51.5%	6		59.2	34.7	33.8	41.4		46.9	49.0	48.1	48.0	22.5	36.6	30.8	$14,329
Nrheg Secondary	Public	6-12	306 Ash Ave S	New Richland	56072	Waseca County	Nrheg School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 465-3205	434	27	15.8	41.9%	389 (89.6%)	4 (0.9%)	27 (6.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.0%)	32.9	343^rd of 480 public high schools	28.5%		44.4	279^th of 476 public high schools	41.4%	64	17.0	31.6	32.7	6.7	24.3	38.3	49.1	35.7	35.3	39.8	27.3	37.3	32.1	$11,400
CHOICE Technical Academy	Public, Charter	7-12	315 South Grove Ave	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Technical Academies Of Minnesota	Yes	No	No	Yes	(507) 400-4009	44	1	43.1	75.0%	26 (59.1%)	1 (2.3%)	13 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (9.1%)								(n/a)				9.1	5.0					18.8				$18,679
Owatonna Summer School 9-12	Public	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$9,614
Owatonna Night School	Public	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8000	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)														$3,535
Owatonna Alternative Learning Center 9-12	Public	9-12	338 E Main St	Owatonna	55060	Steele County	Owatonna Public School District	No	No	No	No	(507) 444-8000	90	12	7.6	71.1%	40 (44.4%)	11 (12.2%)	31 (34.4%)	1 (1.1%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.7%)								(n/a)				0.0	0.0									$18,454

Waseca Senior High

Waseca Senior High:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waseca Public School District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Waseca Senior High

Rank History for all students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for Special Education students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for Female students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for Male students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waseca Senior High

Rank History for White students at Waseca Senior High

Enrollment information for Waseca Senior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Waseca Senior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Waseca Senior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Waseca Senior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Waseca Senior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Waseca Senior High

Frequently Asked Questions about Waseca Senior High

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