Minnesota’s public education system consistently underserves students from low-income households.
Share of students showing proficiency on Minnesota state tests
Results include both MCA and MTAS assessments. Due to COVID-19, no 2020 results are available. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis calculations using Minnesota Department of Education 2016–2021 files.
Share of students showing college readiness on college entrance exam benchmarks
ACT defines “low-income” as households with annual incomes of $36,000 or less. Source: ACT Graduating Class Database.
Share of students graduating high school
Source: Minnesota Department of Education 2016–2021 files.
Share of students enrolled in any post-high school program
Data for graduating classes that do not yet reflect a 16-month post-high school enrollment period are considered preliminary. Source: Minnesota Department of Education’s Minnesota Report Card (current, May 2022).
1 in 3 students in Minnesota’s public schools is from a low-income household.
*Counts for the 2020–2021 school year may not be directly comparable to other years due to COVID-19 disruptions to schools’ annual student enrollment and eligibility-reporting processes. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis calculations using Minnesota Department of Education 2016–2022 files.
