Best Schools in Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Fergus Falls is a mid-size city in western Minnesota with 9 ranked public schools spanning elementary through high school. Parents researching the area will find options at every grade level, with school quality spanning a meaningful range — from a standout elementary to schools clustered near the city average.

The city's average school score is 6.1 out of 10, and only 2 of 9 schools (22%) clear the 7-point mark. That concentration near the middle tells parents that strong options exist but aren't uniform across grade levels. The ceiling is high: Cleveland Elementary scores 8.3 — the top-ranked school in Fergus Falls and a result that sits well above the city norm. Kennedy High School follows at 7.3, giving the city a credible anchor at both ends of the K–12 pipeline.

Outside the top two, performance settles near the city average. McKinley Elementary scores 6.6, Kennedy Middle School 6.3, and iQ Academy 9-12 scores 6.2. All three land within a tenth of the 6.1 city average — a pattern that signals consistent but unremarkable results for students outside the top-performing schools. iQ Academy offers high schoolers an alternative pathway alongside Kennedy High, though both score within a point of each other.

For parents making a decision in Fergus Falls, the practical picture is clear: elementary-age children have access to a standout school in Cleveland Elementary, and Kennedy High School holds up well at the secondary level. The middle school years are the soft spot, with Kennedy Middle School sitting squarely at the city average. Families with young children should prioritize enrollment zone research to maximize their chances at Cleveland. Parents planning ahead for high school will find Kennedy High as the stronger of two options. With only 22% of schools scoring 7 or above, grade-level transitions are worth mapping early in the decision process.