How many days are Minnesota students in school?
MN has one of the lowest amount of school days a year
The State of Minnesota has on average fewer school days than most states across the country. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has more.
(FOX 9) - Did you know Minnesota has one of the lowest required number of school days in the country?
Minnesota Department of Education data shows the actual length of a school year varies across Minnesota depending on the district.
Below the norm
By the numbers:
Among the 39 states across the country that mandate instructional days, 180 days is the most common, according to Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Education Commission of the States.
Minnesota law requires a minimum of 165 days. In a school year, that is the difference between three weeks in classes. In Minnesota, each school district sets its own calendar.
FOX 9 analyzed the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to find out how many days Minnesota students actually spend in school.
Across more than 300 public school districts, the average number of instructional days is 170, according to MDE 2024-25 school year data. MDE listed average instructional days data for 328 districts.
- Districts that have an average number of instructional days below 170 are 30%. The state’s largest district, Anoka-Hennepin School District, is one of them with a district average of 167 days.
- The majority of school districts, 68%, average between 170–179 school days. Some of the state’s largest districts, like Minneapolis Public Schools and Saint Paul Public Schools, fall in the middle of the pack with district averages of 171 instructional days.
- Less than 2% of Minnesota public school districts average 180 instructional days or more.
What you can do:
Find out how your school district compares across the state.
The Source: Pew Research Center, Education Commission of the States, Minnesota Department of Education