Editing Minnesota (section)

== Education ==

{{Main|Education in Minnesota}}
{{See also|List of colleges and universities in Minnesota|List of high schools in Minnesota|List of school districts in Minnesota}}
[[File:Pillsbury Hall.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Richardsonian Romanesque]] Pillsbury Hall (1889) is one of the oldest buildings on the [[University of Minnesota]] Minneapolis campus.]]

One of the first acts of the Minnesota Legislature when it opened in 1858 was the creation of a [[normal school]] in Winona. Minnesota's commitment to education has contributed to a literate and well-educated populace. In 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota had the second-highest proportion of high school graduates, with 91.5% of people 25 and older holding a [[high school diploma]], and the tenth-highest proportion of people with bachelor's degrees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2011/compendia/statab/131ed/tables/12s0233.pdf |title=Table 233. Educational Attainment by State: 1990 to 2009 |publisher=Census.gov |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017150539/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0233.pdf |archive-date=October 17, 2011}}</ref> In 2015, Minneapolis was named the nation's "Most Literate City", while St. Paul placed fourth, according to a major annual survey.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2015/04/10/americas-most-literate-cities-minneapolis/25531751/|title=Minneapolis ranked most literate city|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=September 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020104620/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2015/04/10/americas-most-literate-cities-minneapolis/25531751/|archive-date=October 20, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2013 study conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics comparing the performance of eighth-grade students internationally in math and science, Minnesota ranked eighth in the world and third in the United States, behind Massachusetts and Vermont.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/report-american-education-isnt-mediocre-its-deeply-unequal/280827/|title=Report: American Education Isn't Mediocre – It's Deeply Unequal|first=Julia|last=Ryan|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=October 24, 2013|access-date=March 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327165530/https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/report-american-education-isnt-mediocre-its-deeply-unequal/280827/|archive-date=March 27, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, Minnesota students earned the tenth-highest average composite score in the nation on the [[ACT (examination)|ACT exam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/states.html|title=Newsroom – Press Kit, Digital Media Library, and Press Releases|website=ACT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415061951/http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/states.html|archive-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref> In 2013, nationwide in per-student public education spending, Minnesota ranked 21st.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/06/02/the-states-that-spend-the-most-and-the-least-on-education-in-one-map/|title=The states that spend the most (and the least) on education, in one map|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603031405/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/06/02/the-states-that-spend-the-most-and-the-least-on-education-in-one-map/|archive-date=June 3, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> While Minnesota has chosen not to implement [[school voucher]]s,<ref name="vouchers">{{Cite news|last=Hallman |first=Charles |title=School vouchers: Who stands to gain at what cost? |work=Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder |date=March 14, 2007 |url=http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/3985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723221706/http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/3985 |archive-date=July 23, 2014 }}</ref> it is home to the first [[charter school]].<ref name="Charter">{{cite web|title=Charter Schools |publisher=Minnesota Department of Education |year=2007 |url=http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/School_Choice/Public_School_Choice/Charter_Schools/index.html |access-date=May 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070222235406/http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/School_Choice/Public_School_Choice/Charter_Schools/index.html |archive-date=February 22, 2007 }}</ref>

The state supports a network of public universities and colleges, including 37 institutions in the [[Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System]], and five major campuses of the [[University of Minnesota system]]. It is also home to more than 20 private colleges and universities, six of which rank among the nation's top 100 [[liberal arts]] colleges, according to ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Colleges 2009: Liberal Arts Rankings |publisher=USNews.com |year=2009 |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/liberal-arts-search/ |access-date=March 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314061238/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/liberal-arts-search/ |archive-date=March 14, 2009 }}</ref>