Rochester: Education and Research

Rochester: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Independent School District #535 covers 205 square miles and has the sixth-largest enrollment in the state. Rochester students consistently rank higher than average on standardized test scores.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Rochester School District as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 16,013

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 16

junior high/middle schools: 4

senior high schools: 3

Student/teacher ratio: elementary, 17:1; middle school, 26:1; high school, 27:1

Teacher salaries

average: $44,872

Funding per pupil: $7,772 (2003–2004)

Public Schools Information: Rochester Public Schools, 615 7th St. SW, Rochester, MN 55902; telephone (507)285-8551

Colleges and Universities

Rochester is the home of an impressive number of quality educational institutions. The Mayo Foundation conducts formal education in five areas: Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Medical School, Mayo School of Health-Related Sciences, and Mayo Section of Continuing Medical Education. In 2003, well over 1,000 residents and students were enrolled full-time.

The University of Minnesota–Rochester offers more than a dozen graduate degrees in a variety of programs, as well as several post-baccalaureate licensure and certificate programs. This school draws on the faculty of University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, and enrolls more than 1,500 students. Winona State University–Rochester Center, with 8,236 students in 2003, offers a variety of undergraduate programs, and participates in the "2 plus 2" program, whereby students can complete an undergraduate degree in Rochester by transferring credits from other institutions. Rochester Community and Technical College provides its 3,300 students with technical and transfer programs in a wide variety of majors, including business, trade/industry, allied health, human services, science, and social science.

Other colleges are the Minnesota Bible College, which enrolls nearly 100 students in courses that fulfill associate of art, bachelor of art, and bachelor of science degree requirements for the professional ministry and related areas, and Saint Mary's College Rochester Center.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Rochester Public Library houses a material collection of 370,183. These include films, multimedia resources, and in-house CD-ROMs, and magazines. The library is a document depository for the City of Rochester.

Special libraries are maintained by the Mayo Foundation, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Bible College, the History Center of Olmsted County, the Post Bulletin, and International Business Machines (IBM).

The Mayo Clinic research budget exceeds $300 million annually. Research is performed at several institutes associated with the Mayo Clinic, including the Mayo Biomedical Imaging Resource, Mayo Cancer Center, a $15-million broad-based cancer research institute, and Mayo Clinic and Foundation, which studies allergic diseases. Other research institutes in Rochester are the Center for Basic Research in Digestive Diseases and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group.

Public Library Information: Rochester Public Library, 101 2nd St. SE, Rochester, MN 55904; telephone (507)285-8011; fax (507)287-1910