Education
Itasca County boasts a strong education system. Its five public high schools combine to graduate 94% of their students and are at the centers of their communities. They provide strong support networks from pre-K through graduation and build connections that last for a lifetime. Highlights include:
- Classes for college credit, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, College in the Schools (CITS) classes, and post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO)
- Applied Learning Institute (ALI) for vocational education through local community colleges
- Career Pathways program gives students exposure to careers in high-demand fields
Itasca Area Schools Collaborative (IASC) is a cooperative effort to offer the same curricular opportunities in seven school districts in and around the county, in coordination with Itasca Community College:
At the post-secondary level, Itasca Community College enrolls over 1,200 students, and its leading programs—CNA, engineering, and forestry—all meet direct needs in the local economy. ICC also draws on the resources of the Northeast Higher Education District (NHED), an innovative leader in engineering education and in other areas. Unique NHED programs include:
- The Advanced Minnesota specialized training program, which provides customized on-site training to local businesses
- Iron Range Engineering, an innovative, nationally recognized bachelor’s program in engineering
- An associate in science degree in business administration management is also available at ICC from the College of St. Scholastica.
Four 4-year institutions sit within 80 miles of Itasca County: Bemidji State University, the College of St. Scholastica, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
