The South Metro Just Stacked the Top of Minnesota's Best Schools for Athletes List
TLDR
Rosemount High School is ranked #2 in Minnesota for athletes
Lakeville South High School is ranked #3 statewide
Lakeville North High School landed at #16
The rankings come from Niche.com's 2026 Best High Schools for Athletes list, republished by USA Today
Rankings factor in state championships, athletic participation, sports offered, and parent/student reviews
The south metro just took over the top of Minnesota's best schools for athletes list.
Three of our high schools cracked the top 16 in Niche.com's 2026 rankings — and two of them landed in the top three. Rosemount High School came in at #2. Lakeville South at #3. Lakeville North at #16.
That puts our south metro schools ahead of statewide athletic powerhouses like Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Edina, Minnetonka, Stillwater, and Cretin-Derham Hall. In a state where high school sports are basically a religion, that's a big deal.
#2 — Rosemount High School
The Irish are now officially the second-best public high school in all of Minnesota for athletes. Rosemount has 2,380 students and offers 30 different sports — everything from football and hockey to alpine skiing, lacrosse, gymnastics, and adapted athletics.
A few highlights from the past couple of years:
The Irish baseball team made the 2025 4A State Consolation Championship under coach Chris Swansson
Rosemount has had recent state runs in football, basketball, and girls hockey
The wrestling and track programs continue to send athletes to the state tournament year after year
Strong cultures in cross country, soccer, and softball
Rosemount pulled an A overall Niche grade and averages 4 stars from over 350 user reviews.
#3 — Lakeville South High School
This is the one that probably surprises people. The Cougars came in at #3 in the entire state, which is wild for a school that gets less national press than its neighbors.
Lakeville South offers 25 sports and pulled an A overall Niche grade. The Cougars have built one of the strongest athletic cultures in the south metro, with notable strength in:
Track and field — senior Eva Welsch is a Duke commit and one of the top hurdlers in Minnesota, with a personal best of 14.27 in the 100-meter hurdles
Football, volleyball, and hockey — all consistent state tournament participants
Strong school spirit — the Cougars regularly draw big crowds for major games
For Lakeville South to outrank nearly every school in the state, all while sitting in the same conference as Rosemount and Eastview, is a real testament to the program's depth.
#16 — Lakeville North High School
The Panthers landed at #16 with 28 sports offered.
Lakeville North earned an A-minus overall Niche grade and has had recent state-level runs in football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. The school is known for its all-around athletic depth — kids at Lakeville North aren't just funneled into one or two flagship sports.
Lakeville North is also worth flagging for its broader extracurricular strength. The school has a nationally ranked speech team and one of the strongest theater departments in the state — but on the athletic side, the #16 ranking puts it firmly in the conversation as one of Minnesota's elite programs.
How the ranking actually works
Niche.com runs annual rankings using a combination of public data and survey feedback. For the athletics ranking specifically, they look at:
Number of state championships won by the school
Student participation in athletics
Number of sports offered
Reviews from students and parents
It's not a perfect ranking — Niche relies on user reviews, which can skew toward larger schools — but as a snapshot of athletic depth and program quality, it's a fair benchmark. And when three schools from the same corner of the state crack the top 16, that's not a fluke.
Why the south metro keeps producing strong athletic programs
A few reasons this ranking lines up with what we've all been watching for years:
Population growth. Lakeville is one of the fastest-growing cities in Minnesota, and Rosemount is right behind it. More families equals more young athletes equals deeper rosters across every sport.
Investment in facilities. Most south metro high schools have modern athletic facilities — turf fields, well-maintained tracks, dedicated weight rooms, and updated locker rooms. The new Belzer Stadium in Lakeville is the latest example.
Active booster clubs. Programs across the south metro have strong parent and community support, which translates directly into better gear, better travel, and better coaching.
Multi-sport culture. The south metro still has a strong tradition of multi-sport athletes — kids who play football in the fall, hockey in the winter, and baseball in the spring. That well-roundedness is rare in an era of single-sport club specialization.
The Bottom Line
This is a great moment for south metro athletics. Three of our high schools just got recognized as some of the best in the state, with two landing in the top three. If you've been showing up to Friday night games, hockey rinks, and track meets in Rosemount and Lakeville for the past few years, this ranking just confirms what you already knew.
If you've got kids playing for any of these programs, consider this your reminder that what you're showing up to isn't just local — it's some of the best in Minnesota.
I'll see ya out there.
FAQ
Who actually did the ranking?
Niche.com — an education ratings website that publishes annual rankings using public data and student/parent reviews. USA Today High School Sports republished the Minnesota list.
Did any other south metro schools make the list?
The published top 25 didn't include other specific south metro schools beyond Rosemount, Lakeville South, and Lakeville North — but Eagan, Apple Valley, and Eastview are all part of the District 196 athletic ecosystem and continue to compete at high levels in their own right.
How is this different from a state championship ranking?
It's not based purely on championships — it factors in state championship history plus sports offered, participation rates, and parent/student reviews. So it's measuring depth and overall athletic experience, not just elite performance.
Where can I see the full top 25?
Check out the USA Today High School Sports article or the original Niche rankings page.
