Cotter Schools

Cotter Schools, a private, independent, Catholic school located in Winona, Minnesota, USA, is comprised of Cotter Junior High and Cotter High School. We serve motivated and engaged students in grades 5 through 12 beginning in the fall of 2020. Over 500 students from the city of Winona, the towns surrounding Winona, and from over 14 countries around the world engage in rigorous academic study, faith-centered experiences, and personally enriching athletic and arts activities - all with one goal in mind: that each student discover and develop his or her fullest potential!

Cotter Schools is accredited through AdvancEd, a consortium of educational institutions that provides accreditation and consultative services to accredited schools and school systems. AdvancEd is the world's largest educational community, representing over 23,000 public and private schools and districts in 30 states and 65 countries and serving nearly 15 million students.

As an international learning community, serving grades 7-12, we hold our students to the highest academic standards and challenge each of them to develop their full potential academically, physically, spiritually and socially. We believe in the intrinsic goodness of all persons, and strive to model the values of faith, service, and community as we encourage and support our students to become more than they can imagine.

At Cotter Schools, we are committed to providing a positive learning environment where all students can develop to their full potential. It is our goal to know each student, and provide each student with what they need to grow academically, spiritually, emotionally and co-curricularly. In uniquely tailoring the educational experience to meet the student’s needs, we allow each student the opportunity to rise to his or her potential.

As a college-preparatory school, our teachers challenge students to master content and skills that will allow them to be successful in their post-secondary pursuits, as well as contribute positively to their communities and the world around them. Grounded in our faith traditions, Cotter Schools provides opportunities for students to develop a capacity for belief in God and an appreciation of cultural and religious diversity.

We hold students to high academic standards, and we require them to apply what they have learned to new situations. We seek to provide an interdisciplinary, liberal arts education, stressing the importance of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity, that prepares the students to meet the needs of an ever-changing world.

Our curriculum includes numerous honors, AP, PACC, and PLTW courses that allow students exposure to more rigorous curriculum and the potential for earning college credit. We consistently score above the state and national averages on the ACT and SAT tests. Over 98% of our students go on to college, attending some of the best schools in the country. Students can access academic supports when needed to ensure success in whatever classes and experiences they choose at Cotter.