A ranking of high schools using data from college-level courses has a local high school in the top ten in Iowa and among the top in the country. Rankings based on the number of students taking Advanced Placement classes compared to the number of graduating seniors puts Mid-Prairie High School at number six in Iowa. The school is also in the top 1,200 when compared to high schools across the United States.

Superintendent Mark Schneider says offering challenging courses has been a focus at Mid-Prairie since they started a gifted and talented program more than 12 years ago.