Seventeen colleges and universities, six technical colleges, and four community colleges provide opportunities for continued education. Cottage Grove is a part of South Washington County School District 833. An atmosphere of academic excellence is encouraged at all levels of learning. Music, theater, and visual arts are an important part of the curriculum, along with fast growing technology programs. At the senior high school level, academic letters are awarded along with athletic and club letters.
Parent involvement is encouraged by the educators at our community and state levels.
Through parent Teacher Association, Building Advisory Communities, and Parent Involvement Programs, a cooperation between home and school is firmly established. Commercial and industrial development has grown in recent years. Choice sites are still available for development, including a 500 acre Industrial Park with many utility already in place. An established transportation network provides access to the Twin Cities and the rest of the nation. For major industry, the Mississippi River provides a barge passage to the world via navigable waterways, along with two major rail operations which serve the area with twenty-four trains daily.