allk12 · Rankings · Highest poverty · Illinois · Cook County · Middle schools

The highest-poverty public middle schools in Cook County, Illinois

117 public middle schools in Cook County, Illinois appear in this ranking of the highest-poverty public middle schools, ranked by share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Creative Communications Acad leads the list at 100%, against a median of 62.9% across the ranked schools.

The table below is sortable and filterable, and the full list downloads as a CSV. Figures come from federal NCES enrollment data and, where applicable, state assessment results for 2024-25.

Schools ranked

117

Cook County, Illinois

Top % FRL

100%

Median % FRL

62.9%

HIGHEST POVERTY · COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

#	School	City	District	Level	Students	% FRL
1	Creative Communications Acad	Calumet City, IL	Dolton SD 149	Middle	246	100%
2	Roosevelt Junior High School	Dolton, IL	Dolton SD 148	Middle	130	100%
3	Washington Junior High	Riverdale, IL	Dolton SD 148	Middle	118	100%
4	S T E M Academy	Calumet City, IL	Dolton SD 149	Middle	243	99.6%
5	Roosevelt Middle School	Bellwood, IL	Bellwood SD 88	Middle	614	99.3%
6	Coolidge Middle School	Phoenix, IL	South Holland SD 151	Middle	460	99.3%
7	Memorial Jr High School	Lansing, IL	Lansing SD 158	Middle	854	99.2%
8	School of Fine Arts	Calumet City, IL	Dolton SD 149	Middle	224	99.1%
9	Worth Jr High School	Worth, IL	Worth SD 127	Middle	330	99.1%
10	Heritage Middle School	Summit, IL	Summit SD 104	Middle	447	98.9%
11	Lincoln Junior High School	Dolton, IL	Dolton SD 148	Middle	168	98.8%
12	Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center	Ford Heights, IL	Ford Heights SD 169	Middle	156	98.7%
13	Shields Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	330	96.7%
14	Hernandez Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	720	94.9%
15	Gary Elem School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	711	94.5%
16	Prairie-Hills Junior High School	Markham, IL	Prairie-Hills ESD 144	Middle	766	94.0%
17	LEARN Chtr - Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	176	92.6%
18	Albany Park Multicultural Elem	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	243	92.2%
19	Chicago Heights Middle School	Chicago Hts, IL	Chicago Heights SD 170	Middle	872	92.1%
20	Field Elem School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	151	91.4%
21	Rosa L Parks Middle School	Dixmoor, IL	W Harvey-Dixmoor PSD 147	Middle	320	91.3%
22	Northwest Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	532	89.8%
23	Brooks Middle School	Harvey, IL	Harvey SD 152	Middle	455	89.0%
24	Evergreen Academy Elem School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	191	89.0%
25	Richardson Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	844	87.8%
26	Northlake Middle School	Northlake, IL	Berkeley SD 87	Middle	378	84.4%
27	Lincoln Middle School	Berwyn, IL	Berwyn North SD 98	Middle	793	83.4%
28	Everett F Kerr Middle School	Blue Island, IL	Cook County SD 130	Middle	304	81.9%
29	Freedom Middle School	Berwyn, IL	Berwyn South SD 100	Middle	504	81.7%
30	Barack Obama Sch of Ldership	Chicago Heights, IL	Park Forest SD 163	Middle	367	80.7%
31	Washington Middle School	Lyons, IL	Lyons SD 103	Middle	659	80.0%
32	Michelle Obama Sch of Technology	Park Forest, IL	Park Forest SD 163	Middle	428	79.0%
33	Veterans Memorial Middle Sch	Blue Island, IL	Cook County SD 130	Middle	361	78.1%
34	McKinley Jr High School	South Holland, IL	South Holland SD 150	Middle	287	77.4%
35	Cicero East Elem School	Cicero, IL	Cicero SD 99	Middle	408	76.7%
36	MacArthur Middle School	Berkeley, IL	Berkeley SD 87	Middle	357	75.9%
37	Columbus East Elem School	Cicero, IL	Cicero SD 99	Middle	411	75.7%
38	Kellar School	Robbins, IL	Posen-Robbins ESD 143-5	Middle	431	75.4%
39	Sauk Elem School	Richton Park, IL	Matteson ESD 162	Middle	281	74.4%
40	Heritage Middle School	Berwyn, IL	Berwyn South SD 100	Middle	447	73.6%
41	Madero Middle School	Chicago, IL	Chicago Public Schools Dist 299	Middle	231	71.9%
42	Oliver W Holmes Middle School	Wheeling, IL	Wheeling CCSD 21	Middle	615	71.2%
43	Liberty Junior High School	Burbank, IL	Burbank SD 111	Middle	1,087	70.5%
44	Southwood Middle School	Country Club Hills, IL	Country Club Hills SD 160	Middle	283	70.3%
45	Brookwood Middle School	Glenwood, IL	Brookwood SD 167	Middle	231	68.8%
46	Lincoln Middle School	Schiller Park, IL	Schiller Park SD 81	Middle	474	68.4%
47	Colin Powell Middle Sch	Matteson, IL	ESD 159	Middle	564	68.3%
48	O W Huth Middle School	Matteson, IL	Matteson ESD 162	Middle	421	68.2%
49	Geo T Wilkins Jr High School	Justice, IL	Indian Springs SD 109	Middle	508	67.1%
50	Unity Jr High School	Cicero, IL	Cicero SD 99	Middle	1,919	66.6%

Page 1 of 3 · top 117 of 117 ranked. NCES + state assessment data, 2024-25.↓ Download full CSV

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DATA NOTICE

allk12 is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCES, the US Census Bureau, any state education agency or assessment program, or any other government agency. Source data is compiled from public records and provided "as is," without warranty of accuracy or completeness. You rely on it, and any analysis derived from it, at your own risk. See the full disclaimer.