Cook County

Illinois · Public K-12

Cook County in Illinois has 1,406 public K-12 schools in service today, collectively responsible for roughly 697,934 students with Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 the largest district. By grade band, the county runs 966 elementary, 151 middle, and 270 high schools.

7-year change in Cook County

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25

Total enrollment

696,942

-70,433 (-9%) vs SY 2017-18

School count

1,268

-101 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18

% White

24%

was 25%

% Hispanic

40%

was 39%

% Black

25%

was 27%

% Asian

was 6%

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages

Residents

5,182,090

all ages · ACS 5-yr

Schools

1,406

171 districts

Enrollment

697,934

students · NCES CCD

Median income

$83,498

Above Illinois avg

Free/reduced lunch

66.0%

Above Illinois avg

Elementary

966

387,587 students

Middle

151

80,599 students

High

270

224,702 students

Combined / other

5,046 students

LARGEST DISTRICT

Chicago Public Schools Dist 299

324,396 students · 171 districts in Cook County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Cook County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".

County residents

White

44%

Hispanic

27%

Black

22%

Asian

Two or more

13%

Native American

Pacific Islander

School enrollment

White

24%

Hispanic

40%

Black

25%

Asian

Two or more

Native American

Pacific Islander

Bachelor's+

42.7%

adults 25+

Poverty rate

9.9%

ACS 5-year

Unemployment

7.0%

civilian labor

Median age

21.1% under 18

Test scores in Cook County

Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 1,009 schools ranked. Illinois state average: 51.0%.

Top 5 schools (ELA)

Young Magnet High School· 97.5%
Skinner North Elem Sch· 97.4%
Edison Elem Regional Gifted Cntr· 96.6%
Keller Elem Gifted Magnet School· 96.4%
Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy· 96.0%

Lowest 5 schools (ELA)

Herzl Elem School· 6.8%
Plato Learning Acad Elem School· 7.7%
Kelvyn Park High School· 9.0%
Dett Elem School· 10.3%
Till Elem Math & Science Academy· 11.0%

See all 1,009 schools in Cook County ranked by score →

All schools (1,406)

Largest A-Z Top rated

Name	City	Level	Grades	Enrollment	Rating
J Sterling Morton Alternative Sch	Cicero	High	09-12	0	·
John G Conyers Learning Academy	Rolling Meadows	Elementary	PK-08	0	·
Julia S Molloy Education Center	Morton Grove	Combined	PK-12	0	·
Lincoln School	E Hazel Crest	Elementary	KG-08	0	·
Little Black Pearl Arts Acad HS	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Morton Alternative Schools	Maywood	High	09-12	0	·
NCISC ALOP	Des Plaines	High	06-12	0	·
Nathaniel Hawthorne EC School	Wheeling	Elementary	PK-PK	0	·
Newcomer Center	Arlington Heights	High	09-12	0	·
Niles Central	Skokie	High	09-12	0	·
North Campus	Palatine	High	09-12	0	·
North Cook Student Advocacy ALOP	Des Plaines	High	06-12	0	·
North Cook Young Adult Academy	Des Plaines	High	06-12	0	·
Northfield Community Nursery Sch	Northfield	Elementary	PK-PK	0	·
Northside Learning Center	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Ombudsman Chicago - Roseland HS	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Ombudsman Chicago Northwest	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Ombudsman Chicago South	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Ombudsman Chicago West	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Outlook Academy	South Holland	High	09-12	0	·
PEACE Center	Dolton	High	09-12	0	·
Pathways in Education - Humboldt	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Pathways in Education Ashburn	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Pathways in Education Avondale	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Pathways in Education Brighton Pa	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
Peace and Education Coalition HS	Chicago	High	10-12	0	·
Proviso THSD 209 Dream School	Maywood	High	09-12	0	·
Ralph J Frost Academy	Park Ridge	High	09-12	0	·
Regl Inst Scholastic Excellence	Chicago Heights	High	06-12	0	·
Regl Inst Scholastic Excellence	Worth	High	06-12	0	·
Rice Childrens Center	Evanston	Middle	01-08	0	·
Rich Township Star Academy	Richton Park	High	10-12	0	·
Simpson Acad HS for Young Women	Chicago	High	06-12	0	·
South Cook ISC ALOP	Chicago Hts	High	06-11	0	·
South Cook ISC Student Advocate	Chicago Hts	High	06-12	0	·
South Cook Truancy Program	Chicago Hts	High	06-12	0	·
Southside Occupational Acad HS	Chicago	High	11-12	0	·
TAPESTRY ALOP	Maywood	Combined	04-12	0	·
The Academy at Forest View	Arlington Heights	High	09-12	0	·
Vanguard School	Arlington Heights	High	09-12	0	·
Vaughn Occupational High School	Chicago	High	09-12	0	·
West 40 ALOP Achievers	Maywood	High	09-12	0	·
West 40 HNA Learning Program	Maywood	High	06-12	0	·
West 40 Reg Safe Sch Middle Prg	Maywood	Middle	06-08	0	·
West 40-Sr. Plus	Maywood	High	12-12	0	·
Worthridge School	Worth	Elementary	PK-PK	0	·
Young Adult Program	Arlington Heights	High	09-12	0	·
A E R O Educational Center	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O-Connect Prog-Satellite	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O-Functional Acad Learning-	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O-STAR (Autism)-Satellite	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O. EC Program-Satellite	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O. Therapeutic Center	Burbank	Elementary	M-M	·	·
A.E.R.O.-Comm. Develop.-Satellite	Burbank	Combined	M-M	·	·
ABLE Program	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Acad for Lifelong Learning	Chicago Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Academy for Learning	Dolton	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Braun Educational Center	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Care Program	Crestwood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Communication Dev Program	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Communication Development/CD	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
DESTINY Program	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Deaf & Hard of Hearing/DHH	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
EASE Program	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Echo School	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Eisenhower Coop-DHH Program	Crestwood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Family Enrichment PRG/FEP	Riverdale	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Hersey HS-D/HH HS Program	Prospect Hts	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Hope Learning Academy	Chicago	Combined	M-M	·	·
Kirk School	Palatine	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-Comm Develop	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-DHH Transition Cntr	Lagrange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-ECSE	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-Emotional Disabilities	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-Multineeds	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-Phonological Program	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
LADSE-Project Search	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Ladse Learning Center	La Grange	Elementary	M-M	·	·
MacArthur MS-D/HH MS Program	Prospect Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
MacArthur/ECHO Elem	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Miner School	Arlington Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
NTDSE Sat Program	Morton Grove	Elementary	M-M	·	·
P R I D E School	Oak Lawn	Combined	M-M	·	·
PACE Elem	South Holland	Elementary	M-M	·	·
PAEC Academy	Westchester	Elementary	M-M	·	·
PAEC Alternative Elementary	Maywood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
PAEC Alternative High School	Maywood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
PAEC Education Center EC	Maywood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Park School	Evanston	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Phoenix Academy	Franklin Park	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Project Challenge	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Proviso Area Except Child Center	Maywood	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Riley Early Childhood Center	Harvey	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Riley School-DHH Elem Prgrm	Arlington Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Southwest Coop at Morton Gingerwo	Oak Forest	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Speed Early Learning Center	Chicago Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Speed Independence Elem Sch	Chicago Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Speed Independence High School	Chicago Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Speed Program for Adaptive Learn	Chicago Heights	Elementary	M-M	·	·

Cities in Cook County

Chicago657 schools Des Plaines21 schools Arlington Heights20 schools Chicago Heights20 schools Evanston19 schools Maywood19 schools Cicero18 schools Oak Forest17 schools Burbank16 schools Palatine16 schools Glenview15 schools Orland Park15 schools Schaumburg15 schools Skokie15 schools South Holland15 schools Calumet City14 schools Hoffman Estates14 schools La Grange14 schools Oak Lawn14 schools Berwyn13 schools Dolton11 schools Northbrook11 schools Oak Park11 schools Tinley Park11 schools Elk Grove Village10 schools Blue Island9 schools Park Ridge9 schools Streamwood9 schools Harvey8 schools Lansing8 schools Mount Prospect8 schools Wheeling8 schools Wilmette8 schools Alsip7 schools Barrington7 schools Crestwood7 schools Franklin Park7 schools Morton Grove7 schools Mt Prospect7 schools Park Forest7 schools Rolling Meadows7 schools Bellwood6 schools Evergreen Park6 schools Hanover Park6 schools Matteson6 schools Melrose Park6 schools Midlothian6 schools Niles6 schools Northlake6 schools Palos Heights6 schools Riverdale6 schools Winnetka6 schools Bartlett5 schools Country Club Hills5 schools Flossmoor5 schools Forest Park5 schools Lemont5 schools Markham5 schools Prospect Heights5 schools Richton Park5 schools Riverside5 schools Summit5 schools Worth5 schools Brookfield4 schools Buffalo Grove4 schools Chicago Hts4 schools Elgin4 schools Elmwood Park4 schools Glenwood4 schools Hazel Crest4 schools Justice4 schools La Grange Park4 schools Lincolnwood4 schools Norridge4 schools Northfield4 schools Westchester4 schools Western Springs4 schools Bridgeview3 schools Calumet Park3 schools Chicago Ridge3 schools Dixmoor3 schools Glencoe3 schools Hickory Hills3 schools Homewood3 schools Lyons3 schools Palos Hills3 schools River Forest3 schools River Grove3 schools Sauk Village3 schools Schiller Park3 schools Berkeley2 schools Broadview2 schools Ford Heights2 schools Hillside2 schools La Grange Highlands2 schools Olympia Fields2 schools Palos Park2 schools Posen2 schools Robbins2 schools South Chicago Heights2 schools Stickney2 schools Bedford Park1 school Burnham1 school Burr Ridge1 school Countryside1 school E Hazel Crest1 school Harwood Heights1 school Hodgkins1 school Hoffman Est1 school Hometown1 school Kenilworth1 school Lagrange1 school Lynwood1 school Merrionette Park1 school North Riverside1 school Northlake1 school Orland Hills1 school Phoenix1 school Prospect Hts1 school Roselle1 school Rosemont1 school South Barrington1 school Stone Park1 school Thornton1 school Willow Springs1 school

About Cook County

Cook County is a sizable county of about 5,182,090 residents in Illinois. Its public-school system educates approximately 697,934 students across 1406 schools.

Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $83,498 a year, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 10%. That income level is 19% higher than the Illinois median.

Looking at the level breakdown, Cook County covers 966 elementary schools (387,587 students), 151 middle schools (80,599), 270 high schools (224,702), and 19 combined or other schools.

The largest single district in Cook County is Chicago Public Schools Dist 299, which alone enrolls about 324,396 students.

Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment shrank 9%: 767,375 students in SY 2017-18 versus 696,942 in SY 2024-25. The school count fell from 1369 to 1268 across the same 7-year window.

On this page, the community for Cook County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.

Frequently asked questions

How many K-12 schools serve Cook County?

There are 1,406 public K-12 schools in Cook County, Illinois, with a combined enrollment of about 697,934.

How many high schools are in Cook County?

Cook County, Illinois has 270 public high schools, serving approximately 224,702 students.

How many middle schools are in Cook County?

Cook County, Illinois has 151 public middle schools, serving approximately 80,599 students.

How many elementary schools are in Cook County?

Cook County, Illinois has 966 public elementary schools, serving approximately 387,587 students.

What is the largest school district in Cook County?

Chicago Public Schools Dist 299 is the largest school district in Cook County, serving approximately 324,396 students. The county contains 171 school districts overall.

How many people live in Cook County?

Cook County has roughly 5,182,090 residents according to the latest Census ACS 5-year estimate.

What is the median household income in Cook County?

Median household income in Cook County is $83,498, above the Illinois average of $70,291. About 9.9% of residents live below the federal poverty line.

How educated are residents of Cook County?

Approximately 42.7% of adults 25 and older in Cook County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.

What share of students in Cook County qualify for free or reduced lunch?

Roughly 66.0% of students in Cook County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is higher than the Illinois county average of 51.1%.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Cook County schools?

Across Cook County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 14.9 to 1.

Cook County school rankings

Largest schools All rankings →

DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data