The bulletin board for America's public schools. Parents, teachers, students, and staff. One community per school.

Lake County

Illinois · Public K-12

Lake County reports 214 public K-12 schools and roughly 118,032 students enrolled, per NCES, with a mix of 132 elementary, 45 middle, and 35 high.

7-year change in Lake County

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25
Total enrollment
117,662
-9,410 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18
School count
185
-16 (-8%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
42%
was 47%
% Hispanic
36%
was 33%
% Black
7%
was 7%
% Asian
10%
was 9%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
714,223
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
214
51 districts
Enrollment
118,032
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$110,416
Above Illinois avg
Free/reduced lunch
54.3%
Above Illinois avg
Elementary
132
51,559 students
Middle
45
25,424 students
High
35
41,049 students
Combined / other
2
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Waukegan CUSD 60
13,640 students · 51 districts in Lake County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Lake 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
61%
Hispanic
25%
Black
7%
Asian
9%
Two or more
13%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
42%
Hispanic
36%
Black
7%
Asian
10%
Two or more
4%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
Bachelor's+
47.7%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.8%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.2%
civilian labor
Median age
39
23.3% under 18

Test scores in Lake County

Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 144 schools ranked. Illinois state average: 51.0%.

See all 144 schools in Lake County ranked by score →

All schools (214)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
Adlai E Stevenson High SchoolLincolnshireHigh09-124,758·
Waukegan High SchoolWaukeganHigh09-124,186·
Warren Township High SchoolGurneeHigh09-123,537·
Barrington High SchoolBarringtonHigh09-122,718·
Mundelein Cons High SchoolMundeleinHigh09-122,282·
Round Lake Senior High SchoolRound LakeHigh09-122,194·
Zion-Benton Twnshp Hi SchZionHigh09-122,114·
Lake Zurich High SchoolLake ZurichHigh09-121,839·
Libertyville High SchoolLibertyvilleHigh09-121,777·
Grant Community High SchoolFox LakeHigh09-121,769·
Highland Park High SchoolHighland ParkHigh09-121,661·
Woodland Middle SchoolGurneeMiddle06-081,541·
Wauconda High SchoolWaucondaHigh09-121,452·
Deerfield High SchoolDeerfieldHigh09-121,437·
Vernon Hills High SchoolVernon HillsHigh09-121,419·
Woodland ElementaryGages LakeElementary01-031,386·
Grayslake Central High SchoolGrayslakeHigh09-121,375·
Lake Forest High SchoolLake ForestHigh09-121,359·
Lakes Community High SchoolLake VillaHigh09-121,334·
Antioch Comm High SchoolAntiochHigh09-121,313·
Grayslake North High SchoolGrayslakeHigh09-121,208·
Woodland Intermediate SchGurneeElementary04-05979·
Aptakisic Junior High SchoolBuffalo GroveMiddle06-08940·
Oak Grove Elem SchoolLibertyvilleElementaryKG-08911·
North Chicago Community High SchNorth ChicagoHigh09-12898·
Antioch Upper Grade SchoolAntiochMiddle06-08875·
Peter J Palombi SchoolLake VillaMiddle06-08844·
Round Lake Middle SchoolRound Lake HeightsMiddle06-08783·
Robert Crown SchoolWaucondaElementaryKG-05776·
Big Hollow Middle SchoolInglesideMiddle05-08744·
Fremont Elem SchoolMundeleinElementaryPK-02743·
John R Lewis Middle SchoolWaukeganMiddle06-08721·
Daniel Wright Jr High SchoolLincolnshireMiddle06-08720·
Beach Park Middle SchoolBeach ParkMiddle06-08715·
Millburn Elem SchoolOld Mill CreekElementaryPK-05711·
Meridian SchoolBuffalo GroveElementary04-05702·
Highland Middle SchoolLibertyvilleMiddle06-08701·
Lake Zurich Middle - N CampusHawthorn WoodsMiddle06-08697·
Fremont Jr High/Middle SchoolMundeleinMiddle06-08692·
May Whitney Elem SchoolLake ZurichElementaryPK-05677·
Frederick SchoolGrayslakeMiddle05-06667·
Edgewood Middle SchoolHighland ParkMiddle06-08663·
Woodland Primary SchoolGages LakeElementaryPK-KG657·
Fremont Intermediate SchoolMundeleinElementary03-05651·
Miguel Juarez Middle SchoolWaukeganMiddle06-08651·
Magee Middle SchoolRound LakeMiddle06-08642·
Grayslake Middle SchoolGrayslakeMiddle07-08641·
Half Day SchoolLincolnshireElementary03-05633·
Woodlawn Middle SchoolLong GroveMiddle06-08632·
Hawthorn Middle School NorthVernon HillsMiddle06-08627·
Twin Groves Middle SchoolBuffalo GroveMiddle06-08625·
Raymond Ellis Elem SchoolRound Lake BeachElementaryKG-05617·
Hillcrest Elementary SchoolAntiochElementaryKG-05614·
Hawthorn Middle School SouthVernon HillsMiddle06-08609·
Neal Math Science AcademyNorth ChicagoMiddle06-08601·
Lake Zurich Middle - S CampusLake ZurichMiddle06-08599·
Robert E Abbott Middle SchoolWaukeganMiddle06-08585·
Glenwood Elementary SchoolWaukeganElementaryKG-05577·
Lake Bluff Elem SchLake BluffElementaryPK-05572·
Butterfield SchoolLibertyvilleElementaryPK-05568·
B J Hooper Elem SchoolLindenhurstElementaryPK-05545·
Northwood Middle SchoolHighland ParkMiddle06-08540·
Carl Sandburg Middle SchoolMundeleinMiddle06-08529·
Indian Hill Elem SchoolRound Lake HeightsElementary03-05529·
Laura B Sprague SchoolLincolnshireElementaryPK-02525·
Big Hollow Elem SchoolInglesideElementary02-04522·
Isaac Fox Elementary SchoolLake ZurichElementaryKG-05520·
LEARN John Kathy Schreiber ChrtrWaukeganElementaryKG-08519·
Spencer Loomis Elementary SchoolHawthorn WoodsElementaryKG-05516·
Oakland Elementary SchoolLake VillaElementaryKG-05515·
Olive C Martin SchoolLake VillaElementaryPK-05511·
Carman-Buckner Elem SchoolWaukeganElementaryPK-05509·
Wauconda Middle SchoolWaucondaMiddle06-08506·
Hawthorn Elem School SouthVernon HillsElementary01-05505·
Oakdale Elem SchoolWaukeganElementaryPK-05505·
LEARN Chtr Sch 6 N Chicago CampusGreat LakesElementaryKG-08503·
North Elem SchoolWaukeganElementaryPK-05498·
Seth Paine Elem SchoolHawthorn WoodsElementaryKG-05495·
Oak Terrace Elem SchoolHighwoodElementaryPK-05494·
Edith M Smith Middle SchoolWaukeganMiddle06-08493·
Round Lake Beach Elem SchoolRound Lake BeachElementaryKG-02491·
William L Thompson SchoolLake VillaElementaryPK-05488·
Mechanics Grove Elem SchoolMundeleinElementary03-05486·
Tripp SchoolBuffalo GroveElementaryKG-03485·
Ivy Hall Elementary SchoolBuffalo GroveElementary01-05482·
Wilmot Elem SchoolDeerfieldElementaryKG-05477·
Alan B Shepard Middle SchoolDeerfieldMiddle06-08476·
Glen Flora Elem SchoolWaukeganElementaryPK-05476·
Jack Benny Middle SchoolWaukeganMiddle06-08475·
Indian Trail Elem SchoolHighland ParkElementaryKG-05472·
River Trail SchoolGurneeElementaryKG-08471·
Gavin Central Elementary SchoolInglesideElementaryPK-04467·
Washington Elem SchoolMundeleinElementaryKG-02467·
W C Petty Elementary SchoolAntiochElementaryKG-05462·
Viking SchoolGurneeMiddle06-08461·
Prairie Trail SchoolWadsworthElementary03-05454·
Prairie Elementary SchoolBuffalo GroveElementary01-05453·
Kipling Elem SchoolDeerfieldElementaryKG-05452·
Matthews Middle SchoolIsland LakeMiddle06-08451·
Spaulding Elementary SchoolGurneeElementaryPK-02450·

Cities in Lake County

Waukegan23 schoolsVernon Hills15 schoolsHighland Park14 schoolsMundelein14 schoolsGrayslake9 schoolsZion9 schoolsBuffalo Grove8 schoolsLibertyville8 schoolsRound Lake8 schoolsAntioch7 schoolsDeerfield7 schoolsGages Lake7 schoolsGurnee7 schoolsLake Forest7 schoolsLake Villa7 schoolsLake Zurich6 schoolsNorth Chicago6 schoolsIngleside5 schoolsWauconda5 schoolsBeach Park4 schoolsLincolnshire4 schoolsHawthorn Woods3 schoolsLong Grove3 schoolsRound Lake Beach3 schoolsBarrington2 schoolsFox Lake2 schoolsGreat Lakes2 schoolsHainesville2 schoolsLake Bluff2 schoolsLindenhurst2 schoolsRound Lake Heights2 schoolsWadsworth2 schoolsWinthrop Harbor2 schoolsBannockburn1 schoolHighwood1 schoolIsland Lake1 schoolNorth Barrington1 schoolOld Mill Creek1 schoolRound Lake Park1 schoolSpring Grove1 school

About Lake County

In Illinois, Lake County is a population-heavy county of about 714,223 residents. 214 public schools across the county serves about 118,032 students between them.

Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $110,416, about 48% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate is around 6%. That income level is 57% noticeably above the Illinois median.

In terms of grade levels, Lake County spans 132 elementary schools (51,559 students), 45 middle schools (25,424), 35 high schools (41,049), and 2 combined or other schools.

Waukegan CUSD 60 dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 13,640 students on its own.

Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment decreased 7%: 127,072 students in SY 2017-18 versus 117,662 in SY 2024-25. Over that span, Lake County lost 16 schools, going from 201 to 185. Demographically, the White share of enrollment fell from 47% to 42%.

Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Lake County discusses sports rivalries, cross-district programs, and shared facilities. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.

Frequently asked questions

How many K-12 schools serve Lake County?
There are 214 public K-12 schools in Lake County, Illinois, with a combined enrollment of about 118,032.
How many high schools are in Lake County?
Lake County, Illinois has 35 public high schools, serving approximately 41,049 students.
How many middle schools are in Lake County?
Lake County, Illinois has 45 public middle schools, serving approximately 25,424 students.
How many elementary schools are in Lake County?
Lake County, Illinois has 132 public elementary schools, serving approximately 51,559 students.
What is the largest school district in Lake County?
Waukegan CUSD 60 is the largest school district in Lake County, serving approximately 13,640 students. The county contains 51 school districts overall.
How many people live in Lake County?
Lake County has roughly 714,223 residents according to the latest Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What is the median household income in Lake County?
Median household income in Lake County is $110,416, above the Illinois average of $70,291. About 5.8% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Lake County?
Approximately 47.7% of adults 25 and older in Lake County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Lake County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 54.3% of students in Lake 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 Lake County schools?
Across Lake County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 13.2 to 1.

Lake County school rankings

Largest schoolsAll rankings →
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data