Enrollment
94
High
DISTRICT 108 · STATE 834
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NORTHWESTERN CUSD 2·NCES 173054003174
Northwestern High School
30889 Route 111, Palmyra, IL 62674 · (217) 436-2011 · Macoupin County
GRADES 09–12HIGH42-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL94 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 35% of Illinois public high schools
- B-Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- CBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Illinois public high schools
Student : Teacher
8.0:1
12 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 9.0:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
39%
37 students
DISTRICT 48% · STATE 56%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 34 | 36% |
| Grade 10 | 25 | 27% |
| Grade 11 | 17 | 18% |
| Grade 12 | 18 | 19% |
Student demographics
4%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 8% · STATE 69% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Northwestern CUSD 2. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of IL schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
34.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
48.8%
based on IL schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-14.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 34% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 49% typical for Illinois schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School's state test result (34.5% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern High School this school | 94 | 39.4% | 34.5% |
| A-C Central High School Ashland | 96 | 38.5% | 31.5% |
| Griggsville-Perry High School Griggsville | 89 | 42.7% | 18.4% |
| Cuba Sr High School Cuba | 118 | 38.1% | 33.2% |
| Armstrong High School Armstrong | 114 | 37.7% | 28.0% |
| Greenview Jr/Sr High School Greenview | 107 | 35.5% | 33.5% |
Matched among Illinois high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Northwestern High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Illinois | In Macoupin County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 94 | #663 of 708 | #8 of 8 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
94
-1 (-1%) vs 2020
-23% since 1990-91, when it was 122
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 94 | 11.8 | 8.0:1 | 39% (37) |
| 2023-24 | 84 | 13 | 6.5:1 | 57% (48) |
| 2022-23 | 89 | 14.1 | 6.3:1 | 63% (56) |
| 2020-21 | 95 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 112 | 12.2 | 9.2:1 | 58% (65) |
| 2015-16 | 112 | 11 | 10.2:1 | 54% (60) |
| 2010-11 | 105 | 12 | 8.8:1 | 47% (49) |
| 2000-01 | 148 | 13 | 11.4:1 | N/A |
| 1990-91 | 122 | 11 | 11.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Northwestern High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 16% (112 to 94); teachers down 3% (12.2 to 11.8).
About Northwestern High School
Northwestern High School is one of the public schools in Palmyra, Illinois. It is a small high school. Its 94 students are spread across grades 9 through 12. The school's enrollment is 89% smaller than the 834 average for high schools in Illinois.
In Northwestern CUSD 2, 3 schools enroll a combined 323 students.
Federal enrollment data show Northwestern High School is 97% White. Other groups make up 2% multiracial. County-wide, about 94% of residents are White. The school's diversity index is 4%, meaning two students picked at random have a 4% chance of belonging to different racial or ethnic groups.
Northwestern High School counts 11.8 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 8.0 students for each one. This ratio sits 5.8 below the 13.8:1 average for high schools in Illinois. About 39% of students at the school meet free or reduced-price lunch income limits. By comparison, the figure for public schools in Macoupin County is 50%.
Measured against Illinois public high schools, Northwestern High School receives a C+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Northwestern High School is 14.3 points below expectations on state tests, given its student poverty level, placing it in the bottom 10% in Illinois.
Macoupin County census figures show that the median household income is $70,805, 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 10% of people live in poverty. There are 28 public schools in Macoupin County, enrolling about 7,221 students in all.
The closest public school to Northwestern High School is Northwestern Jr High School, less than a tenth of a mile away. Counting only straight-line distance, 2 other public schools are within five miles. In a group of 8 nearby schools with scores, Northwestern High School ranks 4th on average proficiency.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Distant: in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
In 2020-21, Northwestern High School enrolled 95; in 2024-25, 94.
To ask about science fairs, picture day, and bus routes, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Macoupin County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
44,350
Census ACS
Median income
$70,805
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
20%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
28
7,221 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Northwestern CUSD 2
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolElementary · 189 students
- Northwestern Jr High SchoolMiddle · 40 students
Other schools in Palmyra
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolElementary · 189 students
- Northwestern Jr High SchoolMiddle · 40 students
Other Northwestern High schools
7 other US public schools in 8 states are named Northwestern High. Northwestern High School is the 6th largest of the 8.
- Northwestern HighHyattsville, MD · 2,396 students
- Northwestern HighRock Hill, SC · 1,822 students
- Northwestern HighMaple, WI · 372 students
- Northwestern High SchoolWest Salem, OH · 327 students
- Northwestern High SchoolDETROIT, MI · 305 students
Nearby schools
- Northwestern Jr High School0.0 mi · 40
- Northwestern Elementary School0.1 mi · 189
- Waverly Elementary School10.2 mi · 182
- Waverly Jr/Sr High School10.2 mi · 147
- North Mac Intermediate11.3 mi · 224
- North Mac Middle School11.3 mi · 228
Frequently asked questions
About Northwestern High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Northwestern High School?
Northwestern High School enrolls approximately 94 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Northwestern High School serve?
Northwestern High School serves grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Northwestern High School?
Approximately 8.0:1 students per teacher at Northwestern High School.
How diverse is Northwestern High School?
Northwestern High School reports a student body of 97% White, 2% Two or more.
What district is Northwestern High School in?
Northwestern High School is part of Northwestern CUSD 2.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.