Total enrollment
33,369
-3,056 (-8%) vs SY 2017-18
Elkhart County
Indiana · Public K-12
Elkhart County's public schools, 60 in all, serve approximately 33,574 K-12 students inside Indiana, with Elkhart Community Schools the largest district by enrollment. The level mix is 38 elementary, 10 middle, and 9 high schools.
7-year change in Elkhart County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
57
+1 (+2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
50%
was 56%
% Hispanic
37%
was 30%
% Black
7%
was 8%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
60
9 districts
Enrollment
33,574
NCES CCD
Median income
$68,561
Below Indiana avg
Free/reduced lunch
51.4%
Above Indiana avg
Elementary
38
15,665 students
Middle
10
6,876 students
High
9
10,471 students
Combined / other
3
562 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Elkhart Community Schools
10,640 students · 9 districts in Elkhart County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Elkhart 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
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
20.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
9.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
3.6%
civilian labor
Median age
36
27.4% under 18
Test scores in Elkhart County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 47 schools ranked. Indiana state average: 39.2%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Jefferson Elementary School· 82.5%
- Middlebury Elementary School· 76.0%
- Wakarusa Elementary School· 64.2%
- Orchard View School· 63.0%
- North Wood Middle School· 60.6%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Mary Beck Elementary School· 10.0%
- Mary Daly Elementary School· 11.5%
- Beardsley Elementary School· 16.5%
- North Side Middle School· 19.9%
- Pierre Moran Middle School· 19.9%
Cities in Elkhart County
About Elkhart County
Across the middle-population Indiana county of Elkhart County of about 207,132 residents, the public-school footprint covers 60 schools and about 33,574 students.
Stepping back, census numbers show the median household earns about $68,561 a year, about 20% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
In terms of grade levels, Elkhart County consists of 38 elementary schools (15,665 students), 10 middle schools (6,876), 9 high schools (10,471), and 3 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Elkhart County is Elkhart Community Schools, which alone enrolls about 10,640 students.
Trend over the past 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment fell 8%: 36,425 students in SY 2017-18 versus 33,369 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 56 to 57 across the same 7-year window. Demographically, the Hispanic share of enrollment expanded from 30% to 37%.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Elkhart 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
Elkhart County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data