Total enrollment
33,369
-899 (-3%) vs SY 2020-21
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.
4-year change in Elkhart County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
57
+3 (+6%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Elkhart County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Indiana | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 38.4% | #40 of 80 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 33,574 | #6 of 91 | #312 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 58 | #6 of 91 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.7:1 | #72 of 91 | #1,983 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 51.4% | #30 of 91 | #1,548 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 60.5% | #6 of 91 | #533 of 2,707 |
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Elkhart County school rankings
Residents
207,132
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
60
9 districts
Enrollment
33,574
students · 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 4 years. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment fell 3%: 34,268 students in SY 2020-21 versus 33,369 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 54 to 57 across the same 4-year window.
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
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data