Total enrollment
35,554
-1,405 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
St. Joseph County
Indiana · Public K-12
St. Joseph County is a Indiana county whose public-school system spans 73 schools and approximately 35,614 students. Median household income runs about $66,868. The level mix is 44 elementary, 10 middle, and 15 high schools.
4-year change in St. Joseph County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
68
+1 (+1%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How St. Joseph County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In Indiana | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 36.9% | #55 of 80 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 35,614 | #5 of 91 | #299 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 70 | #4 of 91 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.8:1 | #57 of 91 | #1,715 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 46.1% | #62 of 91 | #1,817 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 66.7% | #4 of 91 | #248 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.
St. Joseph County school rankings
Residents
273,040
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
73
14 districts
Enrollment
35,614
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$66,868
Below Indiana avg
Free/reduced lunch
46.1%
Below Indiana avg
Elementary
44
17,727 students
Middle
10
6,035 students
High
15
11,501 students
Combined / other
4
351 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
South Bend Community School Corp
13,585 students · 14 districts in St. Joseph County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of St. Joseph 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+
33.5%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
9.1%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.2%
civilian labor
Median age
37
23.2% under 18
Test scores in St. Joseph County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 52 schools ranked. Indiana state average: 39.2%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Northpoint Elementary School· 83.0%
- Prairie Vista Elementary School· 81.3%
- LaSalle Academy· 73.4%
- Discovery Middle School· 71.7%
- Mary Frank Harris Elementary Sch· 66.0%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Coquillard Elementary School· 2.5%
- Navarre Middle School· 5.8%
- Jackson Middle School· 7.1%
- Monroe Elementary School· 7.4%
- Wilson Elementary School· 7.6%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn High School | Mishawaka | High | 09-12 | 3,687 | · |
| Adams High School | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 1,966 | · |
| Mishawaka High School | Mishawaka | High | 09-12 | 1,327 | · |
| Riley High School | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 1,238 | · |
| Schmucker Middle School | Mishawaka | Middle | 06-08 | 1,041 | · |
| Discovery Middle School | Granger | Middle | 06-08 | 941 | · |
| Washington High School | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 795 | · |
| John J Young Middle School | Mishawaka | Middle | 07-08 | 709 | · |
| Horizon Elementary School | Granger | Elementary | PK-05 | 679 | · |
| Virgil I Grissom Middle School | Mishawaka | Middle | 06-08 | 662 | · |
| John Glenn High School | Walkerton | High | 09-12 | 629 | · |
| Success Academy Primary School | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 610 | · |
| Jefferson Traditional School | South Bend | Middle | 06-08 | 591 | · |
| Walkerton Elementary School | Walkerton | Elementary | PK-06 | 589 | · |
| Northpoint Elementary School | Granger | Elementary | KG-05 | 577 | · |
| Harrison Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 555 | · |
| Edison Middle School | South Bend | Elementary | KG-08 | 551 | · |
| LaVille Jr-Sr High School | Lakeville | High | 07-12 | 546 | · |
| Jackson Middle School | South Bend | Middle | 06-08 | 537 | · |
| Lasalle Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-06 | 519 | · |
| Monroe Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 519 | · |
| Prairie Vista Elementary School | Granger | Elementary | KG-05 | 513 | · |
| Walt Disney Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-05 | 512 | · |
| Beiger Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-06 | 504 | · |
| Elm Road Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-05 | 503 | · |
| Clay International Academy | South Bend | Elementary | PK-08 | 496 | · |
| Olive Township Elementary School | New Carlisle | Elementary | KG-05 | 495 | · |
| Bittersweet Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-05 | 494 | · |
| Nuner Fine Arts Academy | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 489 | · |
| Career Academy High School | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 481 | · |
| Paramount School of Excellence South Bend | South Bend | Elementary | KG-07 | 476 | · |
| North Liberty School | North Liberty | Elementary | KG-06 | 474 | · |
| Mary Frank Harris Elementary Sch | Granger | Elementary | PK-05 | 471 | · |
| LaSalle Academy | South Bend | Middle | 06-08 | 461 | · |
| Liberty Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-06 | 446 | · |
| Kennedy Academy | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 443 | · |
| Madison S.T.E.A.M. Academy | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 431 | · |
| Marquette Montessori Academy | South Bend | Elementary | PK-08 | 431 | · |
| Emmons Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-06 | 422 | · |
| Career Academy Middle School | South Bend | Middle | 06-08 | 414 | · |
| Marshall Traditional School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-08 | 400 | · |
| Swanson Traditional School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 399 | · |
| Moran Elementary School | Osceola | Elementary | KG-05 | 389 | · |
| Lincoln Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 383 | · |
| Meadow's Edge Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-05 | 382 | · |
| Navarre Middle School | South Bend | Middle | 06-08 | 378 | · |
| Darden Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 375 | · |
| Wilson Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 374 | · |
| Elsie Rogers Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | PK-05 | 361 | · |
| Fred J Hums Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-06 | 327 | · |
| McKinley Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 315 | · |
| Dickinson Academy | South Bend | Elementary | KG-08 | 309 | · |
| Coquillard Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 305 | · |
| Harold C Urey Middle School | Walkerton | Middle | 07-08 | 301 | · |
| Twin Branch Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-06 | 300 | · |
| Excel Center - South Bend | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 296 | · |
| Muessel Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 295 | · |
| Battell Elementary School | Mishawaka | Elementary | KG-06 | 291 | · |
| South Bend Virtual School | South Bend | Combined | KG-12 | 291 | · |
| Cavemen Academy of Virtual Excellence | Mishawaka | High | 07-12 | 162 | · |
| Rise Up Academy at Eggleston | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 149 | · |
| Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 138 | · |
| Madison Elementary School | Wakarusa | Elementary | KG-05 | 117 | · |
| Success Academy at Boys and Girls Club | South Bend | Elementary | KG-05 | 113 | · |
| South Bend SNAP | South Bend | Elementary | PK-PK | 87 | · |
| The Portage School of Leaders | South Bend | High | 09-11 | 61 | · |
| Oaklawn Campus Program | Mishawaka | Combined | KG-12 | 44 | · |
| Lancer Virtual School | Lakeville | High | 07-12 | 26 | · |
| Juvenile Justice Center | South Bend | Combined | KG-12 | 16 | · |
| Lafayette Early Childhood Center | South Bend | Elementary | PK-PK | 6 | · |
| Clay High School | South Bend | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Studebaker Center | South Bend | Combined | PK-12 | 0 | · |
| Warren Elementary School | South Bend | Elementary | PK-05 | 0 | · |
Cities in St. Joseph County
About St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County is a broad county of about 273,040 residents in Indiana. Its public-school system enrolls approximately 35,614 students across 73 schools.
Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $66,868, about 34% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 9%. That income level is 5% lower than the Indiana median.
In terms of grade levels, St. Joseph County spans 44 elementary schools (17,727 students), 10 middle schools (6,035), 15 high schools (11,501), and 4 combined or other schools.
South Bend Community School Corp is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 13,585 students across St. Joseph County.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in St. Joseph County has fell 4% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 36,959 students to 35,554. St. Joseph County now counts 68 public schools, up from 67 in SY 2020-21.
On this page, the community for St. Joseph County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data