17 public K-12 schools in Des Plaines from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
17 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Des Plaines's 17 public schools is Maine West High School, scoring 39/100, against a city average of 48.6/100. Computed live across every Des Plaines campus reporting to NCES.
How the Des Plaines Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Des Plaines, IL enrolls 8,581 students across 17 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 12:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 48.6/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Des Plaines on this index is Maine West High School, at 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,857 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Des Plaines spans 4 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Maine West High School accounts for 21.6% of all Des Plaines public-school enrollment
That concentration means Des Plaines-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Des Plaines school enrollment varies 9.0× across entities
Des Plaines school enrollment ranges from 206 students (lowest) to 1,857 students (highest), a spread of 1,651 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Des Plaines student-teacher ratio is 12.0:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or per-school staffing investment that often correlates with stronger per-student supports)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Des Plaines
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Des Plaines is Maine West High School with a quality score of 39/100. There are 17 public schools in Des Plaines with 8,581 total students.
How many schools are in Des Plaines, IL? ▼
Des Plaines has 17 public schools with a total enrollment of 8,581 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 12:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
