9 public K-12 schools in Ottawa from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
9 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Ottawa's 9 public schools is Ottawa Township High School, scoring 32/100, against a city average of 42.7/100. Computed live across every Ottawa campus reporting to NCES.
How the Ottawa Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Ottawa, IL enrolls 3,504 students across 9 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 11.5:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 42.7/100. 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 Ottawa on this index is Ottawa Township High School, at 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,223 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Ottawa spans 5 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.
Ottawa Township High School accounts for 34.9% of all Ottawa public-school enrollment
That dominant concentration means Ottawa-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.
Ottawa school enrollment varies 28× across entities
Ottawa school enrollment ranges from 44 students (lowest) to 1,223 students (highest), a spread of 1,179 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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.
Ottawa operates 5 school districts — among the most fragmented governance structures in the country
Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.
Ottawa student-teacher ratio is 11.5:1 — 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 Ottawa
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 Ottawa is Ottawa Township High School with a quality score of 32/100. There are 9 public schools in Ottawa with 3,504 total students.
How many schools are in Ottawa, IL? ▼
Ottawa has 9 public schools with a total enrollment of 3,504 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 11.5:1.
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.
