- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Buffalo Grove, IL
Cooper Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cooper Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 174221004230
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cooper Middle School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Illinois median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Buffalo Grove · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 732
- students enrolled
Cooper Middle School has class sizes near the Illinois median. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Buffalo Grove, IL.
School address
District: Wheeling Ccsd 21 · Illinois
NCES ID 174221004230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 174221004230 · Buffalo Grove, IL Middle · MID · TRAD
732 enr · 14.9:1 · RII 57
Nearest enrollment peer: Jack London Middle School (628 students)
Resource Investment Index #2 of 3 middle schools in Buffalo Grove. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · Illinois schools → · Find another →
Cooper Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- This school
Cooper Middle School
732 students
- Jack London Mi
Jack London Middle School
628 students
- Oliver W Holme
Oliver W Holmes Middle School
615 students
- Eugene Field E
Eugene Field Elem School
613 students
- Joyce Kilmer E
Joyce Kilmer Elem School
590 students
- Booth Tarkingt
Booth Tarkington Elem School
540 students
What this shows Cooper Middle School reports 732 students on the CCD universe file.
How Cooper Middle School compares
Cooper Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 732 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
732
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Illinois - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$23,330
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $18,196
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 244 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 60.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Asian 10.2%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.0, Cooper Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wheeling Ccsd 21, which includes Cooper Middle School.
$23,330
Per student
+28%
vs Illinois
Avg $18,196
+32%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 64.2%
State 26.2%
Federal 9.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Cooper Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack London Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oliver W Holmes Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eugene Field Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joyce Kilmer Elem School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Booth Tarkington Elem School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cooper Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 590
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 540
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools in Buffalo Grove
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~732 students)
Frequently asked questions about Cooper Middle School
How many students attend Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has 732 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Buffalo Grove, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School is 14.9:1, which is 6% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cooper Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cooper Middle School is White at 60.1% of enrollment, in Buffalo Grove, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Cooper Middle School rank among middle schools in Buffalo Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Buffalo Grove, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Buffalo Grove on the city page.
What other schools are in Wheeling Ccsd 21?
Besides Cooper Middle School, Wheeling Ccsd 21 also operates Jack London Middle School (628 students), Oliver W Holmes Middle School (615 students), and Eugene Field Elem School (613 students). See the Wheeling Ccsd 21 district page for the complete list.
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.