Best School Districts in Illinois

Top 50 districts ranked by average school quality score. Based on student-teacher ratios, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. NCES CCD 2022-23.

50
Districts Ranked
189,958
Students
57/100
Avg Quality Score
IL
State
# District Avg Quality Grade
1. Northbrook SD 28 Northbrook 71 B
2. Northbrook/Glenview SD 30 Northbrook 70 B
3. Pleasantdale SD 107 Burr Ridge 65.5 B-
4. Libertyville SD 70 Libertyville 63.8 C+
5. Riverside SD 96 Riverside 62.4 C+
6. Elmhurst SD 205 Elmhurst 61.7 C+
7. North Shore SD 112 Highland Park 61.6 C+
8. Downers Grove GSD 58 Downers Grove 61.1 C+
9. Geneva CUSD 304 Geneva 61 C+
10. Oak Park ESD 97 Oak Park 60.9 C+
11. Barrington CUSD 220 Barrington 60.8 C+
12. Glenview CCSD 34 Glenview 60.3 C+
13. Aptakisic-Tripp CCSD 102 Buffalo Grove 60.3 C+
14. La Grange SD 102 La Grange Park 60.2 C+
15. Palos CCSD 118 Palos Park 59.7 C
16. La Grange SD 105 South La Grange 59.4 C
17. Batavia USD 101 Batavia 58.5 C
18. Benjamin SD 25 West Chicago 58.5 C
19. Northbrook ESD 27 Northbrook 57.7 C
20. Winnetka SD 36 Winnetka 57.4 C
21. CUSD 200 Wheaton 57.3 C
22. Glen Ellyn SD 41 Glen Ellyn 56.6 C
23. CCSD 146 Tinley Park 56.2 C
24. Lake Forest SD 67 Lake Forest 56.2 C
25. Lincolnwood SD 74 Lincolnwood 56 C
26. Deerfield SD 109 Deerfield 55.8 C
27. Maercker SD 60 Westmont 55.7 C
28. CCSD 89 Glen Ellyn 55.6 C
29. Wheeling CCSD 21 Wheeling 55.2 C
30. Lake Zurich CUSD 95 Lake Zurich 55.1 C
31. Millburn CCSD 24 Old Mill Creek 55 C
32. Johnsburg CUSD 12 Johnsburg 54.8 C-
33. Teutopolis CUSD 50 Teutopolis 54.7 C-
34. Avoca SD 37 Wilmette 54.5 C-
35. CUSD 308 Oswego 54.4 C-
36. Hawthorn CCSD 73 Vernon Hills 54.3 C-
37. Westchester SD 92-5 Westchester 54.3 C-
38. Woodridge SD 68 Woodridge 54.3 C-
39. River Trails SD 26 Mt Prospect 54.3 C-
40. Hinsdale CCSD 181 Clarendon Hills 54 C-
41. West Chicago ESD 33 West Chicago 54 C-
42. West Northfield SD 31 Northbrook 54 C-
43. CCSD 62 Des Plaines 53.8 C-
44. Crystal Lake CCSD 47 Crystal Lake 53.7 C-
45. Park Ridge CCSD 64 Niles 53.5 C-
46. Wilmette SD 39 Wilmette 53.5 C-
47. Fremont SD 79 Mundelein 53.3 C-
48. Will County SD 92 Lockport 53.3 C-
49. Township HSD 211 Palatine 53.2 C-
50. Aurora East USD 131 Aurora 53.1 C-

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best school districts in Illinois? ▼

The top-ranked district in Illinois is Northbrook SD 28 in Northbrook with 1,842 students across 4 schools. Average quality score: 71/100. Rankings are based on average school quality scores from NCES data.

How are district rankings calculated? ▼

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES data: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be ranked.

How many school districts are in Illinois? ▼

Illinois has 50+ school districts serving 1,844,783 students. The statewide average student-teacher ratio is 14.6:1.

Explore More for Illinois

All Schools → Best Schools → Highest Spending → Funding Equity → Absenteeism Data →

Methodology

Districts are ranked by the average quality score of their schools. Quality scores (0-100) are computed from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 metrics: student-teacher ratio, school counselor availability, gifted program access, and chronic absenteeism rates. Districts must have at least 500 students and 2+ schools to be included. This measures school-level resources, not test scores. Higher average scores indicate districts where schools generally have smaller classes, better counselor access, and lower absenteeism.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.