Illinois Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 102 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
88.8%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$9,250
Avg School Score
63/100
Total Schools
4,408
962 districts
State Overview
About Schools in Illinois
High Graduation Rates at Low Costs
Illinois outperforms the national graduation average of 87.0% by nearly two points, reaching 88.8% statewide. The state achieves this while spending just $9,250 per pupil, significantly less than the national average of $13,000.
A Divide Across 102 Counties
Educational outcomes vary widely across the state's 102 counties, with graduation rates ranging from 97.0% in Edwards County to 73.9% in Winnebago County. Funding disparities are equally stark, as Lake County invests $12,962 per student while Clay County spends only $6,365.
Illinois Maximizes School Resource Efficiency
The state delivers a strong return on investment, maintaining a school score of 58.1 which sits well above the national median of 50.0. This efficiency allows Illinois to secure high student success rates despite spending roughly 29% less per student than the national benchmark.
Hardin and Suburban Leaders Set the Bar
Hardin County tops the state with a 95.8 school score, while DuPage and Lake counties utilize higher per-pupil spending to maintain graduation rates above 90%. These regions demonstrate that both focused rural performance and heavy suburban investment drive top-tier academic results.
A Strong National Competitor for Families
Illinois remains an education leader with a robust graduation average that consistently beats national trends. Families should target the Chicago collar counties or high-performing rural districts like Edwards and Hardin for the best local school outcomes.
Top Performing School Counties
All Illinois Counties
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.