schoolsbycounty

Adams County Schools & Education

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

92.4%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

92.4%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,926

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,250

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 63/100

State Score Position

#75

of 102 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Adams County

Measured School Summary

Adams County performs at an average level with a school score of 54/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.4%.

Funding Context

At $6,926 per pupil, Adams County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 14% below the Illinois average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 25% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Adams County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

23 public schools and 5 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

54/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #75 of 102 Illinois counties with school score data.

Completion

92.4%

3.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,926

$2,324 below the state average

School coverage

23

5 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Adams County has 23 public schools across 5 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Adams County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Mixed school landscape

Adams County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.

State position

#75

of 102 Illinois counties with school score data. The county score is 9 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Quincy SD 172

Elementary to high school visible

6,345 students

Elementary 6Middle 1High 2Other 0

9 listed schools in this county slice.

Central CUSD 3

Elementary to high school visible

784 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

CUSD 4

Elementary to high school visible

664 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Liberty CUSD 2

Elementary and high visible

634 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Quincy SD 172 is the largest listed district slice, with 9 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Adams County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Adams County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Adams County Public Schools Operate With Low Per-Pupil Expenditures

Education data brief for Adams County, Illinois.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor
Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Public schools in Adams County operate with a per-pupil expenditure of $6,926, a figure significantly lower than the Illinois state average of $9,250 and the national average of approximately $13,000. Despite this fiscal differential, the county reports a graduation rate of 92.4%, which exceeds both the state rate of 88.8% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. The county's composite school score stands at 54.1, compared to a national median of 50.0. The local education landscape is dominated by Quincy SD 172, which serves 6,345 of the county's 8,920 total students. This district manages nine of the county's 23 public schools, including Quincy Sr High School, the largest facility with 1,924 students. The school directory shows a mix of 12 rural and 11 town-based locales, with no charter school presence. Consult the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed school-level records.

Sources

School Overview

Total Schools

23

in Adams County

Reported Enrollment

8,920

23 schools reporting

School Districts

5

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary11
Middle3
High9
Other0

5 School Districts in Adams County

Quincy SD 172

Guide
9 schools
6,345 students
Open district guide

Central CUSD 3

4 schools
784 students

CUSD 4

3 schools
664 students

Liberty CUSD 2

2 schools
634 students

Payson CUSD 1

2 schools
493 students

23 Public Schools in Adams County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 2 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 20 of 23 matching schools

Quincy Sr High School

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62301 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,924 students

Quincy Jr High School

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62301 / Town: Remote

Profile6–8Middle1,348 students

Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62305 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary588 students

Thomas S Baldwin Elem Sch

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62301 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary563 students

Colonel George Iles Elem Sch

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62305 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary519 students

Sarah Atwater Denman Elem

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62305 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–5Primary500 students

Dr. Abby Fox Rooney Elem Sch

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62305 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary496 students

Early Childhood

Quincy SD 172

Quincy, 62301 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–KGPrimary407 students

Liberty Elementary School

Liberty CUSD 2

Liberty, 62347 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary366 students

Unity Elementary School

CUSD 4

Mendon, 62351 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–4Primary298 students

Seymour Elementary School

Payson CUSD 1

Payson, 62360 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary270 students

Liberty High School

Liberty CUSD 2

Liberty, 62347 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High268 students

Central High School

Central CUSD 3

Camp Point, 62320 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High248 students

Central Junior High School

Central CUSD 3

Camp Point, 62320 / Rural: Remote

Record5–8Middle246 students

Seymour High School

Payson CUSD 1

Payson, 62360 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High223 students

Unity Middle School

CUSD 4

Mendon, 62351 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle184 students

Unity High School

CUSD 4

Mendon, 62351 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High182 students

Central Elementary Grade School

Central CUSD 3

Camp Point, 62320 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–2Primary180 students

Central 3-4 Middle School

Central CUSD 3

Golden, 62339 / Rural: Remote

Record3–4Primary110 students

Academic Behavior&Community Acad

Adam/Brwn/Cass/Morgn/Pik/Sctt ROE

Quincy, 62301 / Town: Remote

Record7–12Alternative0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,926

State avg $9,250

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Adams County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Illinois counties have the highest graduation rates?
Edwards County (97.0%), Hamilton County (97.0%), and Johnson County (96.3%) currently lead Illinois among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Illinois?
Across Illinois counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,250. The highest current county values are Lake County ($12,962), DuPage County ($12,349), and Jo Daviess County ($12,337). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Adams County?
Adams County has a school score of 54/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Adams County?
The high school graduation rate in Adams County is 92.4%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Adams County spend per student?
Adams County spends $6,926 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.