📊 What this ranking measures
Rankings are based on
academic achievement — the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (IAR 2023–24), ranked against other districts in the same state — not on spending, district size, or staffing.
See full methodology →
Top 25 Districts Illinois
Sorted by rating — highest first
Best School Districts in Illinois (2026)
This ranking covers 457 rated public school districts in Illinois,
scored using IAR 2023–24 state assessment data.
Each district's reading and math proficiency rates are averaged, then ranked against other districts in the same state to produce a 1–10 score.
A district's score reflects how its students perform on state assessments relative to same-state peers —
it is not a direct measure of teaching quality, school culture, or individual student outcomes.
Always visit schools, talk to local families, and contact districts directly before making decisions.
Learn how ratings are calculated →
Illinois School Districts at a Glance
- 823 of the 855 regular school districts operating in Illinois have a published rating on this site.
- 260 districts score 8/10 or higher, the top three rating bands.
- Ratings come from IAR 2023–24, and every district is ranked against other districts in Illinois only — never against districts in another state, because the tests differ.
- The highest-rated district is Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lake Zurich, rated 10/10.
- Illinois has 99 high-school-only districts, so an address here can sit in an elementary district and a separate high school district at the same time. How split districts work →
How to Use This List
Click any district name to see its zip code page and confirm your exact assignment with the district office.
Boundaries don't always follow city or neighborhood lines — the zip code search gives you the most accurate result.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school district in Illinois? ▼
Based on state reading and math assessment proficiency (IAR 2023–24), the top-rated district is Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lake Zurich, rated 10/10 (Excellent).
How are these rankings calculated? ▼
Rankings use the share of students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (IAR 2023–24), ranked against other districts in the same state, then converted to a 1–10 scale.
Full methodology here.
Are ratings based on test scores? ▼
Yes. Ratings are based directly on state reading and math assessment proficiency rates, not on enrollment, spending, or school count. They are a starting point for research, not a final verdict on school quality.
How many school districts are in Illinois? ▼
Illinois has 855 regular school districts operating in the 2024–25 school year, according to the NCES Common Core of Data. 823 of them have enough state assessment data to carry a rating on this site.
What test are Illinois school district ratings based on? ▼
IAR 2023–24. The rating is the share of students scoring proficient or above in reading and math, converted to a percentile against other districts in Illinois and then to a 1–10 scale. Spending, staffing and district size are not part of it.
How many districts in Illinois are rated 8 out of 10 or higher? ▼
260 of the 823 rated districts in Illinois score 8/10 or above. Because the scale is a within-state percentile, a high rating means the district outperforms most other districts in Illinois, not the country.
Can one address in Illinois be in two school districts? ▼
Yes. Illinois has 99 districts that serve only high school grades, so a home can be in an elementary district for the lower grades and a separate high school district for grades 9–12. Search your street address to see every district that serves it.