Best School Districts in Cook County, Illinois (2026)

📊 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 →

All 136 Rated Districts in Cook County, IL Sorted by rating, then state percentile

County Rank	District	District Office	Rating	State Percentile
#1	Glencoe School District 35	Glencoe	10/10 Excellent	99th
#2	New Trier Township High School District 203	Northfield	10/10 Excellent	99th
#3	Northbrook Elementary School District 27	Northbrook	10/10 Excellent	99th
#4	Northbrook School District 28	Northbrook	10/10 Excellent	99th
#5	Northbrook/Glenview School District 30	Northbrook	10/10 Excellent	99th
#6	Sunset Ridge School District 29	Northfield	10/10 Excellent	99th
#7	Avoca School District 37	Wilmette	10/10 Excellent	98th
#8	Kenilworth School District 38	Kenilworth	10/10 Excellent	98th
#9	Lyons Township High School District 204	La Grange	10/10 Excellent	98th
#10	North Palos School District 117	Palos Hills	10/10 Excellent	98th
#11	Oak Park Elementary School District 97	Oak Park	10/10 Excellent	98th
#12	River Forest School District 90	River Forest	10/10 Excellent	98th
#13	Wilmette School District 39	Wilmette	10/10 Excellent	98th
#14	Winnetka School District 36	Winnetka	10/10 Excellent	98th
#15	LaGrange Highlands School District 106	La Grange Highlands	10/10 Excellent	97th
#16	Pleasantdale School District 107	Burr Ridge	10/10 Excellent	97th
#17	Western Springs School District 101	Western Springs	10/10 Excellent	97th
#18	Riverside School District 96	Riverside	10/10 Excellent	96th
#19	Palos Community Consolidated School District 118	Palos Park	10/10 Excellent	95th
#20	Barrington Community Unit School District 220	Barrington	10/10 Excellent	94th
#21	Glenview Community Consolidated School District 34	Glenview	10/10 Excellent	94th
#22	Lemont Township High School District 210	Lemont	10/10 Excellent	94th
#23	LaGrange School District 102	La Grange Park	10/10 Excellent	93rd
#24	Morton Grove School District 70	Morton Grove	10/10 Excellent	93rd
#25	Riverside Brookfield Township School District 208	Riverside	10/10 Excellent	93rd
#26	West Northfield School District 31	Northbrook	10/10 Excellent	93rd
#27	Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A	Lemont	10/10 Excellent	92nd
#28	Park Ridge Consolidated Community School District 64	Niles	10/10 Excellent	92nd
#29	Evanston Community Consolidated School District 65	Evanston	10/10 Excellent	91st
#30	LaGrange School District 105	La Grange	10/10 Excellent	91st
#31	Arlington Heights School District 25	Arlington Heights	10/10 Excellent	90th
#32	Skokie-Fairview School District 72	Skokie	9/10 Excellent	89th
#33	East Prairie School District 73	Skokie	9/10 Excellent	87th
#34	Maine Township High School District 207	Park Ridge	9/10 Excellent	85th
#35	Golf Elementary School District 67	Morton Grove	9/10 Excellent	83rd
#36	Mount Prospect School District 57	Mt Prospect	9/10 Excellent	83rd
#37	Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54	Schaumburg	9/10 Excellent	83rd
#38	Prospect Heights School District 23	Prospect Heights	9/10 Excellent	82nd
#39	Oak Park Elementary School District 97	Oak Park	9/10 Excellent	81st
#40	Union Ridge School District 86	Harwood Heights	9/10 Excellent	80th
#41	Evanston Community Consolidated School District 65	Evanston	8/10 Good	78th
#42	Kirby School District 140	Tinley Park	8/10 Good	78th
#43	Orland School District 135	Orland Park	8/10 Good	78th
#44	Palos Heights School District 128	Palos Heights	8/10 Good	77th
#45	Skokie School District 73-5	Skokie	8/10 Good	77th
#46	Brookfield Lagrange Park SD 95	Brookfield	8/10 Good	76th
#47	Lincolnwood School District 74	Lincolnwood	8/10 Good	73rd
#48	Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62	Des Plaines	8/10 Good	72nd
#49	Norridge School District 80	Norridge	8/10 Good	71st
#50	Flossmoor School District 161	Flossmoor	7/10 Good	67th
#51	River Trails School District 26	Mt Prospect	7/10 Good	67th
#52	Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123	Oak Lawn	7/10 Good	66th
#53	Central Stickney School District 110	Chicago	7/10 Good	65th
#54	Niles Elementary School District 71	Niles	7/10 Good	65th
#55	Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124	Evergreen Park	7/10 Good	64th
#56	River Grove School District 85-5	River Grove	7/10 Good	63rd
#57	Franklin Park School District 84	Franklin Park	6/10 Average	59th
#58	Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15	Palatine	6/10 Average	58th
#59	Rosemont Elementary School District 78	Rosemont	6/10 Average	57th
#60	Pennoyer School District 79	Norridge	6/10 Average	56th
#61	Forest Ridge School District 142	Oak Forest	6/10 Average	55th
#62	Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401	Elmwood Park	6/10 Average	54th
#63	Worth School District 127	Worth	6/10 Average	54th
#64	Flossmoor School District 161	Chicago Heights	6/10 Average	53rd
#65	Community Consolidated School District 146	Tinley Park	6/10 Average	52nd
#66	East Maine School District 63	Des Plaines	6/10 Average	51st
#67	Indian Springs School District 109	Justice	6/10 Average	51st
#68	Homewood School District 153	Homewood	5/10 Average	49th
#69	Skokie School District 68	Skokie	5/10 Average	49th
#70	Community Consolidated School District 59	Elk Grove Vlg	5/10 Average	48th
#71	Schiller Park School District 81	Schiller Park	5/10 Average	48th
#72	Willow Springs School District 108	Willow Springs	5/10 Average	47th
#73	Ridgeland School District 122	Oak Lawn	5/10 Average	45th
#74	Berwyn North School District 98	Berwyn	5/10 Average	44th
#75	Forest Park School District 91	Forest Park	5/10 Average	44th
#76	Komarek School District 94	North Riverside	5/10 Average	41st
#77	Berwyn South School District 100	Berwyn	4/10 Below Average	39th
#78	Leyden Community High School District 212	Franklin Park	4/10 Below Average	39th
#79	Thornton School District 154	Thornton	4/10 Below Average	39th
#80	Westchester School District 92-5	Westchester	4/10 Below Average	38th
#81	Arbor Park School District 145	Oak Forest	4/10 Below Average	37th
#82	Skokie School District 69	Skokie	4/10 Below Average	36th
#83	Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124	Evergreen Park	4/10 Below Average	34th
#84	Argo Community High School District 217	Summit	4/10 Below Average	33rd
#85	Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21	Wheeling	4/10 Below Average	33rd
#86	Alsip-Hazelgreen-Oaklawn School District 126	Alsip	4/10 Below Average	32nd
#87	South Holland School District 150	South Holland	4/10 Below Average	32nd
#88	Atwood Heights School District 125	Alsip	4/10 Below Average	31st
#89	Oak Lawn Community High School District 229	Oak Lawn	3/10 Below Average	29th
#90	Ridgewood Community High School District 234	Norridge	3/10 Below Average	29th
#91	Lindop School District 92	Broadview	3/10 Below Average	28th
#92	Chicago Public School District 299	Chicago	3/10 Below Average	27th
#93	Hillside School District 93	Hillside	3/10 Below Average	26th
#94	Burbank School District 111	Burbank	3/10 Below Average	25th
#95	Mannheim School District 83	Franklin Park	3/10 Below Average	24th
#96	Posen-Robbins Elementary School District 143-5	Posen	3/10 Below Average	24th
#97	Lyons School District 103	Lyons	3/10 Below Average	23rd
#98	Matteson Elementary School District 162	Richton Park	3/10 Below Average	23rd
#99	Chicago Heights School District 170	Chicago Heights	3/10 Below Average	22nd
#100	Reavis Township High School District 220	Burbank	3/10 Below Average	22nd
#101	Rhodes School District 84-5	River Grove	3/10 Below Average	22nd
#102	Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview School District 89	Melrose Park	3/10 Below Average	21st
#103	Sunnybrook School District 171	Lansing	3/10 Below Average	21st
#104	Cook County School District 130	Blue Island	2/10 Poor	19th
#105	Lansing School District 158	Lansing	2/10 Poor	19th
#106	South Holland School District 151	South Holland	2/10 Poor	19th
#107	Summit School District 104	Summit	2/10 Poor	18th
#108	Bremen Community High School District 228	Midlothian	2/10 Poor	16th
#109	Chicago Ridge School District 127-5	Chicago Ridge	2/10 Poor	14th
#110	Cicero School District 99	Cicero	2/10 Poor	14th
#111	Burnham School District 154-5	Burnham	2/10 Poor	12th
#112	Lincoln Elementary School District 156	Calumet City	2/10 Poor	12th
#113	Midlothian School District 143	Midlothian	2/10 Poor	12th
#114	Brookwood School District 167	Glenwood	2/10 Poor	11th
#115	Park Forest School District 163	Park Forest	2/10 Poor	11th
#116	Proviso Township High School District 209	Forest Park	2/10 Poor	11th
#117	Berkeley School District 87	Berkeley	1/10 Poor	9th
#118	Hoover-Schrum Memorial School District 157	Calumet City	1/10 Poor	9th
#119	Elementary School District 159	Matteson	1/10 Poor	8th
#120	Bellwood School District 88	Bellwood	1/10 Poor	6th
#121	Country Club Hills School District 160	Country Club Hills	1/10 Poor	6th
#122	Dolton School District 148	Riverdale	1/10 Poor	6th
#123	Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144	Markham	1/10 Poor	6th
#124	Harvey School District 152	Harvey	1/10 Poor	5th
#125	Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215	Lansing	1/10 Poor	4th
#126	Calumet Public School District 132	Calumet Park	1/10 Poor	3rd
#127	Dolton School District 149	Calumet City	1/10 Poor	3rd
#128	Ford Heights School District 169	Ford Heights	1/10 Poor	3rd
#129	Sandridge School District 172	Lynwood	1/10 Poor	3rd
#130	Calumet City School District 155	Calumet City	1/10 Poor	2nd
#131	Community Consolidated School District 168	Sauk Village	1/10 Poor	2nd
#132	General George Patton School District 133	Riverdale	1/10 Poor	2nd
#133	Hazel Crest School District 152-5	Hazel Crest	1/10 Poor	2nd
#134	Rich Township High School District 227	Matteson	1/10 Poor	2nd
#135	Thornton Township High School District 205	South Holland	1/10 Poor	1st
#136	West Harvey-Dixmoor Public School District 147	Harvey	1/10 Poor	1st

Best School Districts in Cook County, Illinois (2026)

This page lists the 136 public school districts headquartered in Cook County, Illinois that have a SchoolDistrictFinder rating, scored using IAR 2023–24 state assessment data. The county rank is simply their order here; the state percentile compares each district with every rated district in Illinois, which is how the 1–10 rating is set. Ratings are not comparable with districts in other states.

Districts are placed in the county of their NCES directory listing. A district's boundaries can cross county lines, and a home in Cook County may be served by a district headquartered next door — search your address or zip code to confirm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best-rated school district in Cook County, Illinois? ▼

Among the 136 rated districts in Cook County, Illinois, 6 share the top position at 10/10 (Excellent), 99th percentile of Illinois districts on IAR 2023–24 reading and math proficiency: Glencoe School District 35 (Glencoe); New Trier Township High School District 203 (Northfield); Northbrook Elementary School District 27 (Northbrook); Northbrook School District 28 (Northbrook); Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 (Northbrook); Sunset Ridge School District 29 (Northfield).

How are these rankings calculated? ▼

Each district's rating comes from the share of its students scoring proficient or above on state reading and math assessments (IAR 2023–24), percentile-ranked against all rated districts in Illinois and converted to a 1–10 scale. Full methodology here.

Best School Districtsin Cook County, IL

Best School Districts in Cook County, Illinois (2026)

Best School Districts
in Cook County, IL