Public schools in Elgin, IL
30 open public schools with an address in Elgin, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
30
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
17,104
30 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.6:1
Illinois median 13:1
Charter schools
1
8 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Elgin public schools
The federal directory lists 30 public schools in Elgin, IL: 18 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high, 1 combined or other. The 30 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 17,104 students, an average of 570 per school. The largest campus is Elgin High School (2,576 students), and the largest elementary school is Country Trails Elem (751).
SD U-46 operates the most schools here (24), and 2 regular districts have at least one Elgin campus, plus 2 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 15.6:1, higher than the statewide school median of 13:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 1 charter school, 8 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 61% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Elgin
Elementary schools in Elgin
18| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century Oaks Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 542 | 17.5:1 | |
| Channing Memorial Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 491 | 15.2:1 | |
| Coleman Elem School SD U-46 | PK–06 | 641 | 17.1:1 | |
| Country Trails Elem Central CUSD 301 | PK–05 | 751 | 17:1 | |
| Creekside Elem SD U-46 · Magnet | KG–06 | 469 | 13.9:1 | |
| Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School · Charter | KG–08 | 499 | 15:1 | |
| Harriet Gifford Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 460 | 16.1:1 | |
| Highland Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 616 | 16:1 | |
| Hillcrest Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 509 | 17:1 | |
| Hilltop Elementary School SD U-46 | PK–06 | 521 | 17.8:1 | |
| Huff Elem School SD U-46 | PK–06 | 577 | 18.2:1 | |
| Lords Park Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 655 | 16.1:1 | |
| Lowrie Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 397 | 17.8:1 | |
| McKinley Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 395 | 15.7:1 | |
| Otter Creek Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 437 | 10.8:1 | |
| Prairie View Grade School Central CUSD 301 | PK–05 | 615 | 15.5:1 | |
| Ronald D O Neal SD U-46 · Magnet | KG–06 | 445 | 15:1 | |
| Washington Elem School SD U-46 | KG–06 | 446 | 17.7:1 |
Middle schools in Elgin
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbott Middle School SD U-46 · Magnet | 07–08 | 551 | 12.8:1 | |
| Ellis Middle School SD U-46 · Magnet | 07–08 | 496 | 12:1 | |
| Kimball Middle School SD U-46 · Magnet | 07–08 | 501 | 12.1:1 | |
| Larsen Middle School SD U-46 · Magnet | 07–08 | 570 | 14.3:1 | |
| Prairie Knolls Middle Sch Central CUSD 301 | 06–07 | 770 | 17.2:1 |
High schools in Elgin
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central School Program SD U-46 · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Dream Academy SD U-46 · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| DREAM Academy Kane ROE · Alternative School | 07–12 | 0 | — | |
| Elgin High School SD U-46 · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,576 | 17.2:1 | |
| Larkin High School SD U-46 · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,174 | 15.3:1 | |
| New Beginnings Regional Safe Schools Program Kane ROE · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Elgin
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Park Elem School SD U-46 | PK–PK | 0 | 0:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White15.5%
- Hispanic68.2%
- Black6.7%
- Asian5.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native1.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial3.1%
Enrollment-weighted across 25 Elgin schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (17,104 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Elgin
How many public schools are in Elgin, IL?
The current NCES directory lists 30 open public schools with a location address in Elgin: 18 elementary, 5 middle, 6 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 17,104 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Elgin?
Schools with an address in Elgin belong to 4 education agencies, led by SD U-46 (24 schools), Central CUSD 301 (3 schools), Kane ROE (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Elgin?
Elgin High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Elgin, with 2,576 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Elgin?
Yes. 1 of the 30 public schools in Elgin are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Elgin schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Elgin public schools is 15.6:1, higher than the Illinois school median of 13:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Elgin guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Illinois cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Illinois cities