Public schools in Evanston, IL
21 open public schools with an address in Evanston, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
21
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
9,442
18 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
10.4:1
Illinois median 13:1
Charter schools
0
1 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Evanston public schools
The federal directory lists 21 public schools in Evanston, IL: 11 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. The 18 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 9,442 students, an average of 525 per school. The largest campus is Evanston Twp High School (3,560 students), and the largest elementary school is Dr ML King Jr Literary & Fine Arts Sch (421).
Evanston CCSD 65 operates the most schools here (16), and 2 regular districts have at least one Evanston campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. 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 10.4:1, lower 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 magnet school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 0 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 37% 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 Evanston
Elementary schools in Evanston
11| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes Elementary School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 298 | 10.4:1 | |
| Dewey Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 321 | 11.1:1 | |
| Dr ML King Jr Literary & Fine Arts Sch Evanston CCSD 65 · Magnet | KG–08 | 421 | 8.2:1 | |
| Kingsley Elementary School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 334 | 12.6:1 | |
| Lincoln Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 343 | 9.7:1 | |
| Lincolnwood Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 288 | 10.5:1 | |
| Oakton Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 379 | 9.5:1 | |
| Orrington Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 225 | 9.9:1 | |
| Walker Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 364 | 11.4:1 | |
| Washington Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 410 | 11.2:1 | |
| Willard Elem School Evanston CCSD 65 | KG–05 | 355 | 11.2:1 |
Middle schools in Evanston
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chute Middle School Evanston CCSD 65 | 06–08 | 598 | 10.1:1 | |
| Haven Middle School Evanston CCSD 65 | 06–08 | 660 | 11:1 | |
| Nichols Middle School Evanston CCSD 65 | 06–08 | 628 | 9.5:1 | |
| Rice Childrens Center Evanston CCSD 65 · Alternative School | 01–08 | 0 | 0:1 |
High schools in Evanston
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ETHS Day School Evanston Twp HSD 202 · Alternative School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| ETHS Day School - INT Evanston Twp HSD 202 · Alternative School | 09–12 | — | — | |
| Evanston Twp High School Evanston Twp HSD 202 | 09–12 | 3,560 | 12.1:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Evanston
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph E Hill Education Center Evanston CCSD 65 | PK–PK | 258 | 10.3:1 | |
| Park School Evanston Dists 65/202 Jnt Agr · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Park School-INT Evanston Dists 65/202 Jnt Agr · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White42.1%
- Hispanic19.5%
- Black23.5%
- Asian5.2%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial8.8%
Enrollment-weighted across 16 Evanston schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (9,442 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Evanston
How many public schools are in Evanston, IL?
The current NCES directory lists 21 open public schools with a location address in Evanston: 11 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 9,442 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Evanston?
Schools with an address in Evanston belong to 3 education agencies, led by Evanston CCSD 65 (16 schools), Evanston Twp HSD 202 (3 schools), Evanston Dists 65/202 Jnt Agr (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 Evanston?
Evanston Twp High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Evanston, with 3,560 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Evanston?
No school with an address in Evanston is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Illinois.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Evanston schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Evanston public schools is 10.4:1, lower 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 Evanston 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