Public schools in Murphysboro, IL
16 open public schools with an address in Murphysboro, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
16
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
1,877
10 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
5.9:1
Illinois median 13:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Murphysboro public schools
The federal directory lists 16 public schools in Murphysboro, IL: 2 elementary, 2 middle, 4 high, 8 combined or other. The 10 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 1,877 students, an average of 188 per school. The largest campus is Murphysboro High School (565 students), and the largest elementary school is Carruthers Elementary School (426).
Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement operates the most schools here (7), 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 5.9:1, 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.
Among 3 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 3 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 95% 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 Murphysboro
Elementary schools in Murphysboro
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carruthers Elementary School Murphysboro CUSD 186 | 03–05 | 426 | 14.7:1 | |
| Gen John A Logan Attendance Cntr Murphysboro CUSD 186 | KG–02 | 400 | 11.8:1 |
Middle schools in Murphysboro
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson/Perry Project SOAR MS TAOEP Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE · Alternative School | 06–10 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Murphysboro Middle School Murphysboro CUSD 186 | 06–08 | 422 | 12.2:1 |
High schools in Murphysboro
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cope Alternative School Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Five County Regional Alternative Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| Murphysboro High School Murphysboro CUSD 186 | 09–12 | 565 | 12.4:1 | |
| Project SOAR Alternative Optional Ed Program Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE · Alternative School | 09–12 | 0 | 0:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Murphysboro
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McElvain School Murphysboro CUSD 186 | PK–PK | 64 | — | |
| TCSE ASPIRE Academy Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | KG–12 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| TCSE ASPIRE Academy-INT Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | KG–12 | — | — | |
| TCSE Carruthers Elem Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Tcse-McElvain EC Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Tcse-Murphysboro HS Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Tri-County Center Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | Not reported | — | — | |
| Tri-County Center-INT Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement · Special Education School | KG–12 | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White67.6%
- Hispanic8.8%
- Black14.4%
- Asian0.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial8.6%
Enrollment-weighted across 5 Murphysboro schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (1,877 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Murphysboro
How many public schools are in Murphysboro, IL?
The current NCES directory lists 16 open public schools with a location address in Murphysboro: 2 elementary, 2 middle, 4 high, 8 combined or other. Together they reported 1,877 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Murphysboro?
Schools with an address in Murphysboro belong to 3 education agencies, led by Tri-County Sp Ed Jnt Agreement (7 schools), Murphysboro CUSD 186 (5 schools), Alxndr/Jcksn/Pulsk/Prry/Union ROE (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Murphysboro?
Murphysboro High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Murphysboro, with 565 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Murphysboro?
No school with an address in Murphysboro 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 Murphysboro schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Murphysboro public schools is 5.9:1, 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 Murphysboro 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