Public schools in Urbana, IL
13 open public schools with an address in Urbana, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
13
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
4,516
12 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
12.7:1
Illinois median 13:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Urbana public schools
The federal directory lists 13 public schools in Urbana, IL: 5 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. The 12 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,516 students, an average of 376 per school. The largest campus is Urbana High School (1,176 students), and the largest elementary school is Yankee Ridge Multilingual School (482).
Urbana SD 116 operates the most schools here (11), and 2 regular districts have at least one Urbana 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 12.7:1, similar to 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 2 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 2 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 71% 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 Urbana
Elementary schools in Urbana
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Preston L Williams Jr Elementary School Urbana SD 116 | KG–05 | 399 | 12.7:1 | |
| Leal Elem School Urbana SD 116 | KG–05 | 373 | 13.3:1 | |
| M L King Jr Elem School Urbana SD 116 | KG–05 | 322 | 12.9:1 | |
| Thomas Paine Elem School Urbana SD 116 | KG–05 | 324 | 9.3:1 | |
| Yankee Ridge Multilingual School Urbana SD 116 | KG–05 | 482 | 13.8:1 |
Middle schools in Urbana
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urbana Middle School Urbana SD 116 | 07–08 | 877 | 12:1 | |
| Urbana Sixth Grade Center Urbana SD 116 | 06–06 | — | — |
High schools in Urbana
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign Co Detention Center Urbana SD 116 · Alternative School | 06–12 | 0 | — | |
| University of Illinois High Sch University of Ill Lab School | 07–12 | 319 | 79.8:1 | |
| Urbana High School Urbana SD 116 | 09–12 | 1,176 | 11.9:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Urbana
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juvenile Detention Center Champaign/Ford ROE · Alternative School | 06–11 | 0 | 0:1 | |
| Urbana Early Childhood Ctr Urbana SD 116 | PK–PK | 244 | 17.4:1 | |
| Urbana Gerber School Urbana SD 116 · Alternative School | KG–12 | 0 | 0:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White23.9%
- Hispanic23%
- Black36.2%
- Asian6.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial9.3%
Enrollment-weighted across 9 Urbana schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,516 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Urbana
How many public schools are in Urbana, IL?
The current NCES directory lists 13 open public schools with a location address in Urbana: 5 elementary, 2 middle, 3 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 4,516 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Urbana?
Schools with an address in Urbana belong to 3 education agencies, led by Urbana SD 116 (11 schools), Champaign/Ford ROE (1 school), University of Ill Lab School (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Urbana?
Urbana High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Urbana, with 1,176 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Urbana?
No school with an address in Urbana 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 Urbana schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Urbana public schools is 12.7:1, similar to 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 Urbana 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