Public schools in East Lansing, MI
13 open public schools with an address in East Lansing, operated by 4 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
4,788
13 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
15.7:1
Michigan median 16.3:1
Charter schools
3
2 virtual
An overview of East Lansing public schools
The federal directory lists 13 public schools in East Lansing, MI: 8 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high. The 13 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,788 students, an average of 368 per school. The largest campus is East Lansing High School (1,231 students), and the largest elementary school is Marble School (306).
East Lansing School District operates the most schools here (8), plus 3 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 15.7:1, similar to the statewide school median of 16.3:1. 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 3 charter schools, 2 virtual 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 43% 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 East Lansing
East Lansing School District
Public school district
8 schools in East Lansing
Great Lakes Learning Academy
Independent charter agency
2 schools in East Lansing
Ingham ISD
Specialized public school district
2 schools in East Lansing · 13 total
Cole Academy
Independent charter agency
1 school in East Lansing · 2 total
Elementary schools in East Lansing
8| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Academy East Cole Academy · Charter | KG–05 | 148 | 16.4:1 | |
| Donley Elementary School East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 262 | 13:1 | |
| Glencairn School East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 298 | 16.2:1 | |
| Ingham ISD ASD Programs Ingham ISD · Special Education School | PK–08 | 11 | 3.7:1 | |
| Marble School East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 306 | 15.5:1 | |
| Red Cedar School East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 189 | 8.9:1 | |
| Robert L Green Elementary East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 273 | 13.1:1 | |
| Whitehills Elementary School East Lansing School District | PK–05 | 286 | 15.7:1 |
Middle schools in East Lansing
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacDonald Middle School East Lansing School District | 06–08 | 857 | 19.5:1 |
High schools in East Lansing
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing High School East Lansing School District | 09–12 | 1,231 | 21.6:1 | |
| Great Lakes Learning Academy MSHS Great Lakes Learning Academy · Charter · Virtual | 06–12 | 760 | 25.3:1 | |
| Great Lakes Learning Academy Alternative HS Great Lakes Learning Academy · Charter · Virtual · Alternative School | 09–12 | 163 | 30.6:1 | |
| Project SEARCH Ingham ISD · Special Education School | 09–12 | 4 | 4:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White54.8%
- Hispanic11.2%
- Black18.1%
- Asian5.1%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial10.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 13 East Lansing schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,788 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in East Lansing
How many public schools are in East Lansing, MI?
The current NCES directory lists 13 open public schools with a location address in East Lansing: 8 elementary, 1 middle, 4 high. Together they reported 4,788 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve East Lansing?
Schools with an address in East Lansing belong to 4 education agencies, led by East Lansing School District (8 schools), Great Lakes Learning Academy (2 schools), Ingham ISD (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 East Lansing?
East Lansing High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in East Lansing, with 1,231 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in East Lansing?
Yes. 3 of the 13 public schools in East Lansing are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Cole Academy East, Great Lakes Learning Academy MSHS, Great Lakes Learning Academy Alternative HS. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in East Lansing schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across East Lansing public schools is 15.7:1, similar to the Michigan school median of 16.3:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in East Lansing 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 Michigan 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 Michigan cities