2023 Best Public Schools in Elgin

• St. Charles Community Unit School District No. 303, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  452 reviews

Senior: St. Charles North High School is a great school nestled on the Fox River. It was recently given a blue ribbon award for the 2022-2023 school year, and has amazing teachers and staff. It really is a great place to raise your kids!... Read 452 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,005

• Student-teacher ratio —

• St. Charles Community Unit School District No. 303, IL•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Freshman: I had a great time at Thompson! The teachers were top notch and only expected the best. New kids will have NO TROUBLE making new friends even if they are shy as the school and students are super welcoming! I had a great three years.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,281

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• 8

• grade A

• Students 345

• Student-teacher ratio —

• St. Charles Community Unit School District No. 303, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 470

• Student-teacher ratio —

• St. Charles Community Unit School District No. 303, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 536

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• 6-7

• grade A

• Students 728

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 606

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  601 reviews

Sophomore: The teachers at Harry D. Jacobs do an outstanding job at teaching. They truly care about the student's education and getting them where they need to be in life. There is a variety of courses to choose from, many with the potential to get college credit. As well as clubs, they offer many cultural, academic, and hobby clubs to engage in. HDJ is a great High School that prepares you for college and ave fun while doing so!... Read 601 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,075

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  429 reviews

Senior: Hampshire High School has great academics. The teachers, for the most part, are very helpful and well-rounded in their fields of expertise. The food at Hampshire use to be really good, then covid hit, the food became free of charge and the quality of food gradually started to decrease. The sports teams are decent, it depends on what sports team you are referencing to. Hampshire is pretty much diverse, not as much as I'd like, but doable. They have a lot of resources on hand which is very helpful, especially when it comes to college. Hampshire has a class that is meant to prepare you for college which I 100% recommend! The teachers and counselors are excellent at offering help and guidance. At Hampshire, we also have security guards who secure the building and the doors are always locked, so my safety is never questioned.... Read 429 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,882

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.56 out of 5  177 reviews

Senior: Overall I had a lovely experience going through Central High School. I enjoyed pretty much all of teachers because they were super supportive and resourceful. I also enjoyed how the school let the student body be really involved with what the school can provide and accommodate such as clubs and materials. The school itself was very well kept and updated for making a contemporary learning environment. Especially the new field house, they did an amazing job with this facility, so well that it is better than big name colleges. Some things I think they can work on is a the curriculum for some of the classes. For example, I had one class that you learned through websites and online resources which made it a bit challenging, but that was for only one of my classes throughout my four years here... Read 177 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,278

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 239

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: Teachers care + seeing my son excited for school makes me happy! Were set to move but made sure it goes this school since we love it so much!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 585

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 332

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 320

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Central Community Unit School District No. 301, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 591

• Student-teacher ratio —

• School District U-46, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  557 reviews

Sophomore: South Elgin High School is a good school that has offered me many opportunities in sports and academics. I am currently enrolled in my school's Beacon Academy, which offers unique studies and hands-on experience in media and broadcasting. South Elgin also offers a vast diversity of students. I have met people of all races, regions, cultures, and much more. I have become friends with people that have taught me new things about their culture and experiences. I have also found community in my culture, sports, religion, and academics. Here most of my teachers offer extended support. However, I have encountered teachers that I have not agreed with. The school lunches are also not ideal and I personally feel the school has too large of a population. But the school is mostly clean and safe. The staff here care about the students' well-being. With that said there are changes that could be made to improve the school but overall I am happy that I chose South Elgin High School.... Read 557 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,880

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Elgin, IL•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade A minus

• Students 324

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Very good school, excellent staff and educational materials, building brand new, and the goals are reachable. Recommended... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 711

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  16 reviews

Alum: Loved the middle school. Such a friendly and safe environment! Loved every moment I had there, definitely an amazing school!... Read 16 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,141

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: Toward the upper grades, especially 8, the teachers really care. The sixth grade teachers do too, of course, but they’re just stretched much thinner.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 736

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• PK, K-5

• grade B+

• Students 725

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• K-5

• grade B+

• Students 867

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  471 reviews

Senior: As a Senior at Dundee-Crown Highschool and I can say the school made sure to make every year memorable. Whether it'd be the Homecoming parade or Volunteering opportunities. Most students and teachers are accepting, outspoken, and respectful. When classes get challenging to manage, I go to tutoring. Tutoring at DC is a great resource that's offered after school and during lunch periods. I was able to bring my test grades up for Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and Human Anatomy. Overall, DC is a friendly school offering opportunities for their students. Mostly, you can feel confident to be yourself here. People will reach out to you but, you also have to take initiative. Some things that actually helped me make friends here were Anime Club, SWANS Club, Cross Country, Adelante, and Tutoring. Always look out for ways to make good friends and make your experience memorable, it doesn't matter how much I sugar-coat it, it ultimately depends on you.... Read 471 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 2,645

• Student-teacher ratio —

• Community Unit School District No. 300, IL•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  12 reviews

Works Here: I have worked at this school for over three years now and I feel like it just continues to get better and better. Like any school that exists, there are always ups and downs, but Cambridge Lakes Charter school sticks out to me because we are always growing and improving. I feel able to speak to any of the staff members and share collaboration and ideas. I have been given opportunities for growth and to be able to make things better for the grades that I have taught. I have loved getting to work with the families in the community and work with them in guiding their students through success in education. I love the students and all the creative ideas that they have given me while teaching. I have grown more in working at this school every year that I have been here. I highly recommend CLCS to future staff members, families, and students!... Read 12 reviews

• grade B

• Students 834

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• School District U-46, IL•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

High School Freshman: The different eventstyles the school held for us allowed the students to engage their learning in a fun environment. Liberty held an annual reading picnic outside near the end of each school year. This event was school wide and lasted nearly the entire day. We all brought our books outside and sat on the grass (or a towel) while reading our books and sharing our knowledge of the books. I really loved this event because the whole school was doing it together which made it fun for everyone. It wouldn't have been possible without the input from parents and our PTO.... Read 3 reviews

• grade B

• Students 420

• Student-teacher ratio —