Getting Started
The Illinois Education Data Hub collects public education and childcare data for the whole state in one place — from pre-K through continuing education. This page shows you what's here and how to find what you need in about two minutes.
Pick your starting point
Not sure where to begin? Choose the goal that sounds most like yours.
I'm a parent or caregiver
Find licensed childcare and preschool near you, check capacity in your county, and see program quality details.
Find childcare & pre-KI'm looking at a district
Look up a district or school, review its enrollment, funding, and performance, then compare it with others.
Search districtsI'm researching trends
Explore statewide and county-level trends, demographics, and spending — then export the data behind them.
Explore trendsWhat should I click?
Three common goals, with the exact path through the site for each one.
Parents & caregivers
“I need licensed childcare in my county.”
District & school staff
“How does my district compare on funding and proficiency?”
Researchers & analysts
“I need multi-year data I can download.”
Data availability & update schedule
Coverage differs between Illinois and the rest of the country — here's what to expect.
What data is available, and when
Illinois — full detail
Illinois has the complete picture: K-12 assessment results by district and subgroup, district funding, special education, early childhood, private schools, county demographics, and all licensed childcare providers.
Refreshed weekly from ISBE, DCFS Sunshine, and Census sources.
Other 49 states — overview only
Every other state has a state-level overview page: enrollment, graduation rate, per-pupil spending, and NAEP reading and math scores. District-level, county-level, and childcare data are Illinois-only for now, and any placeholder metric is labeled on the page.
Refreshed when NCES and Census release new national files (roughly annually).
How to check freshness
Each dashboard shows a “last updated” badge for the data behind it, and every dataset is listed with its source and update date on the Data Sources page. Because state and federal agencies publish on a lag, the newest year available is typically one to two years behind the current school year.
Change log entries are recorded for every refresh.
Take the guided tour
Five short steps covering the filters and charts you'll use on almost every dashboard.
Guided tour
Step 1 of 51. Set the year filter
Almost every dashboard opens with a year selector at the top. Illinois datasets usually run a year or two behind the current school year, so the newest year in the list is the newest data we have.
Try it: Open K-12 Performance and switch the year from the most recent to a few years earlier — the charts and summary text update together.
Open K-12 PerformanceWhat's in the hub
Four broad areas of data, all sourced from state and federal agencies.
Early Childhood Data
Pre-K enrollment, funding & readiness
K-12 Performance
Assessment scores & proficiency rates
Private Schools
Directory & enrollment statistics
Analysis Tools
Compare, trend & visualize data
How to use the hub, step by step
You can follow these in order, or jump straight to the step that fits your question.
Explore Data Sections
Start here if you're browsing
Data is grouped by education stage. Pick the section that matches what you care about — each one opens a dashboard with key numbers, charts, and a plain-English summary of the trend.
Search & Compare Districts
Best for looking up a specific school or district
Type a district or school name to see its own profile page, then add districts to a side-by-side comparison of enrollment, funding, and performance.
Visualize with Maps & Charts
Best for spotting geographic gaps
The county heatmap shades all 102 Illinois counties so you can see where a metric is high or low. Trend tools show how the same metric has changed year over year.
Generate Reports & Alerts
Best for sharing or monitoring data
Download a PDF or CSV of what you're viewing, schedule a recurring report by email, or get alerted when a dataset you follow is updated.
Common questions
The things people ask most before they start digging in.
Where does the data come from?
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the U.S. Census Bureau, and Illinois DCFS. Every dataset is listed on the Data Sources page with its last update date.
How current is it?
Datasets refresh on a regular schedule, and each dashboard shows a “last updated” badge for the data behind it. If a number looks stale, check the badge first.
Do I need an account?
No. Browsing, searching, comparing, and exporting are open to everyone. An account is only needed for saved alerts and scheduled reports.
I don't recognize a term or acronym.
The Glossary explains terms like ACGR, IEP, and NAEP. Many acronyms across the site also show a definition when you hover over them.
Ready to explore?
Head to the main dashboard for statewide highlights, or open the glossary if you'd like to brush up on the terminology first.