Chicago Public Schools Selective Enrollment Tier System

4 Types of Public Schools in Chicago

Chicago's Public School system has four schools: Neighborhood schools, selective enrollment schools, magnet schools, and charter schools. All children enrolled at a neighborhood school are required to reside inside of their assigned boundaries, and you can confirm your neighborhood school by using this School Locator Map provided by Chicago Public Schools

About CPS Tiers

In Chicago, students will be accepted into top selective schools based on grades, standardized test scores, and entrance exam scores. However, Chicago Public School (CPS) places the entire city into 4 socioeconomic "tiers" based on various income and other economic factors of a particular area or neighborhood. Tier 1 represents the communities and neighborhoods that have the lowest socioeconomic status, while Tier 4 represents the areas with the highest socioeconomic status.  So, each year parents of prospective selective enrollment applicants are always concerned and the online education chatrooms are usually filled with questions like "what tier is my neighborhood and where can I find the updated version of the CPS Tier Map."

Where does Chicago Public Schools get the data?

CPS Tier Map, or sometimes called the CPS Tier locator updates each year. Since 2017 these data are available via their CPS Tier Map link (Schools Locator tool). This dataset was published in PDF formats in 2017 which combines each city census tract with their respective tiers.

What Tier am I in CPS and Why should I Care?

All of the Selective Enrollment Chicago Public Schools school have separate cutoff scores, based on the tier (or area) which the student currently resides as their primary residence. Therefore, parents are very concerned with finding out "what CPS Tier I am in." The required cutoff scores can be significantly lower between a tier 1 and tier 4 socioeconomic area, so based on how competitive the admissions process is, the tier system could provide your child with the chance at a much better education.

History Of Chicago Public Schools Tier System

In August 2011, the Chicago Board of Education approved the Admissions Policy for Magnet, Selective Enrollment, and Other Options for Knowledge Schools and Programs, aimed at ensuring equitable access to these educational opportunities within the district. This policy considers six key socio-economic characteristics of each Chicago address's census tract, including median family income, single-parent households, non-English speaking households, homeownership rates, adult education attainment, and elementary school achievement scores for the students living in each tract.

Based on the scores in these six areas, census tracts are grouped into four tiers, ensuring roughly equal representation of school-age children in each tier. This tiering system plays a vital role in the selection process for Magnet and Selective Enrollment schools.

Sibling Preference or Staff Preference

The selection process for these schools incorporates preferences for siblings of current students and staff members. The initial seats are offered to siblings of current students, with a lottery used in cases where demand exceeds availability. Some programs allocate two seats for entry-level applicants whose parents or guardians are full-time employees at the school of application, based on availability.

After accommodating siblings and staff, the next 40% of available seats in magnet schools are designated for students living within a 1.5-mile radius of the elementary magnet school. Proximity lotteries are conducted only if schools meet specific policy criteria related to student percentages within the proximity radius and racial/ethnic diversity.

The remaining seats are distributed evenly among the four tiers, with computerized lotteries used to fill them. It's important to note that tier and proximity considerations mainly apply to entry-grade levels, typically kindergarten, in magnet and elementary schools. Non-entry grades in these schools, as well as open enrollment schools and high school magnet programs, do not follow tier or proximity rules.

To find your current tier, you can visit the GoCPS website and use the 'School Search' feature. Simply enter your address, and the system will display the tier in which you reside. This tier designation plays a crucial role in the application process, ensuring fairness and equity in the allocation of seats in Chicago's Magnet and Selective Enrollment schools.

Exclusive List of Tier 1 Properties

To say the admissions process for the selective enrollment high schools in chicago is stressful would be a huge understatement. The selective enrollment high schools in chicago provide such a higher level of education, overall learning experience, and open doors to many future opportunities. Therefore, we have curated a list of properties that are located within the Tier 1 socio economic boundaries. Chicago public schools does change the tier system on an annual basis, so please confirm the tier system for upcoming year.