Best Schools in Joliet, Illinois

Joliet, Illinois offers families 31 ranked public schools spanning elementary, middle, and early childhood levels. The city's school landscape covers a wide performance range, and knowing where schools cluster on that spectrum helps parents set realistic expectations before touring or enrolling.

The average school score across Joliet sits at 5.9 out of 10, which means most schools fall in the middle of the performance band. Only 3 schools — 10% of ranked public schools — score 7 or above, so high-performing options are present but limited. Parents targeting top-tier academics should identify those schools early and check enrollment and boundary requirements, since demand for the strongest campuses tends to be competitive.

Union Elementary School leads the city with a near-perfect score of 9.9 out of 10, making it the standout academic performer in Joliet by a significant margin. Washington Jr High and Academy Program follows as the strongest middle school option at 7.6, giving families with older children a credible higher-performing choice at that level. On the elementary side, Laraway School (7.1) and Troy Craughwell School (6.8) round out the upper tier, with Marycrest Early Childhood Center (6.9) serving as a strong entry point for younger children. Below these leaders, scores drop closer to and below the city average, so the gap between the top schools and the rest of the field is meaningful.

For parents researching Joliet schools, the practical takeaway is straightforward: the top performers are concentrated and identifiable, but they represent a small slice of the overall landscape. Families living outside the attendance boundaries of Union Elementary or Washington Jr High should examine their assigned schools closely — scores vary enough that the difference matters for day-to-day academic experience. It is worth checking whether Joliet's districts offer open enrollment, magnet, or academy pathways that could expand access beyond neighborhood assignments. Visiting schools, reviewing state assessment data, and speaking with current families will fill in the details that scores alone cannot capture.