Nichols Middle School

Nichols Middle School serves 637 students in grades 6 through 8 in Evanston, Illinois. A student-teacher ratio of 9.4:1 gives students consistent adult attention — a meaningful structural advantage during the years when academic habits form. The school earns a composite score of 9.2 out of 10, rated Exceptional, with academic performance at 8.9 and growth at 9.1.

Those scores carry real comparative weight. Nichols ranks 9th among 684 public middle schools in Illinois and outperforms 98% of all Illinois public schools across grade levels. In Evanston, it sits 2nd of 16 schools district-wide.

These aren't marginal edges — they place Nichols in a performance tier most middle schools in the state don't reach, and the ranking holds whether you're comparing it to peers locally or statewide. The growth score of 9.1 is especially informative. Growth measures how much students advance year over year relative to expectations — it captures momentum, not just starting position.

A 9.1 signals students are consistently outpacing projected gains, which matters for families weighing long-term academic trajectory alongside current achievement. Nichols pairs strong foundational outcomes with an upward trend that's harder to find than a single snapshot score suggests.

With a student-teacher ratio of 9.4:1, Nichols Middle School offers a notably low ratio compared to the national average. This typically means smaller class sizes and more opportunities for one-on-one interaction between students and teachers.