Explore Local Schools

The 330,000 sq ft high school (opened 2017) is one of the region's newest campuses — geothermal heating, STEM labs, performing arts spaces, and an indoor track. Strong career & technical education: culinary arts, agriculture, building trades, and automotive, with 850+ CTE participants. 1:1 Chromebooks K–12 and dual credit through John A. Logan College.

Herrin High's ELA proficiency (60.0% districtwide) is among the best in the region, and the Tigers own multiple IHSA state track titles plus the famous 1957 state basketball championship. The high school even runs its own student-operated bank — The First Tiger Trust — one of only a handful in the nation. Dual credit through John A. Logan College.

Carbondale Community High School grew its graduation rate to 88.4% on the 2025 Report Card. Being minutes from Southern Illinois University means unusual access to university programs, events, and educators — and CCHS alumni range from a former CIA Director to a Grammy winner.

District 95 runs on a grade-center model — every child in the city attends the same building for their grade band, so classmates stay together from PreK through 8th. Among the region's highest per-student instructional spending.

A one-school PreK–8 district on Carbondale's south side — its 62.5% ELA proficiency was the highest of any district in our coverage area on the 2025 Report Card, paired with a low 12:1 student-teacher ratio. A popular draw for buyers looking at south-of-town and unincorporated Jackson County addresses.

Carterville posted the region's best numbers across the board on the 2025 Report Card: 70.7% ELA and 60.2% math proficiency with a 95.1% graduation rate. The 225,000 sq ft high school (2011) has two gyms and a 750-seat auditorium; Lions softball won its third state title in 2024 with a 38–1 season. John A. Logan College's main campus is in town for dual credit.

The high school's 11:1 student-teacher ratio is the smallest in our coverage area, and the district's per-student instructional spending ($7,722) is among the highest. The Blackcats made a historic run to the IHSA Class 1A state championship game in March 2026, finishing state runner-up.

The north end of the lake generally falls in Marion CUSD 2, the south and west shores in Goreville CUD 1, and some northeast addresses in Johnston City CUSD 1 — but boundaries around the lake do not follow obvious lines, and two homes a quarter-mile apart can be in different districts. Before you write an offer on a Lake of Egypt property, have your Southern Illinois Realty Experts broker verify the district for that exact address. See each district's full stats under its own town above.

Marion CUSD 2 stats  ·  Goreville CUD 1 stats  ·  Johnston City CUSD 1 stats

Both of the district's elementary schools earned Exemplary — Illinois' top-tier designation, reserved for roughly the top 10% of schools statewide. Add a 94.0% graduation rate and small average class sizes (16.6), and Johnston City punches well above its size.

Per-student instructional spending ($10,881) is among the region's highest, and the high school has run a dedicated career/vocational training building since 1981. The Redbirds play in the historic 4,000-seat Max Morris Gymnasium (1949) — one of Southern Illinois' legendary basketball venues.

Home of the legendary Benton Rangers basketball program — the gym is named for Hall of Fame coach Rich Herrin, and alumni include NBA star Doug Collins and actor John Malkovich. Students take dual-credit coursework through Rend Lake College.

Du Quoin's 94.0% four-year graduation rate tied for the best in our coverage area on the 2025 Report Card, backed by a ~12.6:1 district student-teacher ratio. And yes — this is the town that hosts the Du Quoin State Fair every summer.

MVTHS moved to a brand-new 82-acre campus in 2016 and runs active CTE and student organizations — SkillsUSA, FFA, FBLA, and the Roborams robotics team. Rams basketball owns four IHSA state titles. Rend Lake College actually began life on the MVTHS campus, and the dual-credit connection remains strong.

Like Carbondale 95, District 80 uses a grade-center model — every child in the city attends the same building for their grade band, then moves on to MVTHS. All three tested schools earned Commendable on the 2025 Report Card.

Both the middle school and high school earned Commendable designations on the 2025 Report Card, and the district's 89.4% graduation rate leads Jackson County. A dedicated early-childhood center (McElvain) gives PreK families their own campus, and SIU and John A. Logan College are each a short drive away.