Elmhurst Schools: District 205 and York High School (2026)

If you’re coming to Elmhurst from a town like Burr Ridge, where the schools are split four ways, here’s the relief: Elmhurst is essentially one unified K-12 district. Most of the city sends its kids through the same elementary, middle, and high schools, all the way up to York Community High School, one of the consistently top-ranked public high schools in Illinois. It’s one of the simplest and strongest school stories in the western suburbs. Here’s the detail.

One unified district: Elmhurst CUSD 205

Elmhurst is served by Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, a single PreK–12 “community unit” district (not split into separate elementary and high-school districts), serving around 8,240 students (per Wikipedia). The structure:

• One high school: York Community High School (grades 9–12)
• Three middle schools (6–8): Bryan, Sandburg, and Churchville
• Eight elementary schools (K–5): Edison, Field, Hawthorne, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Emerson, and Fischer
• Plus the Madison Early Childhood Center (Pre-K)

(All per District 205.)

York Community High School: a genuine standout

York is the headline. It consistently ranks among the top 30 to 40 public high schools in Illinois:

• SchoolDigger ranks it around 30th of roughly 698 Illinois high schools (better than about 95% of them), a long-running 5-star school.
• U.S. News places it around 37th in Illinois (and ~#854 nationally), per U.S. News.
• On test performance, roughly 80% of 11th graders score proficient or better in ACT/English Language Arts, versus a state average near 52%.

The exact rank moves a little by source and year, but the consistent read is “one of the top public high schools in Illinois”, a strong, stable, and (unlike some neighbors) uniform offering: nearly every Elmhurst home feeds it.

The one nuance to know

Elmhurst is overwhelmingly one district, but the boundary isn’t a perfect rectangle. District 205 “serves most of Elmhurst, as well as small parts of Addison, Oak Brook, and Bensenville” (per Wikipedia). The practical implication: the city is far simpler than fragmented towns, but a few edge parcels on the city’s fringe can fall into an adjacent district. If you’re buying right on a border, confirm the assignment by address, just to be safe.

What it means for you

• For the vast majority of Elmhurst homes, the school question is refreshingly simple: District 205, feeding York.
• Because nearly the whole city feeds one high school, you don’t have the “which side of the street” anxiety some neighbors create, but still verify if your home sits on the city’s edge.
• The strong, uniform schools are a big part of why Elmhurst holds its value and stays in demand.

The bottom line

Elmhurst offers something rare in the western suburbs: a single, strong, unified K-12 district topped by York Community High School, a consistent top-30-to-40 school in the state, without the address-by-address school roulette of split towns. Confirm the assignment only if you’re buying on the very edge of the city. For what homes in those school boundaries cost, see what each budget buys in Elmhurst.

Want to confirm the schools for a specific Elmhurst home? Send us the address, especially if it’s near the city’s edge, and we’ll verify the District 205 assignment and the elementary school it feeds.

Frequently asked questions

What school district is Elmhurst in?

Almost all of Elmhurst is in Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, a single unified PreK–12 district. It also covers small parts of neighboring Addison, Oak Brook, and Bensenville, so a few edge parcels can vary, confirm by address if you’re on a border.

How good is York Community High School?

Very good. It ranks around #30 in Illinois on SchoolDigger and about #37 on U.S. News, consistently one of the top public high schools in the state, with roughly 80% of 11th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts.

How many schools are in Elmhurst District 205?

One high school (York), three middle schools (Bryan, Sandburg, Churchville), eight elementary schools, and an early childhood center, all in one unified district.

Is Elmhurst’s school situation simpler than other suburbs?

Yes, much. Where towns like Burr Ridge are split across four elementary districts and two high schools, Elmhurst is essentially one district feeding one high school, only the city’s fringe parcels need a boundary check.

Keep reading

• What $500K, $800K, and $1.2M buy in Elmhurst
• Elmhurst property taxes: a low rate on higher-value homes
• The best neighborhoods in Elmhurst

About Chicago Estates Co
We focus on Chicago’s western suburbs: Naperville, Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Western Springs, La Grange, Clarendon Hills, Elmhurst, and the towns around them. These guides come from close, current research into the specific markets we cover, with one goal: straight answers most real-estate sites won’t give you.

Last updated: June 2026. School boundaries and rankings change; confirm the exact district assignment with District 205 before you rely on it, especially for edge-of-city parcels.

Photo: “York Community High School (NBY 1444)” by Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Source: source