When it comes to higher education, you can’t get much better or broader than Chicago. Students from all over the country and the world attend schools in Chicago, and there’s good reason. From a Michelin Guide–mentioned culinary school to the most diverse arts college in the country, from amazing law schools to a university boasting eight Nobel-winning faculty members. There is a program for every career focus and every budget. Here you’ll find overviews of most of the major college and universities in the city, as well as many technical and community colleges. Every school welcomes prospective students for visits to get more detailed info and a first-hand feel of the campus.
Although one can find pockets of excellence in the city’s public education system, Chicago has struggled to find a formula for success that carries through to every school, which is partly a consequence of simply being a big, economically diverse city. But education is a focus of the current mayor, not to mention many passionate parents, and has improved throughout the years. Navigating the elementary and high school system can be frustrating, so fortunately there are various services and organizations that help.
We hope this primer to Chicago schools gives you a jump-start on it or helps you decide where to pursue your higher education. We’ll start at the beginning, with child care and preschool.