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Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Q: Is Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary a good school?

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks 585 th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

585^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,056 Illinois Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of Illinois elementary schools

Summary

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary is a public elementary school in Naperville, Illinois, serving 564 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 district, which is ranked 145 out of 811 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating.

Academically, Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary consistently ranks in the top 25% of Illinois elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics generally higher than the state averages but lower than the district averages. The school's performance on the Illinois Science Assessment for 5th grade is also strong, with a 55% proficiency rate in 2024-2025. However, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups, and it has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 10.8% in 2022-2023 to 25.4% in 2024-2025, which is higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools within the Indian Prairie CUSD 204 district, such as McCarty Elementary, Robert Clow Elementary, and Arlene Welch Elementary, Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary generally has higher academic performance. However, schools in the neighboring Naperville CUSD 203 district, such as Naper Elementary and Elmwood Elementary, consistently outperform Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates.

589

Students ?

14.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,159

Per pupil spending ?

24.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1212 Sanctuary Ln
Naperville, IL 60540-1902

(630) 428-6100

District: Indian Prairie CUSD 204

Students who attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Still Middle School
High:	Metea Valley High School

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

41.1%

White:

23.6%

Hispanic:

17.7%

See top rated Illinois elementary schools

Compare Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 80th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (55% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Above the Illinois median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Indian Prairie CUSD 204's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg65%

Illinois avg44%

585^th of 2,056

Illinois public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 21Elementary Schools in the Indian Prairie CUSD 204

145^th of 811Indian Prairie CUSD 204 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	585 of 2056	71.5%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	554 of 2067	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	504 of 2077	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	79.6	387 of 2082	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	77.6	384 of 1948	80.3%	★★★★☆
2019	72.7	504 of 2086	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.9	430 of 2037	78.9%	★★★★☆
2017	80.7	358 of 2044	82.5%	★★★★☆
2016	83.9	293 of 2046	85.7%	★★★★☆
2015	77.0	405 of 2052	80.3%	★★★★☆
2014	86.4	238 of 2093	88.6%	★★★★☆
2013	85.8	256 of 2167	88.2%	★★★★☆
2012	72.7	633 of 2166	70.8%	★★★★☆
2011	76.3	487 of 2147	77.3%	★★★★☆
2010	77.0	474 of 2139	77.8%	★★★★☆
2009	76.7	482 of 2120	77.3%	★★★★☆
2008	82.7	227 of 2092	89.1%	★★★★☆
2007	80.7	271 of 2095	87.1%	★★★★☆
2006	67.7	792 of 2086	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	65.3	843 of 2022	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2004	73.7	569 of 2030	72.0%	★★★★☆
2003	84.3	201 of 2020	90.0%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	441 of 688	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.3	421 of 655	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	76.8	66 of 684	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	53.0	254 of 711	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	151 of 698	78.4%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.6	160 of 234	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.8	142 of 219	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.7	137 of 237	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.2	110 of 226	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.1	81 of 134	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.2	162 of 243	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.5	134 of 242	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	61.8	279 of 1049	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	190 of 886	78.6%	★★★★☆
2023	43.5	417 of 907	54.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	76.8	94 of 788	88.1%	★★★★☆
2024	71.8	105 of 826	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	59.6	201 of 788	74.5%	★★★★☆
2022	80.8	50 of 768	93.5%	★★★★★
2021	73.6	50 of 537	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	91.0	20 of 743	97.3%	★★★★★
2018	83.4	51 of 718	92.9%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	70.5	541 of 1942	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	65.8	576 of 1942	70.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.7	511 of 1957	73.9%	★★★★☆
2022	75.4	426 of 1970	78.4%	★★★★☆
2021	70.7	417 of 1680	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	72.0	500 of 2019	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	75.9	410 of 1964	79.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	269 of 982	72.6%	★★★★☆
2024	70.0	180 of 959	81.2%	★★★★☆
2023	69.9	191 of 970	80.3%	★★★★☆
2022	77.5	134 of 954	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.9	343 of 955	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.2	233 of 938	75.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	61.7	587 of 1800	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	609 of 1793	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.0	323 of 1808	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	72.6	278 of 1763	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	330 of 1514	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.2	331 of 1816	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	68.6	361 of 1765	79.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	67.9	597 of 1947	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.2	506 of 1959	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.8	461 of 1984	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.9	318 of 1977	83.9%	★★★★☆
2021	77.5	306 of 1707	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	71.7	488 of 2019	75.8%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	400 of 1972	79.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	50.9	519 of 1292	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.5	523 of 1195	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	33.1	730 of 1156	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	682 of 1113	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.3	802 of 1194	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.4	691 of 763	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	57.5	594 of 1389	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.9	712 of 1392	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.7	672 of 1419	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.1	937 of 1425	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.1	882 of 1308	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.2	638 of 1462	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.7	637 of 1463	56.5%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

English Language Learner (2025)88th percentile+17 vs school

Disabled (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)69th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)67th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)60th percentile-12 vs school

White (2025)57th percentile-14 vs school

African American (2025)36th percentile-36 vs school

Asian (2025)32nd percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%+5 vs state

Science55%+14 vs state

Mathematics53%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)	IAR English Language Arts (2025)				IAR Mathematics (2025)				% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 3rd Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 3rd Grade	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary	Public	K-5	1212 Sanctuary Ln	Naperville	60540	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(630) 428-6100	589	41	14.5	24.8%	139 (23.6%)	74 (12.6%)	104 (17.7%)	242 (41.1%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.4%)	70.7	585^th of 2056 public elementary schools	71.5%		69.7	554^th of 2067 public elementary schools	73.2%	31	55.0	50.0	60.7	64.2	58.0	59.6	43.8	56.8	53.4	96.2	96.2	96.2	96.2		96.0	96.5	$15,159	$996	$14,163
May Watts Elementary School	Public	K-5	800 S Whispering Hills Dr	Naperville	60540	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 428-6700	668	42	15.7	7.9%	202 (30.2%)	44 (6.6%)	38 (5.7%)	341 (51.0%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.5%)	89.7	182^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	91.1%		84.3	277^th of 2067 public elementary schools	86.6%	95	77.6	61.4	70.4	88.2	72.5	68.3	76.5	77.6	73.9	98.2	98.0	98.0	98.0		98.0	98.2	$13,748	$821	$12,928
Owen Elementary School	Public	K-5	1560 Westglen Dr	Naperville	60565	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 428-7300	577	38	15.3	17.5%	130 (22.5%)	66 (11.4%)	37 (6.4%)	312 (54.1%)	9 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.0%)	80	394^th of 2056 public elementary schools	80.8%		84.9	272^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	86.8%	122	56.7	46.6	70.2	71.1	62.2	65.4	66.0	68.4	66.6	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	99.8	97.3	97.1	$15,386	$965	$14,421
Arlene Welch Elementary School	Public	K-5	2620 Leverenz Rd	Naperville	60564	Will County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 428-7200	576	45	12.8	29.0%	179 (31.1%)	60 (10.4%)	39 (6.8%)	253 (43.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.3%)	79.9	397^th of 2056 public elementary schools	80.7%		80.9	341^st of 2067 public elementary schools	83.5%	56	56.6	65.9	62.5	69.7	66.1	65.9	54.2	59.6	59.7	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	97.5	$16,895	$732	$16,163
White Eagle Elementary	Public	K-5	1585 White Eagle Dr	Naperville	60564	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 375-3600	541	36	15.1	23.5%	164 (30.3%)	46 (8.5%)	33 (6.1%)	277 (51.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.7%)	86.5	255^th of 2056 public elementary schools	87.6%		87.1	237^th of 2067 public elementary schools	88.5%	18	51.2	81.1	68.6	77.4	75.4	71.6	70.9	61.9	68.0	96.5	96.5	96.5	96.5	96.5	96.4	96.5	$14,774	$564	$14,210
Elmwood Elementary School	Public	K-5	1024 Magnolia Ln	Naperville	60540	DuPage County	Naperville CUSD 203	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(630) 420-6341	726	48	15.1	13.6%	488 (67.2%)	29 (4.0%)	102 (14.0%)	52 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.4%)	88.7	206^th of 2056 public elementary schools	90.0%		86.8	241^st of 2067 public elementary schools	88.3%	35	69.5	75.5	63.8	85.1	75.1	81.8	63.0	60.3	67.5	97.8	97.6	97.6	97.6	98.6	97.6	97.9	$17,084	$370	$16,713
McCarty Elementary School	Public	K-5	3000 Village Green Dr	Aurora	60504	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(630) 375-3400	478	38	12.7	35.4%	164 (34.3%)	87 (18.2%)	119 (24.9%)	76 (15.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	29 (6.1%)	45.7	1086^th of 2056 public elementary schools	47.2%		30.2	1392^nd of 2067 public elementary schools	32.7%	306	34.8	51.9	36.9	47.8	46.2	44.4	32.3	37.0	38.2	97.6	97.4	97.4	97.4	97.8	97.0	97.4	$16,696	$1,109	$15,588
Robert Clow Elementary School	Public	K-5	1301 Springdale Cir	Naperville	60564	Will County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 428-6060	343	30	11.4	12.8%	182 (53.1%)	16 (4.7%)	46 (13.4%)	72 (21.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.6%)	88.8	205^th of 2056 public elementary schools	90.0%		95.7	86^th of 2067 public elementary schools	95.8%	119	58.8	65.5	86.0	75.0	75.4	81.0	77.2	57.4	71.0	96.8	96.8	96.8	96.8	97.4	96.8	96.8	$18,955	$1,004	$17,951
Georgetown Elementary School	Public	K-5	995 Long Grove Dr	Aurora	60504	DuPage County	Indian Prairie CUSD 204	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(630) 375-3456	420	35	12.0	53.3%	83 (19.8%)	90 (21.4%)	194 (46.2%)	26 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	37.1	1272^nd of 2056 public elementary schools	38.1%		30.5	1383^rd of 2067 public elementary schools	33.1%	111	26.7	42.4	43.1	41.3	42.3	42.4	23.9	30.7	32.1	97.0	97.0	97.0	97.0		97.0	97.0	$16,280	$1,522	$14,758
Naper Elementary School	Public	K-4	39 S Eagle St	Naperville	60540	DuPage County	Naperville CUSD 203	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(630) 420-6345	235	17	13.7	17.0%	162 (68.9%)	12 (5.1%)	21 (8.9%)	25 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.4%)	92.9	115^th of 2056 public elementary schools	94.4%		96.7	55^th of 2067 public elementary schools	97.3%	60		73.3	84.1		78.7	77.8	79.5		78.7	98.3	97.9	97.9	97.9	98.3	97.9	98.3	$20,152	$251	$19,901

Frequently Asked Questions about Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary

Is Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary a good school?

Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary ranks 585^th of 2056 Illinois elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary in?

Indian Prairie CUSD 204

What is the racial makeup of Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?

Students at Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary are 41% Asian, 24% White, 18% Hispanic, 13% African American, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Still Middle School
High : Metea Valley High School

How many students attend Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 589 students attended Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary.

Rate Mary Lou Cowlishaw Elementary!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.