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Cooper Middle School

Q: Is Cooper Middle School a good school?

Cooper Middle School ranks 359 th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

359^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,126 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 68% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove serves 732 students in grades 6–8 in the suburban Wheeling CCSD 21 area. In 2025–2026, 66% of students were proficient in English language arts (ELA), 48% in math, and 66% in eighth-grade science. Each result was above both district and state levels, but Cooper ranked seventh among 11 nearby schools in all three subjects—so its strong showing against district and state benchmarks did not make it a local leader.

Cooper’s clearest strength is its performance relative to its district: ELA proficiency was 66%, compared with 54% and 41% at the district’s two other nearby middle schools; math was 48%, versus 32% and 22%; and science was 66%, versus 50% and 32%. Against the state, Cooper led by 10 percentage points in ELA, 8 in math, and 14 in science. Locally, however, results were mixed: nearby-school averages were 66% in ELA, 49% in math, and 65% in science, placing Cooper just above the ELA and science averages but just below the math average. Within Cooper, grade 8 ELA was a bright spot at 73%, while grade 8 math was 38%, 20 points below grade 7. Chronic absenteeism was about 18%, close to the district’s 18% and below the state’s 24%.

ELA and math have improved over three years: ELA rose from 47% in 2023–2024 to 66% in 2025–2026, and math from 35% to 48%; even so, the state gap widened in the latest year. SchoolDigger rated Cooper at the 68th statewide percentile with three stars, stronger than the district’s 25th percentile and one star, but below six nearby schools. Its 12.9 students per teacher is close to the nearby-school average of 12.8. The school’s free/reduced lunch eligible share was 56% in 2024–2025, above the average among comparable nearby schools. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking for English Language Learner Students fell to the 53rd percentile in 2025–2026 from the 81st percentile the prior year; its Special Education Students ranking fell to the 34th percentile from the 75th, making those groups’ results worth asking about alongside the school’s stronger overall scores.

732

Students ?

12.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,133

Per pupil spending ?

56.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

98.6%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

1050 Plum Grove Cir
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-1911

(847) 520-2750

District: Wheeling CCSD 21

Students who attend Cooper Middle School usually attend:

High:

Buffalo Grove High School

Feeder schools for Cooper Middle School:

Elementary:	Edgar A Poe Elementary School
	Henry W Longfellow Elementary School
	Joyce Kilmer Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.1%

Hispanic:

23.9%

Asian:

10.2%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Cooper Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 71st percentile in 2016 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (60% vs 49% meeting standards)

✓Above the Illinois median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school60%

District avg46%

Illinois avg49%

359^th of 1,126

Illinois public middle schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Middle Schools in the Wheeling CCSD 21

554^th of 738Wheeling CCSD 21 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
2026	63.8	359 of 1126	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.8	392 of 1368	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	400 of 1363	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	66.9	366 of 1367	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.7	260 of 1369	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	69.8	295 of 1241	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	70.6	338 of 1356	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	71.7	305 of 1293	76.4%	★★★★☆
2017	72.6	297 of 1293	77.0%	★★★★☆
2016	64.8	375 of 1294	71.0%	★★★★☆
2015	72.2	290 of 1302	77.7%	★★★★☆
2014	74.1	309 of 1322	76.6%	★★★★☆
2013	79.6	238 of 1367	82.6%	★★★★☆
2012	79.0	222 of 1365	83.7%	★★★★☆
2011	72.5	368 of 1344	72.6%	★★★★☆
2010	68.7	446 of 1327	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	72.9	357 of 1318	72.9%	★★★★☆
2008	71.7	379 of 1293	70.7%	★★★★☆
2007	77.5	246 of 1287	80.9%	★★★★☆
2006	82.7	145 of 1272	88.6%	★★★★☆
2005	83.9	153 of 1209	87.3%	★★★★☆
2004	83.0	166 of 1204	86.2%	★★★★☆
2003	79.8	229 of 1185	80.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	43.9	94 of 154	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.2	96 of 186	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.2	110 of 184	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.2	98 of 192	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.3	86 of 198	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.8	53 of 112	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	31.4	148 of 201	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.5	142 of 209	32.1%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	65.7	140 of 694	79.8%	★★★★☆
2024	51.3	216 of 639	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.4	230 of 674	65.9%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	44.4	38 of 81	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.3	90 of 483	81.4%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	72 of 486	85.2%	★★★★☆
2023	44.0	218 of 480	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.8	150 of 454	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.4	33 of 277	88.1%	★★★★☆
2019	56.4	76 of 339	77.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.4	41 of 285	85.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	58.7	330 of 867	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	69.1	348 of 1248	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	61.6	402 of 1251	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.4	380 of 1275	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	292 of 1286	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	63.5	309 of 1017	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.0	340 of 1276	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	70.4	302 of 1226	75.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	35.6	297 of 483	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.3	428 of 669	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.1	371 of 643	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.2	449 of 661	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.4	403 of 662	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.8	293 of 517	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.2	367 of 639	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.0	417 of 590	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	57.5	292 of 788	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.0	287 of 1229	76.6%	★★★★☆
2024	58.7	396 of 1219	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.6	531 of 1234	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.2	356 of 1221	70.8%	★★★★☆
2021	55.5	337 of 1019	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.7	319 of 1217	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	61.2	347 of 1161	70.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	54.5	357 of 829	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.6	384 of 1271	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.5	352 of 1264	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.1	322 of 1292	75.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.1	198 of 1286	84.6%	★★★★☆
2021	70.3	236 of 1048	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	70.3	316 of 1296	75.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.0	295 of 1223	75.9%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	32.7	160 of 244	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.7	202 of 812	75.1%	★★★★☆
2024	59.9	222 of 802	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	65.9	176 of 805	78.1%	★★★★☆
2022	47.9	270 of 781	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.2	426 of 548	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.3	259 of 792	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.6	189 of 602	68.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	59.5	269 of 754	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.5	295 of 884	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.1	369 of 875	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.8	317 of 895	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	72.2	187 of 898	79.2%	★★★★☆
2021	59.6	285 of 813	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	248 of 905	72.6%	★★★★☆
2018	69.0	240 of 889	73.0%	★★★★☆

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)

Disabled (2025)80th percentile+8 vs school

White (2026)64th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)63rd percentile-5 vs school

Female (2026)62nd percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)57th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)53rd percentile-15 vs school

Asian (2026)39th percentile-29 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile-30 vs school

Special Education (2026)34th percentile-34 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%+10 vs state

Science66%+14 vs state

Mathematics48%+8 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Tuesday, January 8, 2013

This school is the worst school in the state. The staff bullies the students and students are allowed to bully other students without any response from the staff to prevent it.

If you want a fair playing field DONOT ATTEND COOPER. They don't know the meaning of fair, only favorite! Close Quote

Schools Near Cooper Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				ISA Science (2026)	IAR English Language Arts (2026)				IAR Mathematics (2026)				Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cooper Middle School	Public	6-8	1050 Plum Grove Cir	Buffalo Grove	60089	Cook County	Wheeling CCSD 21	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 520-2750	732	57	12.9	56.0%	440 (60.1%)	18 (2.5%)	175 (23.9%)	75 (10.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (2.7%)	63.8	359^th of 1126 public middle schools	68.1%		67.8	392^nd of 1368 public middle schools	71.3%	33	65.6	60.9	63.2	73.1	66.3	49.0	58.3	38.2	48.0	98.6%		$22,133	$601	$21,533
Jack London Middle School	Public	6-8	1001 W Dundee Rd	Wheeling	60090	Cook County	Wheeling CCSD 21	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 520-2745	628	65	9.6	63.5%	188 (29.9%)	15 (2.4%)	345 (54.9%)	56 (8.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.5%)	35.1	723^rd of 1126 public middle schools	35.8%		48.2	649^th of 1368 public middle schools	52.6%	74	50.0	50.2	45.6	64.5	53.9	30.8	32.8	33.3	32.3	98.9%		$25,950	$601	$25,349
Aptakisic Junior High School	Public	6-8	1231 Weiland Rd	Buffalo Grove	60089	Lake County	Aptakisic-Tripp CCSD 102	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 353-5506	940	67	14.1	—	294 (31.3%)	20 (2.1%)	52 (5.5%)	526 (56.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.9%)	85.5	119^th of 1126 public middle schools	89.4%		91.6	94^th of 1368 public middle schools	93.1%	25	79.6	72.6	72.5	81.5	75.5	67.0	65.8	68.7	67.2	97.4%		$19,436	$288	$19,148
Twin Groves Middle School	Public	6-8	2600 N Buffalo Grove Rd	Buffalo Grove	60089	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 821-8946	625	42	14.7	—	234 (37.4%)	10 (1.6%)	32 (5.1%)	329 (52.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.0%)	91.2	63^rd of 1126 public middle schools	94.4%		94.3	65^th of 1368 public middle schools	95.2%	2	83.8	83.4	86.7	79.9	83.5	68.1	75.8	70.1	71.5	98%		$22,318	$319	$21,999
Thomas Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 N Belmont Ave	Arlington Heights	60004	Cook County	Arlington Heights School District 25	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 398-4260	1,024	77	13.2	16.0%	722 (70.5%)	16 (1.6%)	94 (9.2%)	174 (17.0%)	2 (0.2%)	10 (1.0%)	6 (0.6%)	81.5	162^nd of 1126 public middle schools	85.6%		91.8	93^rd of 1368 public middle schools	93.2%	69	79.2	75.2	76.4	77.7	76.5	64.1	67.4	46.3	58.7	97.5%		$17,816	$547	$17,269
Winston Campus Middle School	Public	6-8	120 N Babcock Dr	Palatine	60074	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 963-7400	847	65	12.9	49.9%	240 (28.3%)	41 (4.8%)	510 (60.2%)	35 (4.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.0%)	20.7	904^th of 1126 public middle schools	19.7%		33.2	894^th of 1368 public middle schools	34.6%	10	42.2	44.7	37.4	47.8	43.3	29.9	22.7	23.9	25.7	92.3%		$17,956	$1,036	$16,919
MacArthur Middle School	Public	6-8	700 N Schoenbeck Rd	Prospect Heights	60070	Cook County	Prospect Heights School District 23	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 870-3879	483	36	13.6	41.8%	326 (67.5%)	8 (1.7%)	90 (18.6%)	44 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	83	147^th of 1126 public middle schools	86.9%		88.3	142^nd of 1368 public middle schools	89.6%	5	73.2	78.7	76.9	75.8	77.1	70.1	68.8	50.3	63.4	96.7%		$18,859	$277	$18,582
Walter R Sundling Middle School	Public	6-8	1100 N Smith St	Palatine	60067	Cook County	Palatine CCSD 15	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 963-3700	679	61	11.2	47.0%	237 (34.9%)	47 (6.9%)	305 (44.9%)	68 (10.0%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	18 (2.7%)	25	841^st of 1126 public middle schools	25.3%		35.3	854^th of 1368 public middle schools	37.6%	13	39.3	48.8	50.0	50.0	49.6	23.9	32.5	24.3	27.0	98.9%		$22,075	$920	$21,155
Oliver W Holmes Middle School	Public	6-8	221 S Wolf Rd	Wheeling	60090	Cook County	Wheeling CCSD 21	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 520-2790	615	56	10.9	71.2%	84 (13.7%)	29 (4.7%)	447 (72.7%)	37 (6.0%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.1%)	14.9	978^th of 1126 public middle schools	13.1%		19.7	1121^st of 1368 public middle schools	18.1%	143	31.8	39.4	39.1	44.0	40.8	17.8	25.7	22.3	22.0	99.1%		$24,222	$617	$23,605
Woodlawn Middle School	Public	6-8	6362 Gilmer Rd	Long Grove	60047	Lake County	Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 353-8500	632	41	15.5	—	315 (49.8%)	23 (3.6%)	49 (7.8%)	220 (34.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.3%)	88.5	93^rd of 1126 public middle schools	91.7%		93.6	75^th of 1368 public middle schools	94.5%	18	86.4	75.4	80.7	85.6	80.4	68.9	60.4	72.3	67.1	97.8%		$22,696	$319	$22,377

Frequently Asked Questions about Cooper Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Cooper Middle School?

Students at Cooper Middle School are 60% White, 24% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

How many students attend Cooper Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 732 students attended Cooper Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Cooper Middle School attend?

Students who attend Cooper Middle School usually go on to attend Buffalo Grove High School

Is Cooper Middle School a good school?

Cooper Middle School ranks 359^th of 1126 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Cooper Middle School in?

Wheeling CCSD 21

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresNewOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

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.