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Illinois Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations

For the 2026-27 school year, there are 1,042 private schools belonging to membership associations in Illinois.
The most popular school membership associations are National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (31% of schools), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (14% of schools) and Other school association(s) (13% of schools).

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 1042

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 1042

Top Ranked Illinois Private Schools by Membership Association (2026-27)

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) (ACE)
17
949
43%
Accreditation International
1
6,319
41%
Agudath Israel of America
1
29
-
Alabama Independent School Association (AISA)
1
29
100%
Alternative School Network
13
2,045
58%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
22
3,299
34%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
107
8,417
36%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
14
1,826
36%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
73
15,878
28%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
11
2,047
24%
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
8
1,102
40%
Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF)
1
92
15%
Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
3
723
35%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
4
646
20%
Christian Schools International (CSI)
15
2,595
36%
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)
70
21,688
36%
Council of Bilingual Education (PVSR legacy category)
4
383
51%
Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA)
1
569
93%
Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS)
11
974
74%
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
12
1,824
27%
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
1
29
19%
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Education) (GCSDAC)
9
474
85%
Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools (ICNS)
26
5,532
29%
Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)
32
11,597
26%
Institute for Independent Education (PVSR legacy category)
4
299
47%
International Baccalaureate World School (IB)
8
2,513
35%
International Coalition of Girls' Schools (formerly NCGS) (ICGS)
6
818
34%
International League of Christian Schools (ILCS)
1
145
90%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
1
63
78%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
8
2,184
75%
Jesuit Schools Network (formerly JSEA) (JSN)
4
4,401
40%
Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS)
26
8,600
30%
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
2
121
60%
Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
2
6,319
41%
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
3
485
6%
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
151
17,586
46%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
5
1,446
41%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
44
14,880
32%
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
4
136
91%
National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)
2
234
94%
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
24
2,014
33%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
320
99,373
28%
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
4
597
52%
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS)
2
189
72%
National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
8
8,077
42%
National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA)
10
2,121
56%
National Lutheran Schools Accreditation (NLSA)
31
5,668
17%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
9
2,500
17%
Network for Mercy Education (formerly MSEA) (NME)
1
832
32%
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
1
343
50%
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
3
209
67%
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
17
2,507
27%
Other Montessori association(s)
43
3,909
35%
Other religious school association(s)
66
10,819
30%
Other school association(s)
134
25,260
41%
Other special emphasis association(s)
38
4,909
37%
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools (absorbed SSDSA) (Prizmah)
1
152
21%
Progressive Education Network (PEN)
1
2,212
-
Society for Classical Learning (SCL)
1
134
-
Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)
4
914
10%
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
2
158
73%
Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
1
48
25%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
3
420
17%
State or regional independent school association
34
7,810
42%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
3
582
42%
Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)
1
126
17%
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)
4
526
35%

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