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Best Illinois Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 1,049 private schools belonging to membership associations in Illinois.
The most popular school membership associations are National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (30% of schools), National Association for the Education of Young Children (14% of schools) and Other school association(s) (13% of schools).

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

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
AdvancED, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Council on Accreditation and School Improvement
1
91
73%
Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) or (School of Tomorrow)
17
949
43%
Accreditation International
1
6,319
41%
Agudath Israel of America
1
29
-
Alabama Association of Independent Schools (AAIS)
1
29
100%
Alternative School Network
13
2,045
58%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
23
3,441
34%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
109
8,475
36%
Association Montessori International (AMI)
11
1,657
35%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
4
249
21%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
72
15,662
27%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
11
2,047
24%
Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS)
8
1,102
40%
Association of Independent Schools of Florida
1
92
15%
Association of Military Colleges and Schools
3
723
35%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
4
646
20%
Bilingual School Association
3
485
6%
Christian Schools International (CSI)
15
2,587
33%
Cognia
69
20,736
33%
Council of Bilingual Education
4
345
54%
European Council for International Schools
11
974
74%
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
12
1,818
27%
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
1
29
19%
General Conference of SDA Church
1
8
75%
General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (GCSDAC)
8
466
85%
Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools
26
5,534
29%
Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)
31
10,709
26%
Institute for Independent Education
4
299
47%
International Baccalaureate (IB) World School
8
2,535
35%
International Coalition of Girls Schools
1
206
20%
International League of Christian Schools (ILCS)
1
145
90%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
1
63
78%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
7
1,615
68%
Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA)
4
4,401
40%
Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS)
25
7,776
30%
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
2
121
60%
Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
2
6,319
41%
National Association for the Education of Young Children
151
17,610
45%
National Association of College Admissions Counselors
1
147
1%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
5
1,446
41%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
44
14,882
32%
National Association of Laboratory Schools
4
136
91%
National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)
2
234
94%
National Association of Private Special Education Centers
24
2,014
33%
National Catholic Education Association
4
1,532
18%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
319
98,317
28%
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
4
597
52%
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools
2
189
72%
National Coalition of Girls
5
632
40%
National Council for Private School Accreditation
7
7,974
42%
National Honor Society (NHS)
2
1,013
25%
National Independent Private Schools Association
8
1,333
60%
National Lutheran Schools Accreditation
30
5,532
18%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
9
2,500
17%
Network for Mercy Education
1
832
32%
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
1
343
50%
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
3
209
67%
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
17
2,464
27%
Other Montessori association(s)
44
4,003
34%
Other religious school association(s)
67
10,854
31%
Other school association(s)
132
24,053
40%
Other special emphasis association(s)
38
4,914
37%
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools
1
152
21%
Progressive Education Network
1
2,212
-
Society For Classical Learning
1
134
-
Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)
4
914
10%
Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools (SACS)
1
67
-
Southern Association of Independent Schools
1
48
25%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
3
420
17%
State or regional independent school association
34
7,830
42%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
3
602
42%
Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America
1
126
17%
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)
4
526
35%

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