Lincoln Park, Chicago is served by several Chicago Public Schools (CPS) elementary schools, including Abraham Lincoln, Louisa May Alcott, William H. Prescott, Oscar Mayer Magnet and Newberry Math & Science Academy, and by Lincoln Park High School, a neighborhood high school with International Baccalaureate, arts and advanced college-prep programs. The neighborhood also has private and parochial schools such as Francis W. Parker, St. Clement, St. Josaphat and St. James Lutheran, free CPS preschool through Chicago Early Learning, and DePaul University’s main campus. Which public school a child is assigned to depends on the exact home address, so always check a specific address with the CPS School Locator.
Lincoln Park schools at a glance
| Topic | Key fact (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Public school district | Chicago Public Schools (CPS) |
| Neighborhood high school | Lincoln Park High School, 2001 N. Orchard St. (grades 9–12) |
| LPHS programs | IB Diploma, IB Middle Years and IB Career programs; Visual Arts; Performing Arts; Advanced College Prep |
| CPS elementary schools in the neighborhood | Lincoln, Alcott, Prescott, Oscar Mayer Magnet, Newberry, LaSalle Language Academy |
| How to find your assigned school | CPS School Locator (search by address) |
| Choice applications | GoCPS; the 2027–28 window ran Sept. 9 – Nov. 13, 2026 |
| Free preschool | Chicago Early Learning, applications for 2026–27 opened April 7, 2026 |
| Private and parochial schools | Francis W. Parker (PK–12), St. Clement (PK–8), St. Josaphat (PK–8), St. James Lutheran (PK–8) |
| University | DePaul University, Lincoln Park Campus |
How CPS attendance boundaries work in Lincoln Park
Every Chicago address is assigned to a neighborhood elementary school and a neighborhood high school, and a child living at that address can enroll in that school’s general program without entering a lottery. CPS states this plainly on its school profiles: all Chicago students can attend the general education program at their neighborhood school based on their address.
In Lincoln Park this matters more than in many places, because boundaries split the neighborhood among several schools and can run down the middle of a street. Two homes a block apart can be assigned to different elementary schools. That is why it is worth checking every specific address before assuming which school it is assigned to.
How to check an address
- Open the CPS School Locator and type the full street address.
- Note the assigned neighborhood elementary school and the assigned high school.
- Open each school’s profile on cps.edu to see grades, programs and admissions details.
- If anything is unclear, call the CPS Office of Access & Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or email gocps@cps.edu.
Boundaries change. CPS can redraw attendance areas, and a school’s capacity and programs shift from year to year. Treat any boundary you read online (including on this page) as a starting point, and confirm it for the exact address before you sign a lease or a contract. Our sub-neighborhood guide and real estate guide explain how the different pockets of Lincoln Park fit together.
CPS elementary schools serving Lincoln Park
Six CPS elementary schools sit inside Lincoln Park: three neighborhood schools (Lincoln, Alcott and Prescott), one magnet cluster school with Montessori and IB programs (Oscar Mayer) and two lottery-based magnets (Newberry and LaSalle Language Academy). The neighborhood also has a free CPS preschool, the Fisher Early Learning Center. The table below uses details from each school’s CPS profile as of October 2026.
| School | Grades | Type | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary | K–8 | CPS neighborhood school | 615 W. Kemper Pl., 60614 |
| Louisa May Alcott Elementary (Alcott ES) | PK–8 | CPS neighborhood school | 2625 N. Orchard St., 60614 |
| William H. Prescott Elementary | K–8 | CPS neighborhood school | 1632 W. Wrightwood Ave., 60614 |
| Oscar Mayer Magnet | PK–8 | CPS magnet cluster school (Montessori and IB MYP) | 2250 N. Clifton Ave., 60614 |
| Newberry Math & Science Academy | PK–8 | CPS magnet (Scholastic Academy, lottery) | 700 W. Willow St., 60614 |
| LaSalle Language Academy | K–8 | CPS world-language magnet (lottery) | 1734 N. Orleans St., 60614 |
| Fisher Early Learning Center | Pre-K (ages 3–4) | Free CPS preschool (Chicago Early Learning) | 1840 N. Clark St., 60614 |
| Lincoln Park High School | 9–12 | CPS neighborhood high school with application programs | 2001 N. Orchard St., 60614 |
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Lincoln is a K–8 neighborhood school on Kemper Place in the east side of the neighborhood, with about 860 students. CPS describes it as a neighborhood school with a humanities-based curriculum, school-wide arts integration and specialized programs in French, music, art and instrumental band. It does not offer pre-K. Lincoln also hosts the K–8 grades of EFAC (the French-American program of Chicago), a French-language academic track run within CPS by a parent-member nonprofit; the high school grades of the same program meet at Lincoln Park High School. CPS listed Lincoln’s accountability status as “Good Standing” in October 2026.
Louisa May Alcott Elementary
Alcott ES, on Orchard Street just north of Lincoln Park High School, serves pre-K through 8th grade with about 550 students. CPS describes it as an integrated preK–8 environment. Its accountability status on the CPS profile was “Good Standing” in October 2026. Do not confuse it with Alcott College Prep, a separate CPS high school campus on N. Hoyne Avenue outside Lincoln Park.
William H. Prescott Elementary
Prescott is a K–8 school of about 480 students on Wrightwood Avenue in the western part of Lincoln Park, near the Wrightwood Neighbors area. Its CPS profile lists recognitions including a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon award and the top Creative Schools Certificate rating for arts education.
Oscar Mayer Magnet
Oscar Mayer, on Clifton Avenue near DePaul, serves pre-K through 8th grade. Its program runs in three stages: Montessori from pre-K (a full-day program for 4-year-olds) through 3rd grade, an intermediate program in grades 4–5 that blends Montessori and IB approaches, and the IB Middle Years Programme in grades 6–8. All students take music, art, Spanish, library and PE. CPS listed its accountability status as “Good Standing” in October 2026. Admissions details differ by program and grade, so check both the School Locator and the admissions tab of Mayer’s CPS profile.
Newberry Math & Science Academy
Newberry, on Willow Street in the southern part of the neighborhood, is a PK–8 magnet with a math and science focus. Its CPS profile shows no attendance boundary: K–8 seats go through the GoCPS lottery, with priority groups in this order: siblings, staff, pre-K students, proximity, tier and general. In the previous cycle CPS reported 93 applicants and 34 offers. Newberry also offers full-day preschool for 4-year-olds.
LaSalle Language Academy
LaSalle, on Orleans Street at the southern edge of Lincoln Park near Old Town, is a K–8 world-language magnet with about 450 students. Students study one world language for nine years, chosen from Italian, Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish, alongside the regular curriculum. Its CPS profile shows no attendance boundary: seats go through the GoCPS lottery, with priority for siblings, staff, proximity and tier. In the previous cycle CPS reported 249 applicants and 50 offers. LaSalle does not offer pre-K. CPS listed its accountability status as “Good Standing” in October 2026.
Fisher Early Learning Center
The Dr. Fisher Early Learning Center, at 1840 N. Clark St. across from Lincoln Park Zoo’s Farm-in-the-Zoo, is a free CPS preschool rather than an elementary school. It opened in 2023 as the Lincoln Park Early Learning Center and has 10 classrooms with room for up to 200 children. It offers full-day preschool for 4-year-olds and half-day preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds; both were listed as full with a waitlist in October 2026. Fisher has no attendance boundary, and families apply through Chicago Early Learning.
Nearby schools that also feed Lincoln Park High School
Some Lincoln Park-adjacent addresses are assigned to schools just outside the neighborhood, such as Harriet Tubman Elementary (formerly Agassiz) at 2851 N. Seminary Ave. in Lakeview. Manierre and Ogden International, south of the neighborhood, are also among the feeder attendance areas for Lincoln Park High School.
Lincoln Park High School
Lincoln Park High School is the neighborhood high school for most of Lincoln Park, and it also runs citywide application programs, so it serves both local students and students who apply from across Chicago.
The school, at 2001 N. Orchard St., enrolls about 2,100 students in grades 9–12. Its history goes back to North Division High School, which opened in 1875 as the first public high school on Chicago’s North Side; the current building opened in 1900 as Robert A. Waller High School and took the Lincoln Park name in the late 1970s. Its neighborhood program draws from the attendance areas of Lincoln, Alcott, Mayer, Prescott, Tubman (Agassiz), Manierre and parts of Ogden.
Programs
- International Baccalaureate: CPS calls Lincoln Park an “IB for All” school authorized for the IB Diploma, IB Middle Years and IB Career programs. Its IB program dates to 1981.
- Performing Arts: drama, instrumental music and vocal music (auditions required).
- Visual Arts.
- Advanced College Prep (formerly Honors/Double Honors).
- The general neighborhood program, a JROTC program, and the high school grades of the French-American program (EFAC).
Students in the attendance area can enroll in the neighborhood program. The IB, arts and Advanced College Prep programs require a GoCPS application, and some require auditions or the High School Admissions Test (HSAT).
Selective enrollment and the GoCPS application
Families who want a magnet, selective-enrollment or specialty program, rather than the assigned neighborhood school, apply through GoCPS, the single CPS application for kindergarten through 9th grade.
GoCPS dates for the 2027–28 school year
- Application opened: September 9, 2026, 10 a.m.
- Application closes: November 13, 2026, 5 p.m.
- HSAT testing: October 7, 2026 during the school day for CPS 8th graders; October 17–18 and 24–25, 2026 on weekends for non-CPS students.
- High school offers: February 12, 2027.
- Elementary offers: expected March 12, 2027 (confirm on GoCPS).
Dates move every year, so check cps.edu/gocps for the current calendar and offer-acceptance deadlines. If you are moving to Lincoln Park mid-cycle, you can still enroll in your neighborhood school directly.
Selective enrollment high schools near Lincoln Park
The closest selective enrollment high school is Walter Payton College Prep at 1034 N. Wells St. on the Near North Side, less than a mile south of North Avenue. For 2027–28, CPS lists selective-enrollment admission on a 640-point scale: 320 points from the HSAT and 320 from final 7th-grade marks. Other selective, magnet and IB high schools across the city can be compared in the GoCPS school search.
Private and parochial schools in and near Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park has one large independent PK–12 school, Francis W. Parker, and several faith-based PK–8 schools, most within a few blocks of the major parishes and churches.
| School | Grades | Type | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis W. Parker School | PK–12 | Independent, progressive, co-ed (founded 1901) | 330 W. Webster Ave., 60614 |
| St. Clement School | PK–8 | Catholic (Archdiocese of Chicago) | 2524 N. Orchard St., 60614 |
| St. Josaphat School | PK–8 | Catholic (Archdiocese of Chicago) | 2245 N. Southport Ave., 60614 |
| St. James Lutheran School | PK–8 | Lutheran (Missouri Synod) | 2101 N. Fremont St., 60614 |
Francis W. Parker sits across from the park on Webster Avenue and serves students from about age 4 through 12th grade. St. James Lutheran has operated in Lincoln Park since 1857 and opened a fourth-floor addition with new middle school classrooms in April 2025. St. Clement and St. Josaphat are Catholic parish schools tied to two of the neighborhood’s historic churches.
Families looking for a French-language program have two options. EFAC runs within CPS at Lincoln Elementary and Lincoln Park High School. The private Lycée Français de Chicago (PK–12) is not in Lincoln Park; its campus is at 1929 W. Wilson Ave. in the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area.
Tuition, admissions calendars and financial aid vary widely, and many private schools set application deadlines in the fall or winter for the following year. Contact each school directly, and plan visits early.
Preschool and early childhood options
Chicago families can apply for free public preschool through Chicago Early Learning, and Lincoln Park also has a number of private preschools and Montessori programs.
Chicago Early Learning (free CPS pre-K)
- Free for families. Full programs are for 4-year-olds, with a limited number of half-day seats for 3-year-olds.
- Offered at 372 CPS elementary schools citywide (per CPS, April 2026), plus community-based sites.
- Applications for 2026–27 opened April 7, 2026 and are accepted on a rolling basis; CPS recommends applying in the first three weeks for the most choice.
- Apply at chicagoearlylearning.org or call the hotline at 312-229-1690 (English and Spanish).
In Lincoln Park, Alcott, Oscar Mayer and Newberry all list pre-K on their CPS profiles, and the Fisher Early Learning Center at 1840 N. Clark St. is a free CPS preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds; Lincoln and Prescott start at kindergarten. Availability is limited and changes each year, so check the Chicago Early Learning site for current seats.
Private preschools
Private early-childhood programs in the 60614 ZIP code include Guidepost Montessori at Lincoln Park (2301 N. Clark St.), The Goddard School (1127 W. Armitage Ave.) and Lincoln Park KinderCare (1733 N. Marcey St.), along with the preschool grades of the parochial schools above. Openings, ages and pricing change often, so call ahead.
DePaul University
DePaul University’s main campus fills about 36 acres in the heart of Lincoln Park and shapes the blocks around Fullerton, Sheffield and Belden.
DePaul was founded in 1898 by the Vincentians as St. Vincent’s College and became DePaul University in 1907. It is a private Catholic university with two Chicago campuses, Lincoln Park and the Loop, and enrolled about 20,600 students in fall 2025. The Lincoln Park Campus is home to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, The Theatre School, the School of Music, the College of Education and the College of Science and Health, along with the John T. Richardson Library and about 2,400 students in campus housing. DePaul announced in February 2026 that the DePaul Art Museum would close, and it closed on June 30, 2026. The university also brings concerts, theatre and sports to the neighborhood; see our arts and entertainment listings.
Researching school performance
We do not rank or rate schools. The best way to compare them is to use the official data tools and visit in person.
- Illinois Report Card (Illinois State Board of Education): annual data for every public school, including the state’s summative designation, test results, enrollment and staffing.
- CPS School Profiles: programs, admissions, the CPS accountability status, and data on instruction, student experience and postsecondary outcomes.
- School visits and open houses: many schools, public and private, offer tours or open houses during the application season; ask each school.
Once you’ve picked a school, see how it fits into daily life with our getting around guide (several schools sit close to Brown and Red Line stops) and our parks and lakefront guide for playgrounds such as Oz Park. The complete Lincoln Park guide and the FAQ cover the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What public high school serves Lincoln Park, Chicago?
Lincoln Park High School, at 2001 N. Orchard St., is the CPS neighborhood high school for most Lincoln Park addresses. It enrolls about 2,100 students in grades 9–12 and also offers application-based IB, performing arts, visual arts and Advanced College Prep programs. Confirm the assigned high school for a specific address with the CPS School Locator.
Which CPS elementary schools are in Lincoln Park?
Six CPS elementary schools are located in Lincoln Park: Abraham Lincoln (K–8), Louisa May Alcott (PK–8), William H. Prescott (K–8), Oscar Mayer Magnet (PK–8), Newberry Math & Science Academy (PK–8) and LaSalle Language Academy (K–8). Lincoln, Alcott and Prescott are neighborhood schools, Mayer is a Montessori/IB magnet cluster school, and Newberry and LaSalle are lottery-based magnets with no attendance boundary.
How do I find out which school my Lincoln Park address is zoned for?
Enter the full street address in the CPS School Locator at cps.edu/map. It shows the assigned neighborhood elementary and high school. Boundaries can change and can split blocks, so check the exact address rather than relying on a neighborhood name or a listing description.
When is the GoCPS application deadline?
For the 2027–28 school year, the GoCPS application opened September 9, 2026 and closes at 5 p.m. on November 13, 2026. High school offers are scheduled for February 12, 2027. Dates change every year, so confirm them at cps.edu/gocps.
Is preschool free in Lincoln Park?
Yes, public preschool through Chicago Early Learning is free for Chicago families. Full programs serve 4-year-olds, with some half-day seats for 3-year-olds. Apply at chicagoearlylearning.org or call 312-229-1690. In Lincoln Park, Alcott, Oscar Mayer and Newberry list pre-K, and the Fisher Early Learning Center at 1840 N. Clark St. is a free CPS preschool; private preschools charge tuition.
What private schools are in Lincoln Park?
Private schools in Lincoln Park include Francis W. Parker School (PK–12, 330 W. Webster Ave.), St. Clement School (Catholic, PK–8, 2524 N. Orchard St.), St. Josaphat School (Catholic, PK–8, 2245 N. Southport Ave.) and St. James Lutheran School (PK–8, 2101 N. Fremont St.). Several private preschools and Montessori programs also operate in the 60614 ZIP code.
Is the Lycée Français de Chicago in Lincoln Park?
No. The Lycée Français de Chicago is at 1929 W. Wilson Ave. in the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area. In Lincoln Park itself, the French-language program EFAC operates within CPS at Abraham Lincoln Elementary (K–8) and Lincoln Park High School (9–12).
Sources
- CPS School Profile: Lincoln Park HS
- CPS School Profile: Lincoln Elementary
- CPS School Profile: Alcott ES
- CPS School Profile: Prescott
- CPS School Profile: Oscar Mayer Magnet
- CPS School Profile: Newberry Academy
- CPS: GoCPS High School Application
- GoCPS: Selective Enrollment High School at Payton
- Chicago School Options: 2027–2028 GoCPS dates
- CPS press release: free preschool applications open (April 2026)
- Wikipedia: Lincoln Park High School (Chicago)
- EFAC Chicago: program overview
- Wrightwood Neighbors: Schools
- Private School Review: 60614 private schools
- Wikipedia: Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
- ABC7: St. James Lutheran School expansion (2025)
- Wikipedia: Lycée Français de Chicago
- Wikipedia: DePaul University
- Illinois Report Card (ISBE)
Moving to Lincoln Park with kids? Joe Bjorklund can help you look into how schools fit with a home search. Get in touch with questions about a specific address.
Last updated October 2026 by Joe Bjorklund, Baird & Warner Lincoln Park.