Chicago Public Schools (CPS) runs one application system for almost every school and program, and a separate one for pre-K. This guide explains both, then points you to the schools listed on this site.
Your neighborhood school
CPS assigns neighborhood (attendance area) schools by home address. For elementary school, families can enroll in their neighborhood school's programs or apply to any elementary school in the city. For high school, students can attend the general education program of the neighborhood high school for their home address, or apply to any high school they are eligible for that has open seats.
Applying through GoCPS
GoCPS is the online platform where families explore and apply to nearly every CPS school and program. It covers elementary (K to 9) and high school. Students moving into grades 10 to 12 don't use GoCPS; they contact schools directly.
The process has three phases:
- Explore (summer): look through schools and programs.
- Apply (fall): apply in the GoCPS portal. High school applicants take the HSAT test, and selective enrollment elementary applicants take admissions testing.
- Results (spring): see where your child was offered a seat.
CPS lists the application window for the 2027-28 school year as September 9 to November 13, 2026, with offers on February 12 and March 12, 2027. For the current 2026-27 year, rolling waitlists are open; CPS sends waitlist offers on Tuesdays and Fridays by 10 a.m. Dates change every year, so check the GoCPS page before you plan around them.
Pre-K and early learning
Pre-K is handled by Chicago Early Learning, not GoCPS. It covers children from birth to age 5, with programs in every Chicago neighborhood. CPS full-day pre-K is for 4-year-olds (a child who turns 4 on or before September 1, 2026 counts as 4 for 2026-27), and there are a limited number of half-day seats for 3-year-olds.
You can rank up to five programs in one application. CPS says applying before the initial application period ends is the best way to get an offer in your top program. For help, call the Family Support Hotline at 312-229-1690.
Private and religious schools
This site lists public schools and private schools from the U.S. Department of Education's school data. For private schools with a religious affiliation, the school also appears in that community's section. Browse them in the schools directory, or by community from the Communities page.