Whether you are looking for public or private, mid-sized or small school enrollment, Stephenson County offers excellent educational environments for all ages. Stephenson County embraces six school districts offering comprehensive public or private educational programs for students Pre-K through 12th grade. Many have received recognition for their excellence.

• Freeport School District’s music program has been Grammy-award winning for over 10 years running. Work at FSD 145!
• Pearl City High School received national recognition, garnering a Bronze award two years in a row from USA News and World Report’s “America’s Best High Schools” program.
• Aquin Catholic High School, Lena-Winslow High School, and Dakota High School have all had first-place state football victories in the last several years.

Stephenson County is also home to Highland Community College’s 140-acre campus. The two-year college serves a those looking to return to a degree program after high school or a workplace setting. The college enrolls 7,000 students annually and offers degrees in 28 majors and certificates in 21 career programs.

Students may also complete a four-year degree through Columbia College, located on the same campus. In the last year, Highland has partnered with Rockford University’s Puri School of Business, Phoenix University and Northern Illinois University to offer bachelor-degree classes in the fields of business and nursing. Recently, HCC unveiled a new nursing building to teach and train top-notch healthcare professionals for our region. In 2020, the school received grant funding to build a new agriculture education facility.

HCC is proud of its Business Institute, committed to helping businesses achieve success and remain competitive. Thousands of employees have benefited from this training by learning new technical, operational, and leadership skills. Lifelong Learning programs offered at Highland are great opportunities to learn a new skill, explore a hobby or increase knowledge for work-related expertise for all ages.

Continue your own education or keep kids close to home with great, affordable educational options.

Schools Serving Stephenson County