North Shore Country Day School is a coeducational, college
preparatory school of 510 students in junior kindergarten
through grade 12, located in the Chicago suburb of
Winnetka, IL. Since our founding in 1919, North Shore has
been an exceptional environment for teaching and learning.
With rigorous academic pursuit as the cornerstone, North
Shore provides a wealth of opportunities for all students to
excel – in the classroom and the laboratory, on the stage and
the playing field, and in their communities and beyond. The
unique fellowship we establish across divisions and between
faculty and students builds a strong environment for learning.
Classes are small and provide a stimulating environment
for learning and exchanging ideas. Teachers engage
students in critical thinking and writing exercises and
provide regular feedback on their work. The Upper School
fosters intellectual engagement, academic performance
and personal growth. Students learn how to solve problems
and analyze. They learn how to think for themselves and
communicate effectively. Our students describe our School
environment as: demanding, accepting, engaging, dedicated, caring, intellectual, hardworking, athletic, artistic, compassionate, rigorous.
Students: 510; Lower School 175; Middle School 125; Upper
School 210. Students come from a variety of backgrounds
and from 18 communities in the Chicago area. Students of
color make up 19% of the total population.
Faculty: 80; 60% with advanced degrees; 8:1 student to faculty ratio. Average class size: 14. Average teaching experience of 14 years.
Facilities: Spread across 16 acres, North Shore’s academic
buildings are comprised of a 20,000-square-foot science center including four labs to provide hands-on learning; Hall Library, which includes over 26,000 volumes, plus audiovisual and computer facilities; four computer labs; an art center including a 500-seat theater, three art studios, a
ceramics studio, a photography lab and two art galleries. A renovated Upper School Building opened in fall 2011, provides updated, flexible and modern room arrangements including learning studios, seminar rooms, a digital media lab, community gathering and study areas.