Find your CPS selective enrollment tier.

What is a CPS tier, and why does it matter?

Chicago Public Schools divides the city into four socioeconomic tiers for selective enrollmentSelective enrollment schools are CPS schools that admit students based on test scores and grades, not by neighborhood -- schools like Payton, Jones, Lane Tech, and Whitney Young. There are 11 selective enrollment high schools in Chicago. CPS uses the tier system to ensure students from all parts of the city have a fair shot at getting in. admissions. About 70% of seats at selective enrollment schools are reserved for students competing within their tier, not against the whole city. That means your tier directly affects the test score cutoff you're competing against.

Tier 1 families compete against other Tier 1 families. Because Tier 1 neighborhoods have lower average test scores, the cutoff score for a Tier 1 student to get into a selective school is lower than for a Tier 4 student trying for the same seat. It's designed to create socioeconomic diversity without using race as a factor.

Tiers are assigned by census tract, not by individual income. Two families on the same block are in the same tier, regardless of what they earn. CPS updates tier assignments each year based on Census data.

The six factors CPS uses: median family income, % single-parent households, % non-English-speaking households, % owner-occupied homes, adult educational attainment, and standardized test scores from attendance area schools.

Common questions about CPS tiers.