From public to private and parochial, Villa Park students have access to a variety of educational options throughout their school years. Academic excellence and lifelong learning are hallmarks of educational opportunity in Villa Park, where schools provide a safe, nurturing and innovative learning environment.
Students from Villa Park receive their formative elementary education at schools in a number of public districts including Villa Park Dist. 45, Salt Creek District 48, and DuPage High School District 88.
In addition to serving Villa Park students, District 88 also serves the communities of Addison, Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace, as well as portions of Elmhurst, Oak Brook, Bensenville, Itasca and Wood Dale.
Both Willowbrook High School and Addison Trail High School have been named as “Top High Schools” by Newsweek, as “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” by The Washington Post, as “Best High Schools” by U.S. News & World Report and as “Best Public High Schools in the Chicago Metro Area” in the Niche Rankings.
The district’s mission is “to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement,” according to Dani Brink, DuPage High School District 88 Director of Community Relations, who notes the 21st‐century vision for District 88 is one of a learning community that welcomes, excites and challenges.
The research, planning and decision making that led to the opening of Willowbrook High School in September 1959 started in the late spring of 1950, when the Board of Education launched a study of residential growth in the District 88 communities. The board resolved in January 1958 that the new school be named Willowbrook.
Initially designed for an enrollment of 2,500, Willowbrook High School opened for classes in September 1959 and measured 383,880 square feet, had 436 rooms, more than 6,000 lockers, 294 miles of wiring, 33 miles of conduit, 47 fire hoses and 168 clocks.
From farm fields to playing fields, from basic living to high tech, from a simple development of a small community to a culturally diverse population, the rich tradition of Willowbrook continues to bring a sense of pride, tradition and excellence to an already thriving community.
Higher Education
For those pursuing higher education and career training, an array of nearby post-secondary educational institutions, four-year universities, community colleges, and vocational centers serve the Villa Park community. Other nearby institutions of higher education include DePaul University (Naperville), the Illinois Institute of Technology Rice Campus, Lewis University Graduate Education Center (Oak Brook), Midwestern University (Downers Grove), National Louis University (Wheaton), North Central College (Naperville), Wheaton College and more.
The College of DuPage, located in Glen Ellyn, is the largest single campus community college in the country, offering two-year degrees and certificates, specialized business training, continuing education classes, and degree programs which transfer to universities offering baccalaureate programs.