Sterling Public Schools is a preschool through 12th grade unit district serving the city of Sterling, as well as the village of Coleta and the communities of Como and Galt. The district includes six school buildings: two preschool through second grade centers (Franklin and Jefferson Elementary), two third through fifth grade buildings (Washington and Lincoln Elementary), one middle school (Challand Middle School, grades 6–8), and one high school (Sterling High School, grades 9–12). It serves approximately 3,600 students.
Sterling is also home to four private schools:
The mission of WACC is to provide all students with employable skills, academic opportunities and specialized training that will maximize their future potential.
WACC serves nearly 20 area school districts, offering programs for high school juniors and seniors in allied health, automotive technology, building trades, computer technology, cosmetology, criminal justice, culinary arts, digital media arts, early childhood education, entrepreneurship, health occupations, and welding and manufacturing technology.
Whiteside Area Career Center’s Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program teaches young people the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and encourages them to be responsible, enterprising individuals. The CEO program immerses students in real-life learning experiences, learning how to recognize opportunity, take risks, manage results, and learn from outcomes alongside community business professionals. The program’s students become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities in the future.
Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL offers a variety of Associate Degrees including Arts, Science, and Applied Science programs. The college provides career-focused training designed to prepare graduates for immediate employment in fields such as nursing, business, and manufacturing, while also offering transfer options for students planning to continue their education at a four-year college or university.
Morrison Institute of Technology offers an Associate’s of Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology (Mechanical, Construction, and Automation) as well as Network Administration. While the degree is structured to place the graduate workforce ready upon graduation, it is also transferable to a four-year college/university to receive a Bachelor’s Degree.