Berrien County Education: Which school had most students enrolled in 2022-23 school year?

MI Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael F. Rice 2023 | Michigan Department of Education

By St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

Jan 1, 2024

St. Joseph High School had the highest enrollment among Berrien County schools, welcoming 988 students during the 2022-23 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 50.8% of them were boys, and 49.2% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 75.3% of the St. Joseph High School total enrollment.

Among the 75 schools in Berrien County, Lakeshore High School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 856 students, while Niles Senior High School welcomed 834 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

St. Joseph High School is part of St. Joseph Public Schools, which roughly covers schools within Berrien County, with its main office in St. Joseph.

In the previous school year, St. Joseph High School also had the highest number of students among Berrien County schools.

Overall student enrollment in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels, with white students experiencing the largest decline at 6.5%.

Academic performance has also suffered, with the state's average NAEP score dropping by 6.5 points and ethnic achievement gaps have widened. Black and Hispanic students' average math proficiency dropped by 7% in 2022, to 13.5% and 28.2%, respectively.

Enrollment in Berrien County Over 8 Years

Enrollment in Berrien County Schools During 2022-23 School Year

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
St. Joseph High School	St. Joseph	988
Lakeshore High School	Stevensville	856
Niles Senior High School	Niles	834
Upton Middle School	St. Joseph	665
Lakeshore Middle School	Stevensville	611
Berrien Springs High School	Berrien Springs	561
Ring Lardner Middle School	Niles	554
Ballard Elementary School	Niles	538
Buchanan High School	Buchanan	522
Benton Harbor High School	Benton Harbor	495
Clarke School	St. Joseph	483
Benton Harbor Charter School Academy	Benton Harbor	442
Eastside Connections School	Niles	432
Lincoln School	St. Joseph	421
Stewart Elementary School	Stevensville	414
Berrien Springs Middle School	Berrien Springs	408
Countryside Academy Elementary	Benton Harbor	406
Roosevelt Elementary School	Stevensville	404
Hollywood Elementary School	Stevensville	403
Brown School	St. Joseph	398
Watervliet Senior High School	Watervliet	393
Coloma Elementary School	Coloma	378
Coloma High School	Coloma	369
Sylvester Elementary School	Berrien Springs	369
Mars Elementary School	Berrien Springs	366
Brandywine Senior High School	Niles	363
Moccasin Elementary School	Buchanan	360
South Elementary School	Watervliet	359
Brandywine Elementary School	Niles	354
Countryside Academy Middle-High School	Benton Harbor	352
Bridgman Elementary School	Bridgman	342
Buchanan Middle School	Buchanan	331
North Elementary School	Watervliet	317
Merritt Elementary School	Niles	304
Watervliet Middle School	Watervliet	288
Fair Plain Middle School	Benton Harbor	288
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School	Benton Harbor	287
River Valley Middle-High School	Three Oaks	287
Lybrook Elementary School	Eau Claire	280
Bridgman High School	Bridgman	264
Coloma Junior High School	Coloma	254
F. C. Reed Middle School	Bridgman	243
Ottawa Elementary School	Buchanan	222
New Buffalo Elementary School	New Buffalo	220
Mildred C. Wells Preparatory Academy	Benton Harbor	217
Brandywine Middle School	Niles	191
Eau Claire High School	Eau Claire	190
New Buffalo Senior High School	New Buffalo	178
Fair Plain East Elementary School	Benton Harbor	169
Blossomland Learning Center	Berrien Springs	167
Eau Claire Middle School	Eau Claire	158
Coloma Intermediate School	Coloma	153
New Buffalo Middle School	New Buffalo	138
Berrien Springs Virtual Academy	Berrien Springs	134
WAY Niles	Niles	126
Lighthouse Education Center	St. Joseph	115
Chikaming Elementary School	Sawyer	114
Niles Cedar Lane	Niles	112
Discovery Enrichment Center	Benton Harbor	99
Three Oaks Elementary School	Three Oaks	96
WAY Watervliet High School	Watervliet	95
Brandywine Innovation Academy	Niles	92
Bridge Academy of Southwest Michigan	Benton Harbor	92
Career and Alternative Pathways to Education Center	Benton Harbor	86
Berrien Springs Discovery Academy	Berrien Sprgs	85
Buchanan Virtual Academy	Buchanan	82
Riverside School	Riverside	73
River School	Sodus	65
Southside Special Education School	Niles	46
Buchanan Step Up	Buchanan	33
WAY Eau Claire	Eau Claire	26
Niles Virtual School	Niles	23
Northside Child Development Center	Niles	15
Niles Comm Schools Adult Education	Niles	14
Berrien County Juvenile Center	St. Joseph	11