A lower proportion of Von Steuben students come from low-income homes than is typical in Chicago Public Schools. However, with something over 60% of them eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, the student body would hardly be judged as economically privileged on a national scale. Except for 100 students accepted annually on the basis of test scores for its Scholars Program, the student body at Von Steuben Center is selected by lottery, with preference for current students' siblings and ethnic composition roughly comparable to that of the district as a whole.

Von Steuben students have the third-highest test scores in the district, trailing only two schools with test-based selective admissions. At 94% daily attendance, Von Steuben has one of the best attendance rates in the Chicago Public Schools. Its dropout rate of 4% is well below the district average of 16%. Even more impressive, 92% of Von Steuben graduates go on to postsecondary education.