Five schools from Chicago and several others in the suburbs are among the top high schools in Illinois, according to a new list.
The new list, from U.S. News and World Report, titled "2024 Best High School Rankings," reviewed more than 24,000 public high schools in all 50 states, according to editors. Editors then categorized schools based on several factors including college readiness, state assessments, graduation rate, college curriculum breadth and underserved student performance, the report said.
The results formed a ranking of more than 17,660 public high schools across the country. It also served to rank the top high schools in each state.
Across the country, 11.5% of the ranked public high schools were charter schools, and 4.4% were magnet schools. Both Florida and Arizona led the list, with 12 high schools in the top 100. California was next, with 11 schools in the top 100.
In Illinois, a total of 673 schools were ranked. The top five schools in the state -- all selective enrollment or magnet schools -- were in Chicago. Many others that made the top 25 were in the Chicago suburbs.
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School was ranked as the No. 1 high school in Illinois, followed by Northside College Preparatory High School at No. 2. Rounding out the top five were Young Magnet High School at No. 3, Jones College Prep High School at No. 4 and Lane Technical High School came in at No. 5.
The first suburban Chicago school to appear on the list is Adlai E Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, at No. 6. Of the top 25 schools in Illinois, 24 are in the Chicago area.
Here's a glimpse into the top 25 high schools in Illinois, according to the report. The school's nationwide ranking is in parenthesis:
- Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, Chicago (No. 5 in national rankings)
- Northside College Preparatory High School, Chicago (No. 35 in national rankings)
- Young Magnet High School, Chicago (No. 52 in national rankings)
- Jones College Prep High School, Chicago (No. 53 in National Rankings)
- Lane Technical High School, Chicago (No. 60 in national rankings)
- Adlai E Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire (No. 194 in national rankings)
- Brooks College Prep Academy High School, Chicago (No. 305 in national rankings)
- Vernon Hills High School, Vernon Hills (No. 309 in national rankings)
- Hancock College Preparatory High School, Chicago (No. 327 in national rankings)
- New Trier Township High School, Winnetka (No. 348 in national rankings)
- Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale (No. 350 in national rankings)
- Libertyville High School, Libertyville (No. 351 in national rankings)
- William Fremd High School, Palatine (No. 365 in national rankings)
- Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest (No. 374 in national rankings)
- Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville (No. 396 in national rankings)
- Deerfield Township High School, Deerfield (No. 428 in national rankings)
- John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights (No. 450 in national rankings)
- University High School, Normal (No. 451in national rankings)
- Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook (No. 464 in national rankings)
- Barrington High School, Barrington (No. 467 in national rankings)
- Glenbrook South High School, Glenview (No. 474 in national rankings)
- Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect (No. 507 in national rankings)
- Maine South High School, Park Ridge (No. 537 in national rankings)
- Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn (No. 541 in national rankings)
- Naperville North High School, Naperville (No. 638 in national rankings)
Here's a glimpse at the top 25 high schools in the nation, according to the report:
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
- BASIS Charter Schools -- Peoria, Arizona
- Signature School -- Evansville, Indiana
- Tesla STEM High School -- Redmond, Washington
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Walter Payton College Preparatory High School -- Chicago, Illinois
- The School for the Talented and Gifted -- Dallas, Texas
- Academic Magnet High School -- North Charleston, South Carolina
- International Academy -- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology -- Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Riverside Stem Academy -- Riverside, California
- Whitney High School -- Cerritos, California
- Science Academy Stem Magnet -- North Hollywood, California
- International Academy of Macomb, Clinton Township -- Michigan
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology -- Alexandria, Virginia
- Haas Hall Bentonville -- Bentonville, Arkansas
- The Early College at Guilford -- Greensboro, North Carolina
- BASIS Oro Valley -- Oro Valley, Arizona
- Pine View School -- Osprey, Florida
- Central Magnet School -- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science -- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School -- Montgomery, Alabama
- Oxford Academy -- Cypress, California
- Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School -- Dallas, Texas
- High Technology High School -- Lincroft, New Jersey
- Queens High School for the Sciences at York College -- Jamaica, New York
You can find the full report here.
