Several Illinois schools earned top spots in a new ranking of the country's best high schools for 2024.
The 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, editors said. 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, the report said. The top 20 schools on the list have either selective enrollment, or requirements like a minimum GPA, the report added.
According to the report, 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.
Earning the No. 1 spot on the list was BASIS Charter Schools in Peoria, Arizona. Signature School, in Evansville, Indiana, came in No. 2.
In Illinois, five schools from Chicago made the list's top 100 of schools nationwide.
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School earned the No. 5 spot on the national list, while Northside College Preparatory High School earned the No. 35 spot. Young Magnet High School came in at 52, Jones College Prep High School came in at No. 53, and Lane Technical High School came in at No. 60.
Local
While suburban schools didn't rank as high on the national list, many topped the report's list of best high schools for 2024 in the state of Illinois, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, New Trier Township High School in Winnetka and Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale.
Here's a glimpse at the top 10 high schools in the nation, according to the report:
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- 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
Here's a look at the top 10 high schools in Illinois, according to the report:
- Walter Payton College Preparatoy High School
- Northside College Preparatory High School
- Young Magnet High School
- Jones College Prep High School
- Lane Technical High School
- Adlai E Stevenson High School
- Brooks College Prep Academy High School
- Vernon Hills High School
- Hancock College Preparatory High School
- New Trier Township High School Winnetka
You can find the full report here.
