RELATED: The Best Suburban Public High Schools
For our methodology, scroll to the bottom.
Chicago Public High School Rankings
1. Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (S) — Near West Side
- Long heralded as one of the most diverse schools in the state and one of the most selective of the city’s selective enrollment high schools, Whitney Young has produced a long list of notable alumni, including Michelle Obama and the Wachowski sisters, creators of the Matrix movie series. Continuity is a key here: Rickey Harris, who took the helm in 2022, is only the fourth principal in the school’s 51-year history. How dominant is Whitney Young scholastically? Its Academic Decathlon team has won 40 of the last 41 state titles.
2. Walter Payton College Preparatory High School (S) — Near North Side
3. Northside College Preparatory High School (S) — North Park
4. Albert G. Lane Technical High School (S) — Lake View
5. William Jones College Preparatory High School (S) — Printers Row
6. Chicago Math and Science Academy (C) — Rogers Park
7. Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy (S) — Roseland
8. John Hancock College Preparatory High School (S) — Clearing
9. Roald Amundsen High School — Ravenswood
10. Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park (C) — McKinley Park
11. DeVry University Advantage Academy — Ravenswood
12. Friedrich W. Von Steuben Metropolitan Science HS — North Park
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13. Chicago Academy High School — Portage Park
14. Robert Lindblom Math and Science Academy (S) — West Englewood
15. Lincoln Park High School — Lincoln Park
16. Chicago Arts High School — Humboldt Park
17. South Shore International College Preparatory HS (S) — South Shore
18. Noble–Noble Street College Prep (C) — Noble Square
19. Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences — Mount Greenwood
20. Horizon Science Academy Southwest Chicago (C) — Gage Park
21. Kenwood Academy High School — Kenwood
22. Eric Solorio Academy — Gage Park
23. Noble–Pritzker College Prep (C) — Hermosa
24. Noble–UIC College Prep (C) — Near West Side
25. Ogden International High School — West Town
26. Disney II Magnet School — Irving Park
27. World Language High School — Little Village
28. Benito Juárez Community Academy — Pilsen
29. Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School — Back of the Yards
30. Noble–ITW David Speer Academy (C) — Hanson Park
31. CICS–Northtown Academy (C) — Pulaski Park
32. George Westinghouse College Prep (S) — Humboldt Park
32. Noble–The Noble Academy (C) — Goose Island
34. Hyman G. Rickover Naval Academy — Portage Park
35. Intrinsic Schools Belmont Campus (C) — Kilbourn Park
36. Urban Prep Academies Englewood Campus (C) — Englewood
37. Nicholas Senn High School — Edgewater
38. William Howard Taft High School — Norwood Park
39. Noble–Mansueto High School (C) — Brighton Park
40. Noble–Hansberry College Prep (C) — Gresham
41. Air Force Academy High School — Bridgeport
42. Noble–Golder College Prep (C) — West Town
43. Infinity Math, Science & Technology High School — Little Village
44. ACE Amandla Charter School (C) — Marquette Park
45. Phoenix Military Academy — Near West Side
46. UChicago Charter School Woodlawn Campus (C) — Woodlawn
47. Noble–Chicago Bulls College Prep (C) — Near West Side
48. Noble–Rauner College Prep (C) — West Town
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49. Charles Allen Prosser Career Academy — Hanson Park
50. Noble–Muchin College Prep (C) — The Loop
(S) SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT SCHOOL
(C) CHARTER SCHOOL
To see the full metrics for each school, click here.
HOW WE RANKED THE SCHOOLS
The performance data was obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education for the 2024–25 school year, the most recent available. Calculations were done by the research nonprofit RTI International, based on instructions provided by Chicago.
The Measures We Used
- ACT proficiency is the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards on the ACT exams for English language arts (English, reading, and writing) and math.
- ACT growth is the school’s average student growth percentile, which compares the year-over-year change by individual students on ACT exams with that of comparable students in the state, an indicator of the educational strides students are making.
- Consistent attendance is the percentage of students present for at least 90 percent of school days, an indicator of the learning environment.
- Graduation rate is the percentage of students who graduated within four years of entering high school.
How We Weighted the Measures
- ACT ELA proficiency: 15%
- ACT ELA growth: 17.5%
- ACT math proficiency: 15%
- ACT math growth: 17.5%
- Consistent attendance: 15%
- Graduation rate: 20%