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For our methodology, scroll to the bottom.
Suburban Cook County High School Rankings
1. Glenbrook North High School — Northbrook
- If this North Shore school’s brick and glass exterior looks familiar, it might be because director John Hughes, who went to Glenbrook North in the 1960s, used it in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The school, which pulls students from most of Northbrook and a small section of Glenview, is led by principal Mandy Hughes and features a powerhouse debate team that has won 21 state championships and 14 national titles.
2. New Trier Township High School — Winnetka/Northfield
3. John Hersey High School — Arlington Heights
4. Prospect High School — Mount Prospect
5. Glenbrook South High School — Glenview
6. Oak Park and River Forest High School — Oak Park
7. William Fremd High School — Palatine
8. Lemont High School — Lemont
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9. Riverside Brookfield High School — Riverside
10. Maine South High School — Park Ridge
11. Lyons Township High School — La Grange/Western Springs
12. Buffalo Grove High School — Buffalo Grove
13. Victor J. Andrew High School — Tinley Park
14. Carl Sandburg High School — Orland Park
15. Evanston Township High School — Evanston
16. Evergreen Park Community High School — Evergreen Park
17. James B. Conant High School — Hoffman Estates
18. Maine East High School — Park Ridge
19. Rolling Meadows High School — Rolling Meadows
20. Ridgewood Community High School — Norridge
21. Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School — Flossmoor
22. Schaumburg High School — Schaumburg
23. Oak Lawn Community High School — Oak Lawn
24. Proviso Mathematics & Science Academy — Forest Park
25. Argo Community High School — Summit
DuPage County High School Rankings
1. Westmont High School — Westmont
2. Hinsdale Central High School — Hinsdale
3. York Community High School — Elmhurst
4. Naperville North High School — Naperville
5. Naperville Central High School — Naperville
6. Lisle High School — Lisle
7. Lake Park High School — Roselle
8. Waubonsie Valley High School — Aurora
9. Metea Valley High School — Aurora
10. Wheaton North High School — Wheaton
Lake County High School Rankings
1. Lake Forest High School — Lake Forest
2. Deerfield High School — Deerfield
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3. Libertyville High School — Libertyville
4. Vernon Hills High School — Vernon Hills
5. Adlai E. Stevenson High School — Lincolnshire
6. Barrington High School — Barrington
7. Grayslake Central High School — Grayslake
8. Lake Zurich High School — Lake Zurich
9. Lakes Community High School — Lake Villa
10. Antioch Community High School — Antioch
Kane County High School Rankings
1. Geneva Community High School — Geneva
2. Batavia High School — Batavia
3. Hampshire High School — Hampshire
4. St. Charles North High School — St. Charles
5. St. Charles East High School — St. Charles
McHenry County High School Rankings
1. Prairie Ridge High School — Crystal Lake
2. Cary-Grove High School — Cary
3. Woodstock North High School — Woodstock
4. Woodstock High School — Woodstock
5. Huntley High School — Huntley
Will County High School Rankings
1. Neuqua Valley High School — Naperville
2. Plainfield North High School — Plainfield
3. Lincoln-Way Central High School — New Lenox
4. Lincoln-Way East High School — Frankfort
5. Lincoln-Way West High School — New Lenox
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%
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