Chicago Public Schools recently celebrated the schools named to the 2018 Best High Schools list by U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings. The top nine CPS schools landed in the top eleven rankings in Illinois and top four hundred in the nation.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson and Board of Education President Frank M. Clark said in a joint statement, “These rankings are another deserved recognition for the hard- working students and dedicated teachers, principals and families at Chicago Public Schools. It is significant, yet not surprising, that CPS represents most of the best schools in Illinois and is among the ranks of the greatest schools in the country. These schools represent just a sampling of the many high quality schools that are raising the bar for success and leading education experts across the nation to take notice of Chicago’s progress.”
The top rankings among CPS schools include:
- Walter Payton College Preparatory High School: 1st in Illinois, 52nd in the nation
- Northside College Preparatory High School: 2nd in Illinois, 82nd in the nation
- Lane Technical College Prep High School: 3rd in Illinois, 112th in the nation
- Phoenix Military Academy High School: 4th in Illinois, 122nd in the nation
- Jones College Prep High School 5th in Illinois, 124th in the nation
- Whitney M. Young Magnet High School: 6th in Illinois, 140th in the nation
- Lincoln Park High School: 9th in Illinois, 324th in the nation
- Gwendolyn Brooks College Prepatory Academy: 10th in Illinois, 345th in the nation
- Lindblom Math and Science Academy: 11th in Illinois, 395th in the nation
A total of 22 CPS high schools are among the top 100 across Illinois. The full list of the 2018 Best High Schools can be found at https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.
The increased number of CPS schools represented on this year’s rankings demonstrated that Chicago’s continued investments in schools has accelerated Chicago students’ nationally- recognized progress and created new opportunities for students in every neighborhood. Next year, more than 5,000 additional students will have the opportunity to learn in proven, high-quality academic settings including at International Baccalaureate (IB) Early College STEM (Science Technology Math and Engineering) programs, and in military, magnet and classical schools.
In 2017, a record 77.5 percent of CPS students earned a diploma – a 4-point gain and the highest year-over-year improvement in memory. The graduation rate has steadily risen by 36 percent since 2011 when just over half of CPS students earned a high school diploma. CPS continues to close in on the national graduation rate, with data showing a record 88.7 percent of freshmen are on-track to graduate, up more than 28 percent since 2011. The increase is driven by African-American and Hispanic students, who considerably narrowed the achievement gap.