News
Chicago Magazine Ranks Best Public High Schools
Chicago Magazine has released its latest rankings of public high schools in the Chicago metropolitan area for the 2024-25 school year, calculated based on four metrics: SAT scores, graduation rates, attendance, and the state's 5Essentials survey, which tracks five indicators such as “effective leadership” and “ambitious instruction.” The list included both city and suburban schools and provides one of the most detailed rankings so far, covering 110 schools across six counties.
In the Chicago city rankings, Northside College Preparatory High School topped the list with high SAT reading and math scores, followed by Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, another selective enrollment school, and Lane Technical High School. Among non-selective or non-charter schools, Back of the Yards College Preparatory ranked highest at No. 10. The top suburban school in Cook County was New Trier Township High School, followed by Glenbrook North High School and John Hersey High School.
Listed below are the top five schools within the city of Chicago:
Northside College Preparatory High School, North Park
Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Near West Side
Albert G. Lane Technical High School, Roscoe Village
William Jones College Preparatory High School, Printers Row
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, Near North Side
For more information about scoring and to see the full ranking, click here.
Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
Chicago High Schools Ranked Among Best in Country
In the most recent study conducted by US News & World Report, Walter Payton College Prep High School in Chicago was ranked the fifth best high public high school in the country. The 2022 report ranked 18,000 schools across the U.S. based on factors such as college readiness, curriculum breadth, underserved student performance, graduation rate, and state assessment performance.
Of other schools in Chicago, Northside College Prep came 31st, Jones College Prep came in at 51st, and Whitney Young Magnet High School was 67th.
Walter Payton has ranked as a top school in Illinois for several years. This year, using data from Niche, high schools were ranked according to similar criteria including culture and diversity, health and safety, extracurriculars, and academic performance. The top four schools were Walter Payton, Northside College Prep, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, and Whitney Young Magnet High School.
Anna Jordan, Tutoring Coordinator
anna@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266
An Overview of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School
With a school motto of “Dare to dream, strive to achieve,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School (also known as “King”) was founded in 1971. Located in the Kenwood neighborhood of the south side of Chicago, King is one of eleven selective enrollment high schools in Chicago and ranked as the 48th best public school in Illinois. The school has an enrollment of 638 with a student to teacher ratio of 17:1. Of their total enrollment, 99% of students are people of color and 80% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch. King has a graduation rate of 98%.
Courses offered at King encompass a rigorous course load with honors and AP classes offered in every subject. Unlike many other selective enrollment schools, King has a wealth of arts programming including advanced coursework in band, dance, drama, graphic design, photography, studio art, and choir. They also, uniquely, have courses in architecture, engineering, and computer science. Their engineering program, in particular, “utilizes a nationally recognized curriculum developed by Project Lead the Way.” Languages offered at King include French, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
Students interested in sports have many options from which to try-out: baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, cross country, soccer, swimming, wrestling, and softball to name a few. The school also houses a marching band, drama club, book club, chess club, and video-gaming club as well as many other extracurricular activities.
To learn more about King’s academics, athletics, or extracurricular activities, visit their website at https://newkcp.org.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266