Five CPS High Schools Among Top 100 in Nation

Chicago Public Schools proudly announces that five of its high schools placed among the top 100 in the nation, with Walter Payton College Prep ranked as the No. 5 high school in the country, based on the 2022 Best U.S. High Schools list from U.S. News & World Report. 

"I am extremely proud of Chicago Public School students and teachers whose hard work earned them this honor," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Our students have demonstrated that, even when dealing with uncontrollable challenges like a pandemic, they can achieve anything. This success would not have been possible without the support of our teachers and local communities. I'm excited to see these schools continue to succeed and create the leaders of tomorrow."

Other CPS high schools in the top 100 include Northside College Preparatory (No. 31), Jones College Prep (No. 51), Whitney Young Magnet High School (No. 67) and Lane Tech (No. 84).

“We know that the successful programming and initiatives at these great schools inspires and informs teaching and learning in classrooms across CPS,”  said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “We are extremely proud of these schools and know that many of their winning strategies and practices can be found in schools across our District where communities stand with us to ensure our students’ academic success.”

Payton once again placed first in both Chicago and across all of Illinois. In recent years, the school has repeatedly ranked as the top school in the state, and has consistently placed among the top schools in the country. The report notes that Payton has a 99 percent graduation rate and that 98 percent of students took at least one AP exam. 

The top five schools in Illinois are also CPS schools. In addition to Payton, the list includes Northside College Preparatory (No. 2), Jones College Prep (No. 3), Whitney Young Magnet High School (No. 4) and Lane Tech (5). Four more CPS schools made the top 25 schools in Illinois: Brooks College Prep (12), Hancock College Prep (19), Lindblom Math and Science Academy (22), and Phoenix Military Academy (23). 

The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on nearly 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare students for college.

The rankings are based on college readiness, reading and math proficiency and performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

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