All rankings · Illinois
Best Illinois public schools
Eight rankings of Illinois's public schools from the latest NCES + state-assessment data. Unlike most school rankings, this list leads with BeatsExpectations: a demographics-adjusted score that asks how a school performs relative to what its student population would predict, not just in absolute terms.
Illinois schools outperforming demographics
Top schools by BeatsExpectations score. Demographically-adjusted; a +20 here means the school posts 20 more proficiency points than its FRL profile predicts.| # | School | City | Beats by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eisenhower Academy | Joliet | +72.0pp |
| 2 | Bradford Jr High School | Bradford | +51.5pp |
| 3 | Thurgood Marshall Elementary | Rockford | +46.7pp |
| 4 | Iroquois West Elem School/Gilman | Gilman | +46.7pp |
| 5 | Keller Elem Gifted Magnet School | Chicago | +44.8pp |
| 6 | Haines Elem School | Chicago | +42.8pp |
| 7 | Young Magnet High School | Chicago | +42.3pp |
| 8 | Healy Elem School | Chicago | +41.9pp |
| 9 | Northside College Preparatory Hs | Chicago | +41.6pp |
| 10 | H H Conrady Jr High School | Hickory Hills | +41.5pp |
| 11 | Thurgood Marshall School | Rockford | +41.3pp |
| 12 | Reservoir Gifted School | Peoria | +40.6pp |
| 13 | Lane Technical High School | Chicago | +39.1pp |
| 14 | Neponset Grade School | Neponset | +38.6pp |
| 15 | Hancock College Preparatory HS | Chicago | +38.4pp |
Illinois Title I schools beating the odds
High-poverty schools (60%+ FRL) ranking in the top quartile of their state's proficiency.| # | School | City | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eisenhower Academy | Joliet | 85.8% |
| 2 | Iroquois West Elem School/Gilman | Gilman | 83.3% |
| 3 | Hancock College Preparatory HS | Chicago | 72.5% |
| 4 | Oak Ridge Elem School | Palos Hills | 70.5% |
| 5 | Haines Elem School | Chicago | 68.9% |
| 6 | Neponset Grade School | Neponset | 68.0% |
| 7 | Healy Elem School | Chicago | 67.7% |
| 8 | Stone Elem Scholastic Academy | Chicago | 62.7% |
| 9 | Longfellow Elem School | Marion | 61.3% |
| 10 | Passow Elementary School | Franklin Park | 60.8% |
| 11 | Ward J Elem School | Chicago | 60.8% |
| 12 | Sesser-Valier Elem School | Sesser | 59.5% |
| 13 | Lincoln Elem School | Marion | 59.0% |
| 14 | Brookport Elementary School | Brookport | 58.5% |
| 15 | Massac Jr High School | Metropolis | 57.1% |
Illinois schools by raw proficiency
The traditional ranking: highest combined math + reading proficiency on the state assessment.| # | School | City | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thurgood Marshall Elementary | Rockford | 97.8% |
| 2 | Edison Elem Regional Gifted Cntr | Chicago | 95.8% |
| 3 | Decatur Classical Elem School | Chicago | 95.3% |
| 4 | Skinner North Elem Sch | Chicago | 95.2% |
| 5 | Thurgood Marshall School | Rockford | 94.6% |
| 6 | Young Magnet High School | Chicago | 94.6% |
| 7 | Keller Elem Gifted Magnet School | Chicago | 93.9% |
| 8 | Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy | Chicago | 93.6% |
| 9 | Northside College Preparatory Hs | Chicago | 92.2% |
| 10 | Reservoir Gifted School | Peoria | 91.9% |
| 11 | Lane Technical High School | Chicago | 90.3% |
| 12 | Iles Elem School | Springfield | 90.2% |
| 13 | Meadow Glens Elementary School | Naperville | 90.0% |
| 14 | Payton College Preparatory HS | Chicago | 89.5% |
| 15 | Damiansville Elem School | Damiansville | 86.0% |
Illinois schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios
Schools with 200+ students reporting the fewest students per teacher. Excludes virtual.| # | School | City | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alcott College Prep | Chicago | 4.4:1 |
| 2 | Ogden Int High School | Chicago | 5.0:1 |
| 3 | Elizabeth Graham Elem School | Springfield | 6.0:1 |
| 4 | Cumberland Elem School | Des Plaines | 6.8:1 |
| 5 | Terrace Elem School | Des Plaines | 7.1:1 |
| 6 | Finkl Elem School | Chicago | 7.3:1 |
| 7 | Earl H Hanson Elem School | Rock Island | 7.3:1 |
| 8 | Elsie C Johnson Elem Sch | Hanover Park | 7.4:1 |
| 9 | Rhodes Elem School | River Grove | 7.5:1 |
| 10 | Bartonville Elem School | Bartonville | 7.6:1 |
| 11 | Reskin Elem School | Glendale Hts | 7.6:1 |
| 12 | Avoca West Elem School | Glenview | 7.7:1 |
| 13 | Sherwood Elem School | Chicago | 7.8:1 |
| 14 | Rupley Elem School | Elk Grove Village | 7.9:1 |
| 15 | Lindop Elem School | Broadview | 7.9:1 |
Fastest-growing Illinois public schools, 2017-2024
Schools open in both years with 200+ enrollment in 2017, ranked by % change.| # | School | City | Enrollment Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middletown Prairie Elementary | Mahomet | +185% |
| 2 | KIPP Chicago Chrtrs Bloom Campus | Chicago | +162% |
| 3 | Colonel George Iles Elem Sch | Quincy | +154% |
| 4 | Wirth/Parks Middle School | Cahokia | +139% |
| 5 | KIPP One Academy | Chicago | +138% |
| 6 | Washington School | Monticello | +134% |
| 7 | Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School | Quincy | +133% |
| 8 | Rich Township High School | Olympia Fields | +133% |
| 9 | Dr. Abby Fox Rooney Elem Sch | Quincy | +128% |
| 10 | International Prep Academy | Champaign | +126% |
| 11 | Constance Lane Elementary School | Rockford | +120% |
| 12 | Franklin Grove Elem School | Decatur | +116% |
| 13 | Noble St Chtr - Mansueto | Chicago | +111% |
| 14 | Moving Everest Charter School | Chicago | +109% |
| 15 | Prairieview Elementary School | Bartlett | +103% |
Most racially diverse Illinois public schools
Schools ranked by how balanced their student body is. The largest single racial group's share of enrollment, lowest first.| # | School | City | Max group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham Elementary | Bloomington | 26.2% White (82) |
| 2 | Pioneer Elementary School | Bolingbrook | 26.9% Black (151) |
| 3 | Peter M Gombert Elementary Sch | Aurora | 27.1% Asian (122) |
| 4 | Young Magnet High School | Chicago | 27.8% Hispanic (617) |
| 5 | Skinner Elem School | Chicago | 27.8% Asian (317) |
| 6 | Chute Middle School | Evanston | 28.9% Black (173) |
| 7 | Highland Elementary School | Skokie | 29.8% White (94) |
| 8 | Jamie McGee Elementary School | Bolingbrook | 29.8% Hispanic (145) |
| 9 | Jane Stenson School | Skokie | 29.9% White (109) |
| 10 | Dawes Elementary School | Evanston | 30.2% White (90) |
| 11 | Rockford East High School | Rockford | 30.3% Black (521) |
| 12 | Lincoln Park High School | Chicago | 30.5% White (676) |
| 13 | Maud E Johnson Elem School | Rockford | 30.6% White (130) |
| 14 | Thomas Edison Elem School | Morton Grove | 31.4% Asian (190) |
| 15 | Nature Ridge Elem School | Bartlett | 31.7% Asian (145) |
Largest Illinois public schools
Brick-and-mortar schools ranked by total enrollment. Virtual schools excluded.| # | School | City | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adlai E Stevenson High School | Lincolnshire | 4,758 |
| 2 | Lane Technical High School | Chicago | 4,604 |
| 3 | Taft High School | Chicago | 4,487 |
| 4 | Waukegan High School | Waukegan | 4,186 |
| 5 | East High School | Aurora | 4,020 |
| 6 | Lyons Twp High Sch | La Grange | 3,706 |
| 7 | Lockport Township High Sch East | Lockport | 3,678 |
| 8 | West Aurora High School | Aurora | 3,641 |
| 9 | Evanston Twp High School | Evanston | 3,560 |
| 10 | Warren Township High School | Gurnee | 3,537 |
| 11 | Joliet West High School | Joliet | 3,451 |
| 12 | J Sterling Morton East High Sch | Cicero | 3,394 |
| 13 | J Sterling Morton West High Sch | Berwyn | 3,374 |
| 14 | Oak Park & River Forest High Sch | Oak Park | 3,307 |
| 15 | Bolingbrook High School | Bolingbrook | 3,298 |
Illinois schools underperforming demographics
Bottom 10% within state by BeatsExpectations. Not a verdict, a starting question. A school may be in leadership transition or recovering from a demographic shift.| # | School | City | Beats by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandridge Elem School | Lynwood | -53.5pp |
| 2 | Jackson Charter School | Rockford | -40.8pp |
| 3 | Burr Oak Elem School | Calumet Park | -40.0pp |
| 4 | Galapagos Rockford Charter Sch | Rockford | -36.4pp |
| 5 | Legacy Acad of Excellence Charter | Rockford | -35.0pp |
| 6 | Hoover Elem School | Calumet City | -34.4pp |
| 7 | Webber High School | Bluford | -33.1pp |
| 8 | Amboy High School | Amboy | -32.3pp |
| 9 | Rich Township High School | Olympia Fields | -29.9pp |
| 10 | Lincolnwood High School | Raymond | -29.5pp |
| 11 | Patoka Sr High School | Patoka | -29.0pp |
| 12 | Griggsville-Perry High School | Griggsville | -28.5pp |
| 13 | Pawnee Jr/Sr High Sch | Pawnee | -28.4pp |
| 14 | Proviso East High School | Maywood | -28.0pp |
| 15 | Rickover Jr High School | Sauk Village | -27.9pp |
About these rankings
These tables use the most recent NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) for enrollment, demographics, and staffing, and state-native assessment data (typically 2023-24 or 2024-25) for proficiency. BeatsExpectations is computed via per-state ordinary-least-squares regression of composite proficiency on free-and-reduced-lunch share. Full methodology.
License: CC-BY 4.0. Reproduce these rankings anywhere with attribution to allk12.com. Press contact: [email protected].
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