Chicago Schools Enter List of Top 100 High Schools

Five high schools in the Chicago area ranked among the top 100 public schools in the country. U.S. News & World Report published its 2026-2027 ranking on Tuesday, August 18, evaluating nearly 18,000 schools across the United States.

The list included charter and traditional schools from all 50 states. Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the city’s school district, placed four of its selective schools among the top 100 nationally.

This result has a direct impact for thousands of Hispanic families in Chicago. Many of them use these rankings to decide which high school to send their children to within the district’s selective enrollment system.

How Illinois Schools Ranked

Northside College Preparatory High School, in the North Park neighborhood, was Illinois’ best-positioned school. It ranked 30th nationally and became the state’s number one school.

Three other Chicago Public Schools followed. Payton College Prep ranked 54th, Lane Technical High School ranked 80th, and Jones College Prep ranked 99th, the last position among the top 100.

The only suburban school to make the group was Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora. That school, specialized in science and mathematics, appeared at 88th in the national ranking.

Illinois’ Complete Top 10

Outside the top 100 in the country, other Chicago schools also ranked in the state’s top schools. Whitney Young Magnet High School ranked 107th nationally, placing sixth in Illinois.

Hancock College Preparatory High School completed the state’s top 10, ranking 269th nationally. The concentration of CPS selective schools in the top positions confirms a pattern that repeats with each edition of the ranking.

Illinois currently has approximately 900,000 students enrolled in public secondary schools, according to figures from the State Board of Education. The proportion of Chicago schools in the national top highlights the weight of the city’s selective school system.

What the Ranking Actually Measures

U.S. News evaluated over 27,000 schools in total, of which nearly 18,000 met the minimum criteria to be ranked. The research firm RTI International, based in North Carolina, implemented the methodology in coordination with the publication.

Each school was rated according to six different indicators, with different weights in the final score. College readiness represents 30% of the total, measured by the proportion of seniors who achieved a passing score on Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.

Performance on state assessments and mastery of those same tests each represent 20% of the rating. The remainder is divided among performance of historically underserved students, breadth of the college curriculum, and graduation rate, at 10% each.

Who Leads the National Ranking This Year

Central Magnet School, located in Tennessee, topped the 2026-2027 national ranking. Signature School in Evansville, Indiana, ranked second.

The school that led the list last year, BASIS Tucson North in Arizona, dropped to 58th in this new edition. That decline reflects how dynamic the ranking can be from year to year, even for schools considered to have consistent excellence.

Charter and selective admission schools continue to dominate the top positions of the national list. This pattern repeats in different states, where schools with competitive admissions processes typically outperform regular neighborhood schools.

What This Ranking Means for Families

For families seeking educational options in Chicago, this ranking offers an additional reference point when choosing a school. However, education experts recommend not basing the decision solely on the list’s numerical ranking.

It is also important to review factors such as the school’s location, the selective admissions process, and support available for students learning English as a second language. CPS selective schools, like Northside and Payton, require admissions exams and specific grades to enter.

Families interested in the Chicago Public Schools selective enrollment process can consult deadlines and requirements directly on the district’s website. The application period for the 2027-2028 school year typically opens in September, so it is important to plan ahead if you are seeking one of these schools for the next school year.