New Report Names Illinois’ Top 10 Best Public High Schools

I have a friend who often refers to high school as the best 12 years of his life. He was either a terrible student or he went to an absolutely awful high school...and I suspect it wasn't the school's fault.

No parent wants their kid to wind up in a sub-standard high school. And, according to a new report from U.S. News & World Report, they don't have to because Illinois parents have more than a few outstanding schools to choose from.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings, evaluating nearly 18,000 public high schools across the country. The rankings consider things like state assessment performance, graduation rates, college readiness, AP and IB participation and performance, curriculum breadth and how well schools serve underserved students.

a long hallway lined with blue lockers in a building

It's No Surprise That Chicago And Chicagoland High Schools Dominate The List

These are the Illinois public high schools US News ranked as Illinois' ten best:

1. Northside College Preparatory High School (Chicago)
Northside takes the top spot in Illinois and ranks #30 nationally.

2. Walter Payton College Preparatory High School: (Chicago)
Payton, which has frequently occupied the number-one spot in Illinois, comes in at #54 nationally.

3. Lane Technical High School: (Chicago)
Lane Tech is #3 in Illinois and #80 nationally.

4. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: (Aurora)
IMSA is the highest-ranked Illinois school outside Chicago, coming in at #88 nationally.

5. Jones College Prep High School: (Chicago)
Jones rounds out the state's top five and is #99 nationally.

red metal locker on green ceramic tiles

And, Rounding Out The Top Ten...

6. Young Magnet High School: (Chicago)
Whitney Young ranks #107 nationally.

7. University of Illinois High School: (Urbana)
The University of Illinois' high school comes in at #162 nationally.

8. Adlai E. Stevenson High School: (Lincolnshire)
Stevenson is the second-highest-ranked traditional suburban high school, at #208 nationally.

9. Hinsdale Central High School: (Hinsdale)
Hinsdale Central ranks #231 nationally.

10. Hancock College Preparatory High School: (Chicago)
Hancock rounds out Illinois' top 10 at #269 nationally.

Chicago absolutely leads the list, accounting for six of Illinois' top 10 schools. And five Illinois schools, Northside, Payton, Lane Tech, IMSA and Jones, cracked the nation's top 100.

If you're a parent in Illinois, it's nice to know that when it comes to outstanding public high schools, you've got plenty of choices.