10 of the Top High Schools in Illinois

Illinois high school students will be heading back to class after their winter breaks very soon. According to City Described, students at 20 Illinois high schools will be making that return to a better environment than the rest of the state's students.
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Illinois high school students will be heading back to class after their winter breaks very soon. According to City Described, students at 20 Illinois high schools will be making that return to a better environment than the rest of the state's students.

Education has been a hot topic in Illinois politics in 2014, and the conversation is likely to continue into 2015, with debates on a school funding bill in the General Assembly around the corner and discussions about Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner's education plan on the horizon.

These are the 20 schools that City Described says are the best in the state right now. See stats about the schools from City Described below the graphic.

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20. Riverside Brookfield High School

  • 75 percent proficiency in reading and math
  • 62 percent participation in Advanced Placement
  • 66 percent instructors for its 1,400 students

19. Lane Technical High School

  • Selective Enrollment
  • New science and technology curriculum
  • 4,000 students

18. Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy

  • pened in 2001
  • 769 students
  • 90 percent pass rate for Advanced Placement tests

17. New Trier Township High School Winnetka

  • $15,000 per-student spending
  • 98 percent college-bound students in 2013
  • 120 state athletic championships

16. Lincoln Park High School

  • 2,200 students
  • Offers the International Baccalaureate Program
  • 65 percent of students met or exceeded reading standards

15. John Hersey High School

  • 85 percent pass rate for Advanced Placement exams
  • Offers Chinese language classes
  • Named one of the top 30 high schools in the country by U.S. News and World Report

14. Hinsdale Central High School

  • $11,000 per-pupil spending
  • 89 percent math competence
  • 98 percent graduation rate

13. Highland Park High School

  • 61 percent of students
  • First place in the Model U.N. Club competition
  • 99 percent four-year graduation rate

12. Adlai E. Stevenson High School

  • Nearly 4,000 students
  • 2010 National School of Distinction in Arts Education award recipient
  • 86 percent AP test pass rate

11. Deerfield High School

  • Boys and girls tennis champions 2004-2005 and 2005-206
  • 89 percent met or exceeded district math and reading standards
  • Named a 2009 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education

See the top 10 schools as ranked by City Described at Reboot Illinois, plus more statistics about each top schools.

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