The Top 25 High Schools In Illinois For 2025-26: U.S. News & World Report

ILLINOIS — The 2025-2026 Best High School Rankings, released Tuesday, includes specialized STEM and charter rankings alongside the traditional state, district and metro area categories.

Nearly 24,000 public high schools were evaluated, and nearly 18,000 were ranked.

In the 2025 Best High Schools list, Illinois ranks 22nd among U.S. states and the District of Columbia — up from its 24 spot a year ago. Three Illinois high schools ranked in the top 100 on the national rankings.

Payton College Preparatory High School was the highest ranked Illinois school in the nation, as the Chicago school was No. 32 on the national list.

The top 25 public high schools in Illinois are:

1. Payton College Preparatory High School, Chicago Public Schools (ranked 32 nationally)
2. Northside College Preparatory High School, Chicago Public Schools (40)
3. Lane Technical High School (Chicago Public Schools)
4. Young Magnet High School (Chicago Public Schools)
5. Jones College Preparatory High School (Chicago Public Schools)
6. Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, Aurora (120)
7. University of Illinois High School, Urbana, University of Illinois Lab School (124)
8. Adlai E. Stevenson High School Dist. 125, Lincolnshire (#8)
9. Hinsdale Central High School, Hinsdale High School Dist. 86 (302)
10. Hancock College Preparatory High School, Chicago Public Schools (314)
11. Vernon Hills High School, Community High School Dist. 128 (323)
12. Neuqua Valley High School, Indian Prairie Community Unified Dist. 204, Naperville (340)
13. New Trier Township High School, New Trier Township High School Dist. 203, Winnetka (371)
14. William Fremd High School, Township High School Dist. 211, Palatine (397)
15. John Hersey High School, Township High School Dist. 214, Arlington Heights (404)
16. Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest Community High School Dist. 115 (410)
17. Brooks College Preparatory High School, Chicago Public Schools
18. Deerfield High School, Township High School Dist. 113 (437)
19. Glenbrook South High School, Glenbrook High School Dist. 225, Glenview (466)
20. Glenbrook North High School, Glenbrook High School Dist. 225, Northbrook (475)
21. Libertyville High School, Community High School Dist. 128 (532)
22. Naperville Central High School, Naperville Community Unified School Dist. 203 (546)
23. Barrington High School, Barrington Community Unified School Dist. 220 (548)
24. Maine South High School, Maine Township High School Dist. 207, Park Ridge (579)
25. Prospect High School, Township High School Dist. 214, Mount Prospect (625)

The 2025-2026 Best High Schools national rankings identify top public schools based on six key performance indicators, including student achievement on state-required assessments, strong graduation rates, and college readiness measures.

Schools are evaluated on how effectively they serve all students, including underserved populations, with college readiness specifically measured through student participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

The rankings consider curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes as well. U.S. News worked with RTI International, a global research firm, to implement the comprehensive ranking methodology, using the most current data from the 2022-2023 school year.

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National Ranking - Top 10

1. BASIS Tucson North (Arizona)
2. Signature School (Indiana)
3. Central Magnet School (Tennessee)
4. Davidson Academy (Nevada)
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Virgina)
6. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (New Mexico)
7. Hass Hall Bentonville (Arkansas)
8. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
9. The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
10. Aiken Scholars Academy (South Carolina)