Aurora School Ranks Among Best In IL: U.S. News & World Report

AURORA, IL — An Aurora public school ranks among the best in Illinois, according to a new report from U.S. News & World Report.

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

Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy came in sixth place in Illinois and 120th nationwide. Nearly 24,000 public high schools were evaluated, and almost 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, Northside College Preparatory High School and Lane Technical High School, all within Chicago Public Schools.

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.