U.S. News Best High Schools: Find Out Where Deerfield High Ranks

DEERFIELD, IL — Deerfield High School ranks No. 18 in the state and No. 437 nationally, according to the 2025-2026 Best High Schools rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

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.

Deerfield High School got an overall score of 97.56 out of 100, according to the report. With an overall enrollment of 1,429 students for grades 9-12, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 12:1. In its overview assessment of DHS, the report says AP participation rate is 61 percent, while total minority enrollment is 17 percent.

Here are a few other stats for Deerfield High School:

• 56 percent of students passed at least one AP exam
• 67 percent of students have mathematics proficiency
• 71 percent of students have reading proficiency
• 70 percent of students have science proficiency
• 96 percent of students graduate

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.

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

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.

Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson contributed to this report