D128 High Schools Ranked Among Best In State: U.S. News

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Two District 128 schools have been ranked among the best in the Chicago suburbs in the 2023-24 Best High Schools rankings, released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

Families can use the annual rankings to compare schools at the national, state, and local levels on factors such as academic performance, graduation rates, and college readiness, according to a news release. U.S. News reviewed 25,000 schools and ranked 17,680 of them.

Among suburban schools, Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire came in at No. 1 — and sixth overall in the state — while District 128's Vernon Hills High School received a No. 2 ranking in the Chicago suburbs and seventh overall in Illinois.

Libertyville High School was ranked fifth among top public suburban high schools — and 11th in Illinois — behind Hinsdale Central High School at No. 4 and Lake Forest High School at No. 3.

Five Chicago high schools were picked as the top five public high schools in the state:

1. Payton College Prep, Chicago (10th nationally)
2. Northside College Prep, Chicago (37th nationally)
3. Jones College Prep, Chicago (60th nationally)
4. Whitney Young Magnet High School, Chicago (63rd nationally)
5. Lane Tech High School, Chicago (70th nationally)

In general, the highest-ranked schools had students who performed well on state assessment for math, reading and science, U.S. News said. They also performed strongly in meeting the needs of underserved students, including those who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households.

The schools had a breadth of curriculum offerings and high graduation rates, and their students performed well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

U.S. News said eleven of the top 20 ranked schools were charter or magnet schools.

In national rankings, the top five schools are, respectively: The Early College at Guilford, Greensboro, North Carolina; Signature School at Evansville, Indiana; The School for Advanced Studies in Miami; The Davidson Academy of Nevada at Reno; and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology at Alexandria, Virginia.

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