We all know that property location can determine your child’s education. But within Chicago, selective enrollment and magnet schools feed from all over the city, offering public educations that outrank even private and suburban alternatives.
Meanwhile, in some suburbs, no testing is necessary to attend a high-quality high school, just down the road.
Chicago Magazine recently narrowed the list with two new rankings: the best public high schools in Chicago and the best public high schools in the Chicago suburbs.
Northside College Preparatory High School, known as Northside, came in at No. 1 in the city. Located in the diverse neighborhood of North Park, the relatively small school — 1,040 students — boasted high SAT scores, graduation rates, attendance and results. That was the methodology used to review city schools.5Essentials survey results. That was the methodology used to review city schools.
Following Northside at No. 2 is the larger Whitney Young Magnet High School, located on the Near West Side. Larger still, Albert G. Lane Technical High School, commonly known as Lane Tech, came in at No. 3. The institution currently has 4,482 students: the most of any Chicago high school.
The full list of top the 10 Chicago public high schools includes:
1. Northside College Preparatory High School
2. Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
3. Albert G. Lane Technical High School
4. William Jones College Preparatory High School
5. Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
6. Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy
7. John Hancock College Preparatory High School
8. Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park
9. George Westinghouse College Prep
10. Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School
At the same time, Chicago Magazine’s rubric for ranking suburban schools was slightly different, taking SAT scores, attendance graduation rates and spending per pupil into account. Outside the city limits, New Trier Township High School came in at No. 1. Located in Winnetka, students from Glencoe, Kenilworth, Wilmette, Winnetka and portions of Glenview and Northfield all feed into the school.
Glenbrook North High School, in Northbrook, and John Hersey High School, in Arlington Heights, came in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
The full list of top the 10 suburban public high schools includes:
1. New Trier Township High School
2. Glenbrook North High School
3. John Hersey High School
4. William Fremd High School
5. Glenbrook South High School
6. James B. Conant High School
7. Oak Park and River Forest High School
8. Prospect High School
9. Evanston Township High School
10. Maine South High School