I remember how I struggled to find myself a school. We had just moved to Chicago and finding a good high school was work enough. How was I to know what to choose while I had so many options and less knowledge on the schools around? Of course I ran some Google searches but the results were just not good enough to convince me to choose one school and not another. There are lots of private schools and public schools; all good ones here in Chicago. That means there’s a lot to choose from but it also means coming up with a decision will require you to look at a wide range of factors. I compiled a list of the top 5 best schools based on national ranking, college readiness, graduation rates, test scores and such criteria.
1. North side college preparatory high (NCP)
Located at 5501 North Kedzie Avenue, North Side College is ranked number one public high school in Illinois State and number 39 nationwide. It’s also ranked number 10 and number 78 in magnet and STEM rankings respectively. The center for excellence has a total enrollment of 1069 students who’re between grades 9 and 12. You can worry less about your kid not joining college once they join NCP. The school has a graduation rate of 96%, 99% of students here are considered proficient in English and 98% of them are what we call straight A’s materials in Maths. The students who come from all over the globe are exposed to lots of subjects which they choose from. Students are exposed to various subjects such as biological sciences students, engineering, computer science and social sciences. Your talented baseball daughter will get to grow her talent because extra-curricular activities are taken very seriously here.
2. Young magnet high school
As the name suggests magnet high is truly a public, magnet co-ed public school located in 211 South Laflin Street, Chicago, Illinois. Can you imagine that even with a total population of 2197 students, it still achieves an A average niche score? The students here are between grades 7 and 12. It has an English/ Maths proficiency rate of 98%. Additionally, 93% of students attending Young magnet high have a 93% probability of joining college. Teachers here are most friendly and well trained to offer the best education there can be as evidenced by quality SAT/ACT scores. According to some sophomore reviews, security is at the top of the list with low cases of bullying around. Student diversity is also a factor that everyone associated with the school pride for.
3. Payton college prep high
Ranked number 41 in national rankings, Payton high is a bubbling pot of talent and academic geniuses. Although the enrollment is not as high as in other schools reviewed here, it somehow finds itself amongst the best listed schools in Chicago. It has a student population of 817 students between grades 9 and 12. The teacher to student ratio is 14:1 which is a pretty good number. However, there’s even better statistics when we look at the college readiness levels, which stands at 92.7% and the English/ Math proficiencies standing at 99% each. Worry less of your kid joining college because 91% of students here have a chance of joining one. The student diversity is just amazing with many Hispanics, Multiracial, Whites, Asian and African Americans students. Besides the high tech used in delivery, there’s lots of exchange study programs, clubs and administrative support which makes Payton an exceptional learning center.
4. Jones college preparatory high
Located at 700 South State St, Jones College has a student population of 1124 that majorly comprises of females (61%). These students in grade 9-12 are considered 98% proficient in both English and Mathematics. Ranked 130 in the national rankings, Jones College is a public magnet coed high school in the state of Illinois. Although the college readiness level (78.8%) is somehow low, the graduation rate (95%) is high and good enough to entrust your kid to Jones College. Overall, the environment, education results, administration, academics, student diversity and the teachers are top notch. Of the many reviews written about it, Jones seems to be maintaining a good reputation.
5. Lane technical high school
The 172nd ranked public magnet school is located at 2501 West Addison St. It bears one of the highest enrollment rates in Chicago with a total student population of 4090. Despite the enrollment rate, it still achieves to graduate 95% of its students who have a college readiness level of 72.8%. Students here can take advanced placement exams and course work making it a good choice to introduce you to advanced learning. The school admits students from grades 7-12. English and Math proficiencies lie at 92% and 93%, respectively, so you can comfortably rely on your son to carry out monthly calculations at your restaurant. Your kids can choose from the many extra-curricular activities such as Acapella, chess and journalism clubs.
If you’re really looking to join one of those Ivy League colleges, you should consider one of the above centers of excellence. All the best!
About the author: Terry Meiners is a business owner and a passionate writer. Loves to share his experience on business and help people to understand it better. Co-founder of TopWritersReviews.com