CHICAGO – Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools today congratulated CPS high schools that were named to U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of the Best High Schools in the country. The top five spots and 20 of the top 100 high schools in Illinois were CPS schools, with nine CPS schools ranking among the top 350 schools in the United States.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson said in a joint statement: “CPS continues to represent the best schools in Illinois and is among the ranks of the greatest schools in the country, which is a testament to our students, families, and dedicated staff. These schools represent just a sampling of the many high quality schools throughout our great city that prepare students to succeed far beyond graduation.”

The top-ranked CPS high schools include:

• Walter Payton College Preparatory High School: 1st in Illinois and 9th nationally
• Northside College Preparatory High School: 2nd in Illinois and 23rd nationally
• Lane Technical College Preparatory High School: 3rd in Illinois and 69th nationally
• Whitney M. Young Magnet High School: 4th in Illinois and 71st nationally
• Jones College Preparatory High School: 5th in Illinois and 91st nationally
• Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy: 8th in Illinois and 186th nationally
• Phoenix Military Academy High School: 9th in Illinois and 207th nationally
• Lindblom Math and Science Academy: 11th in Illinois and 272nd nationally
• Lincoln Park High School: 17th in Illinois and 320th nationally

A total of 20 CPS high schools were named among the top 100 across Illinois. The full list of the 2018 Best High Schools can be found at https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/national-rankings

The large number of CPS schools represented in this year’s rankings demonstrate that Chicago’s continued investments in high-quality programming like IB and STEM have accelerated the district’s nationally-recognized progress and created new opportunities for students in neighborhoods across the city. This year’s ranking also reflects that more CPS students are graduating from high school (78.2 percent in 2018), earning early college credentials (46.6 percent in 2018), and enrolling in two-year and four-year colleges (64.6 percent in 2017) than ever before.

U.S. News & World Report publishes the Best High Schools list annually. The 2019 edition evaluated more than 23,000 public high schools nationwide to identify schools that best serve all of their students – including historically underserved populations – and assess the degree to which students are prepared for college-level coursework. These rankings emphasize student outcomes, incorporating data on graduation rates and state assessments.

Chicago Public Schools serves 361,000 students in 644 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

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