Midwest school named 2nd-best high school in country by US News & World Report

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In a new ranking of the country's best high schools for 2024, one institution in the Midwest received incredibly high honors, as did multiple Chicago-area schools.

The list, from U.S. News and World Report, titled "2024 Best High School Rankings," analyzed over 24,000 public high schools across all 50 states, according to the publication's editors.

The schools were categorized based on multiple factors, including college readiness, state assessments, graduation rates, college curriculum breadth and underserved student performance, according to the report.

The list includes a ranking of more than 17,660 public high schools, with the list's top 20 schools all having either selective enrollment or other requirements such as a minimum GPA, the report said.

While the Chicago area was well represented throughout the list, one Midwestern school exceeded all schools in the region on the ranking.

Signature School, located in Evansville, Ind., earned the No. 2 spot on the list, only falling behind BASIS Charter Schools in Peoria, Ariz.

According to the report, 11.5% of the ranked public high schools were charter schools, and 4.4% were magnet schools. Both Florida and Arizona led the list, with 12 high schools in the top 100. California was next, with 11 schools in the top 100.

In Illinois, five schools from Chicago made the list's top 100 of schools nationwide.

Walter Payton College Preparatory High School earned the No. 5 spot on the national list, while Northside College Preparatory High School earned the No. 35 spot. Young Magnet High School came in at 52, Jones College Prep High School came in at No. 53, and Lane Technical High School came in at No. 60.

While suburban schools didn't rank as high on the national list, many topped the report's list of best high schools for 2024 in the state of Illinois, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, New Trier Township High School in Winnetka and Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale.

Here's a glimpse at the top 10 high schools in the nation, according to the report:

1. BASIS Charter Schools -- Peoria, Arizona
2. Signature School -- Evansville, Indiana
3. Tesla STEM High School -- Redmond, Washington
4. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Walter Payton College Preparatory High School -- Chicago, Illinois
6. The School for the Talented and Gifted -- Dallas, Texas
7. Academic Magnet High School -- North Charleston, South Carolina
8. International Academy -- Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology -- Lawrenceville, Georgia
10. Riverside Stem Academy -- Riverside, California

Here's a look at the top 10 high schools in Illinois, according to the report:

1. Walter Payton College Preparatoy High School
2. Northside College Preparatory High School
3. Young Magnet High School
4. Jones College Prep High School
5. Lane Technical High School
6. Adlai E Stevenson High School
7. Brooks College Prep Academy High School
8. Vernon Hills High School
9. Hancock College Preparatory High School
10. New Trier Township High School Winnetka

You can find the full report here.