The suburbs of Chicago are home to some of the best public school districts in the country, characterized by high graduation rates and high rates of proficiency in math and language arts. It should come as no surprise that all five of the best school districts in Illinois are located in this area. 

The best school district in Illinois is Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which comprises three high schools in the communities of New Lenox and Frankfort. Lincoln-Way is an excellent district that continues to improve, hitting its highest graduation rate in history in the most recent school year (98%). Furthermore, 85% of district students went on to a 2 or 4-year college within 16 months of graduation. 

Not far behind is Community High School District 155 (#2), which encompasses 4 high schools serving several communities in McHenry County. The district boasts a graduation rate of 95%, which is ten points higher than the state average, and 2019 graduates were awarded $11.7 million in scholarship money. 

Placing 3rd in Illinois is Hinsdale Township High School District 86, which operates two schools serving the communities of Hinsdale and Darien. Like the first two districts in the ranking, D86 has a very high graduation rate, and a remarkable 98% of graduates go on to attend the higher learning institution of their choosing. 

Consolidated High School District 230, which serves several southwest suburbs of Chicago in Cook County, earns the #4 spot on the list. CHSD230 is another high-performing high school district, boasting a graduation rate in the 90’s, a 91% college persistence rate, and 72% participation in co-curricular activities.  

Rounding out the list of Illinois’ five best school districts is Lyons Township High School District 204, which consists of a single high school with two campuses in LaGrange and Western Springs. Lyons Township High School has been named one of the best high schools in America by U.S. News and World Report.  

Top School Districts in Illinois, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.