Chicago, the “Windy City”, is home to the third-largest public school system in the US, serving a great many students each year. As a major metro area, it is also home to a number of excellent private schools, plus several charter schools known for their high performance. This offers a startling amount of choice to parents and students trying to choose the right high school, which can lead to hesitancy.
In this article, then, we’re going to break down some of the best high schools in Chicago, both public and private. This isn’t going to cover every school in the city of course, nor even all of the great ones. Our goal is to provide a sampling, to let you better understand what your options are. First, though, we’re going to cover how enrollment works in Chicago’s public schools, as this is not a straightforward process. Let’s get started!
Chicago’s Public School Enrollment
Chicago’s public school enrollment is broken into two different systems. First, you are automatically able to attend your zoned neighborhood school (not all schools count as neighborhood schools, but a good many do). Next, you can apply to almost any public school in the city using their platform. There is a single application, but the requirements for enrollment at these schools differ, often significantly.
Students applying for high school specifically use GoCPS. This process begins in the fall of your 8th grade year. This matters primarily for Choice and Selective Enrollment schools; these are similar programs, but have different names. Note that selective enrollment programs tend to be more competitive. When applying, you rank schools in order of preference; you may apply for up to 20 choice programs and 6 selective enrollment programs. Your application is compared to schools in the order you ranked them, with the goal of getting as many students into their top ranked schools as possible.
The application considers your 7th grade grades and the High School Admissions Test. This test is administered by Chicago Public Schools, and is the only test required for admissions. All students have the opportunity to take this test. This exam is administered in October. For selective enrollment schools, half of the admissions decision is based on your grades, and the other half on your performance on this test. No other factors are considered.
Finally, and perhaps uniquely, Chicago operates six public schools in partnership with the US military and JROTC. These schools must be applied to individually. These are intended specifically for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the military; either directly out of high school, through a service academy, or through the ROTC. These can be a great option for some students, but definitely aren’t the right choice for all of them.
The Best Private Schools in Chicago
We’re going to begin by evaluating private schools. We are looking at these and public schools separately, as they are separate creatures, and each must be compared to their peers.
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This is a coeducational private day and boarding school for students in grades 9-12. It is located in Lake Forest (as the name would suggest), 30 miles north of Chicago. It serves approximately 435 students, with a student:teacher ratio of 6:1. Around 52% of the school is day students, with the other 48% of them being boarding. The school is generally recognized as one of the best college-preparatory boarding schools in the US.
Lake Forest focuses on an advanced college-preparatory curriculum. Note that on top of strong academic requirements, all students are required to participate in athletics; freshmen and sophomores for three seasons per year, and juniors and seniors are required to participate in two; and are encouraged to do three. Participating in the play and musical counts for one of these seasons. Academically, they offer a full suite of AP courses, along with a number of additional advanced electives for students interested in particular fields. The average SAT score is 1410, and the average ACT score is 31.
Tuition at Lake Forest is $54,950 for day students and $75,975 for boarding students, with an additional $2,500 fee for international students. They do offer need-based financial aid to students. Applications to Lake Forest must be submitted online; you may use either their platform or the Standard Application Online; they don’t have a preference. The application requires an online form, the SSAT or ISEE, three letters of recommendation (English teacher, math teacher, and principal or counselor), transcripts from your past two years of schooling, student essays, a parent statement, and an interview. There is an optional arts or athletics supplement if you have a special talent you want to share; international students are required to submit TOEFL scores if their first language is not English.
British International School of Chicago
Located in the South Loop neighborhood, the British International School of Chicago (BISC), serves students in grades Pre-K through 12. It should not be confused with the British International School of Lincoln Park, also in Chicago, which only serves students through grade 6. It serves approximately 720 students, with a student:teacher ratio of 10:1.
The curriculum at BISC is based on the British model. Students in years 10 and 11 take courses designed to prepare them for the IGSCEs (International General Certificate of Secondary Education). Students are expected to take these exams. After this, students begin a two year International Baccalaureate curriculum for years 12 and 13. This corresponds with grades 11 and 12; they simply use a British nomenclature (as they are trying to model a British school). They do not offer AP coursework; instead all students must take the IB curriculum. These courses are still accepted for credit by most colleges. The average SAT score at BISC is 1370, and the average ACT is 29.
Tuition at BISC is $43,900 annually, though this varies significantly by grade level. They do offer some need-based aid; they also offer a 20% tuition discount to the children of Northwestern University employees. Application to the school is done online, though their site. Applications require the online form, a shadowing day, a student meeting with faculty, two years of transcripts, three letters of recommendation (English teacher, math teacher, and administrator), and ISEE or SSAT scores.
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Also referred to as the French International School or LFC for non-French speakers, this is a private, coed, day school serving students in grades pre-K through 12. It enrolls approximately 820 students in total, with a student:teacher ratio of 3:1. The school does receive some funding from the French government, but is not beholden to them, and runs independent of their influence.
As the name of the school suggests, LFC is a school which teaches the French curriculum, the same one used in France (with a few modifications). Subjects are taught in both French and English, and students are expected to become fully bilingual. Students begin learning a third language in middle school. High school (grades 10, 11, and 12) is defined by the lycee system, which prepares students for the French Baccalaureate exam. This is slightly different from the IB, but has the same overall goal of preparing students for higher education, and requires taking a full suite of advanced college-preparatory coursework. The average SAT score at LFC is 1380, and the average ACT score is 30.
Tuition at LFC is $27,950; they charge the same tuition across all grades levels. There is some financial aid available. The main entry points for LFC are pre-K and 9th grade; it is possible to apply to other grades, but acceptance is unlikely. Note that non-French speakers must apply by grade 3 to enter the bilingual program; students who do not speak French may enroll in the IB program for high school. Applications must be done online, these require an online form, a call with admissions, ISEE scores, attending a shadowing day, two letters of recommendation (from current math and English teachers), and transcripts from the past three years. Applications open in October and are due in December.
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This is a private, coed, secular, day school in Chicago, based in the Gold Coast neighborhood. It serves students in grades K-12; it enrolls approximately 485 high school students. The lower, middle, and upper schools are contained in separate buildings. The school is focused on preparing students for college. The upper school’s curriculum offers a number of AP courses, though in many cases they prefer to offer their own honors coursework. There are some options to pursue independent study and research. The average SAT score at Latin is 1390, and the average ACT score is 32.
Tuition at Latin is $48,570 annually, though this varies by grade level. There is some need-based financial aid available. Applications open in September, and are due in November. These must be submitted online, and require the application form, ISEE scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation (from your math and English teacher), and a family interview.
The Best Public Schools in Chicago
There are more than 100 public schools in Chicago, and we definitely can’t talk about all of them. We will be sure to clarify what kind of school each is; you can find instructions for applying to public schools in Chicago at the top of the article.
This is a magnet high school located in the Old Town neighborhood on the near north side of Chicago. It is regularly ranked as the best public high school in Illinois, and among the best nationally. It is named for the football player, Walter Payton. It is one of Chicago’s selective enrollment schools. It serves approximately 1,230 students. The school notably hosts a Confucius Institute, founded in partnership with the Chinese government, to promote the teaching of the Chinese language.
The curriculum at Payton is designed to prepare students for college. They offer a full suite of honors and AP coursework, along with a number of dual enrollment courses. The school does not have a single academic focus, but instead offers significant options in many different areas. It is known to be the most competitive of Chicago’s selective enrollment schools. The average SAT score at Payton is 1420, and the average ACT score is 32.
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Located in the North Park neighborhood on the north side of Chicago, and is a selective enrollment high school. It enrolls approximately 1,040 students, with a student:teacher ratio of 16:1. It is regularly ranked as one of the top high schools in Illinois, and competes with Payton for the top spot in the rankings. Northside runs on a block schedule.
Northside is very advanced academically; all courses outside of PE are offered at an Honors or AP level. They do not have a specific focus, but offer advanced options across academic areas. There are options for independent research projects through AP research and seminar courses. Students must also complete a public service project in order to graduate. The average SAT score at Northside is 1380, and the average ACT score is 32.
Illinois Math and Science Academy
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This is a residential public magnet school based in Aurora, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), but is run by the state of Illinois directly, and has admission open to any student in the state who meets the requirements. This is a public school, and both tuition and board are completely free. The school is for grades 10-12; entry is generally only granted to current 9th graders. 8th graders can apply in certain limited circumstances.
The school offers an exceptionally advanced curriculum. All coursework is offered at an advanced or honors level, though the school does not offer many AP courses, preferring their own coursework. Students working independently and pursuing their own research projects is seen as an integral part of the curriculum. As the name suggests, most of their academic focus is on math and science; while they do have advanced curricular offerings in humanities and social sciences, these are not the main focus. The average SAT score is 1440, and the average ACT score is 33.
Enrollment in the school is competitive; students may inquire and apply online. You must have sufficient math and science preparation in order to apply; they want to be sure you are ready for the curriculum they offer. The application requires a form, two essays, a parent statement, three teacher recommendations, official SAT or ACT scores, last 2.5 years of grade reports, and an optional school visit. Applications open in September, all materials must be submitted by February.
Whitney M Young Magnet High School
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Located in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Whitney Young is a magnet school serving students in grades 7-12. It enrolls approximately 2,220 students. Note that Whitney Young has two rounds of application, admitting students first into 7th grade, and then into 9th grade. Its middle school program is equally advanced as its high school one. Both admissions cycles use the same selective enrollment platform, and must be applied to through Chicago Public Schools.
The school offers an advanced, college preparatory curriculum, with a focus on introducing students to advanced concepts. They offer a full suite of advanced and honors coursework, but they do also offer some non-honors courses, which is not the case with all selective enrollment schools. They do not offer a particular area of academic focus, instead offering advanced coursework in all core disciplines. The average SAT score at Whitney Young is 1340, and the average ACT score is 31.
Final Thoughts
This is only a taste of the great schools in and around Chicago. We hope this article has given you insight into what your options are, and what you need to do to take advantage of them. High school choices can be stressful, but we do approve of Chicago’s streamlined process; they let you know exactly what the criteria are for these decisions to be made, and offer students a wide variety of excellent options. This includes a number of specialized schools; while we didn’t cover many of these here, they do exist, for topics from STEM to the arts.
Of course, researching all of these schools and determining which best fits your own needs is a tall order for many families. School and life are busy enough already, and the added stress of finding the right school only compounds that pressure. Of course, this isn’t something you need face alone. Ivy Scholars has a long experience working with students and parents to find the right high school for them, and guiding them along the transition process. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help make your life easier; we’re always happy to hear from you.
