2 Lake County high schools rank among top 10 high schools in Illinois for 2024

Two high schools in Lake County ranked among the top 10 in Illinois in a new study from U.S. News & World Report ranking high schools across the country.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2024 Best High Schools rankings earlier this week.

The rankings evaluate nearly 18,000 eligible public high schools at the national, state and local levels.

“The 2024 Best High Schools rankings offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending,” says LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of education at U.S. News.

“Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future,” Jones said.

The highest-ranked public schools in the 2024 Best High Schools national rankings are those with students who achieved exceptional scores on state assessments for math, reading and science.

The schools also had strong underserved student performance, college readiness and curriculum breadth, as well as high graduation rates, according to U.S. News.

College readiness measures participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, while underserved student performance focuses on students who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households.

U.S. News said they worked with RTI International, a global research firm, to implement the comprehensive ranking methodology.

The top 10 high public schools nationwide were:

1. BASIS Peoria (AZ)
2. Signature School (IN)
3. Tesla STEM High School (WA)
4. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (PA)
5. Payton College Preparatory High School (IL)
6. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TX)
7. Academic Magnet High School (SC)
8. International Academy of Oakland (MI)
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GA)
10. Riverside Stem Academy (CA)

In Illinois, two Lake County high schools made the top 10. Those included Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and Vernon Hills High School.

Stevenson High School was ranked #6 in Illinois and #194 nationally. Vernon Hills High School was ranked #8 in Illinois and #309 nationally.