The Chicago Public School (CPS) system, the fourth-largest school district in the United States, oversees 634 schools serving 323,251 students in the 2023–24 school year. It faces challenges like declining enrollment, funding disparities, and academic performance gaps, but also showcases strengths in selective enrollment programs and recent academic growth with a focus on **education quality**, **rankings**, **teacher-student ratio**, **funding**, **academic performance**, **test scores**, **school safety**, **programs**, **extracurricular activities**, and **enrollment trends**, while identifying the best and worst-performing schools by name based on available data.
Education Quality
CPS varies widely in education quality. Selective enrollment schools like **Walter Payton College Preparatory High School**, **Northside College Preparatory High School**, and **Whitney M. Young Magnet High School** consistently rank among the best in Illinois and nationally due to their rigorous curricula, Advanced Placement (AP) offerings, and college readiness focus. These schools boast high graduation rates (near 100%) and strong college enrollment (e.g., 80% of Payton graduates enroll immediately in college). Conversely, schools like **Manley Career Academy High School** and **Fenger Academy High School** struggle with low academic outcomes, often labeled as needing “intensive support” due to poor test scores and graduation rates below 60%. Neighborhood schools generally offer less academic rigor than selective ones, impacting overall quality.[](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/districts/chicago-public-schools-110570)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Public_Schools)
Rankings
According to U.S. News & World Report and Niche, top CPS high schools include **Walter Payton (#1 in Illinois)**, **Northside College Prep (#2)**, **Whitney Young (#3)**, **Brooks College Prep (#7)**, and **Hancock College Prep (#9)**. Elementary schools like **Skinner North Elementary** and **Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center** rank #1 and #2 in Illinois, respectively. On the lower end, schools like **Englewood STEM High School** and **Tilden Career Community Academy** rank poorly, often in the bottom tier of CPS due to low test scores and high chronic absenteeism (e.g., 53% at some underperforming schools). Rankings reflect disparities between selective and neighborhood schools.[](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/districts/chicago-public-schools-110570)[](https://frogtutoring.com/blog/1257/where-does-chicago-rank-in-education)[](https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/m/chicago-metro-area/)
Teacher-Student Ratio
CPS maintains a district-wide teacher-student ratio of 14:1, lower than the Illinois state average, which supports personalized instruction in some schools. Top schools like Payton and Northside benefit from highly qualified, licensed teachers (96.9% district-wide), fostering strong mentorship. However, underperforming schools like **Gage Park Academy** and **Michele Clark Magnet High School** face challenges with teacher turnover and inconsistent administrative support, which can disrupt learning despite favorable ratios. Teacher attendance, a key quality indicator, is lower in CPS (worse than the state average), particularly in struggling schools.[](https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/illinois/districts/city-of-chicago-sd-299-110570)[](https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-academic-struggles-top-chicagoans-concerns/)
Funding
CPS faces a $400 million deficit in 2025 as federal COVID relief funds expire, despite increased state funding. Per-student spending has risen, but the district remains underfunded by $1.1 billion per Illinois’ adequacy formula. High-performing schools like Payton and Whitney Young benefit from equitable resource allocation through initiatives like the Curriculum Equity Initiative, while schools like **Dyett High School for the Arts** and **Harper High School** in high-poverty areas often lack sufficient academic interventionists or modern facilities. Chicagoans express skepticism about budget effectiveness, with 40% believing funds need wiser allocation.[](https://www.newsweek.com/chicago-school-spending-scores-have-dropped-1917053)[](https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-academic-struggles-top-chicagoans-concerns/)
Academic Performance
CPS students show mixed academic performance. District-wide, 31% of elementary students achieved proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and 19% in math on the 2024 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR), surpassing pre-pandemic ELA levels but lagging in math. Schools like **Decatur Classical Elementary** and **Lane Technical High School** excel, with reading proficiency rates near 87%. However, schools like **Robeson High School** and **Sullivan High School** have proficiency rates below 10%, reflecting challenges in high-poverty neighborhoods. CPS leads nationally in reading growth post-pandemic, particularly for Black students, but math recovery lags.[](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2024/09/20/cps-students-academic-performance-and-quality-of-learning-faq/)[](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2024/02/19/chicago-public-schools-reading-scores-pandemic-recovery-growth/)[](https://www.newsweek.com/chicago-school-spending-scores-have-dropped-1917053)
Test Scores
Test scores highlight disparities. Selective schools like Payton, Northside, and Whitney Young post average ACT scores above 28, with nearly 100% AP participation. In contrast, schools like **Fenger** and **Manley** report average ACT scores below 16, with math and reading proficiency rates as low as 5%. District-wide, 17% of students are proficient in math and 20% in reading, far below state averages. Schools like **Skinner North** outperform (near 90% proficiency), while **Englewood STEM** struggles with scores reflecting systemic inequities.[](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/chicago-public-schools-il/)[](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/districts/chicago-public-schools-110570)[](https://frogtutoring.com/blog/1257/where-does-chicago-rank-in-education)
School Safety
Safety concerns persist in CPS, particularly in high-crime neighborhoods. Incidents like the 2022 **Benito Juarez Community Academy** shooting underscore risks at schools with gang-affiliated challenges. Schools like **Tilden** and **Harper** report frequent fights and suspensions, with student surveys citing “drama” as a negative factor. Conversely, selective schools like Payton and Northside report safer environments, with robust community engagement and lower suspension rates. District-wide, chronic absenteeism (39.8% in 2023) correlates with safety perceptions, as students avoid unsafe campuses. CPS has reduced suspensions but struggles to return to pre-COVID norms.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Public_Schools)[](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2023/3/3/23622852/chicago-public-schools-attendance-behavior-pandemic/)
Programs
CPS offers diverse programs, including selective enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB), and career and technical education (CTE). Schools like **Lincoln Park High School** and **Von Steuben Metro Science High School** provide IB and STEM tracks, while **Phoenix Military Academy** offers JROTC. Top schools integrate culturally relevant curricula, like Whitney Young’s focus on diversity through events like International Day. Underperforming schools like **Dyett** and **Robeson** often lack access to advanced programs, limiting college preparation. The Curriculum Equity Initiative aims to standardize high-quality resources across schools.[](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/chicago-public-schools-il/)[](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/illinois/districts/chicago-public-schools-110570)[](https://www.chicagofed.org/publications/economic-perspectives/2017/5)
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurriculars thrive in high-performing schools. **Whitney Young**, **Lincoln Park**, and **Brooks** offer extensive clubs, sports, and arts, with programs like Link Crew fostering mentorship. **Barrington High School** (in the Chicago area) and **Kenwood Academy** provide diverse activities, from debate to track, enhancing student engagement. In contrast, schools like **Sullivan** and **Fenger** have limited offerings due to budget constraints and low enrollment, reducing opportunities for student involvement. District-wide, after-school participation grew to 77,000 students in 2023, boosting attendance.[](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/chicago-public-schools-il/)[](https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/m/chicago-metro-area/)[](https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2023/3/3/23622852/chicago-public-schools-attendance-behavior-pandemic/)
Enrollment Trends
CPS enrollment has declined from 400,000+ in the early 2000s to 323,251 in 2023–24, driven by population shifts and competition from charter and private schools. Selective schools like Payton and Northside remain oversubscribed, with competitive admissions, while neighborhood schools like **Englewood STEM** and **Manley** face under-enrollment, sometimes below 300 students. Chronic absenteeism (39.8% in 2023) exacerbates effective enrollment, particularly in low-performing schools. CPS’s shift to a need-based funding model aims to address disparities but faces challenges with expiring federal funds.[](https://publicagenda.org/resource/ck12-2024/)[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Public_Schools)[](https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicago-public-schools-academic-struggles-top-chicagoans-concerns/)
Best Schools
– **Walter Payton College Preparatory High School**: #1 in Illinois, exceptional ACT scores, 100% AP participation, high college enrollment.
– **Northside College Preparatory High School**: #2 in Illinois, strong STEM and constitutional law programs, near-perfect graduation rate.
– **Whitney M. Young Magnet High School**: #3 in Illinois, diverse extracurriculars, 80%+ college enrollment.
– **Skinner North Elementary**: #1 elementary in Illinois, 90% proficiency in reading/math.
– **Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center**: #2 elementary, specialized gifted programs, high test scores.
Worst Schools
– **Manley Career Academy High School**: Low graduation rate (<60%), 5% proficiency in math/reading, high absenteeism.
– **Fenger Academy High School**: Bottom-tier test scores, ACT averages below 16, safety concerns.
– **Englewood STEM High School**: High chronic absenteeism (53%), low proficiency (<10%), under-enrolled.
– **Tilden Career Community Academy**: Frequent safety incidents, low academic growth, poor college readiness.
– **Robeson High School**: Proficiency rates below 10%, limited programs, high dropout risk.
Conclusion
The CPS system reflects a tale of two districts: elite selective schools like Walter Payton, Northside, and Whitney Young excel in education quality, rankings, and extracurriculars, while neighborhood schools like Manley, Fenger, and Englewood STEM struggle with low test scores, safety issues, and underfunding. The 14:1 teacher-student ratio and growing programs offer potential, but enrollment declines and a $400 million deficit threaten progress. CPS’s focus on equity, through initiatives like Continuous Improvement and Data Transparency (CIDT), aims to bridge gaps, but systemic challenges persist in ensuring all schools meet Chicagoans’ expectations for college preparation and academic success.