These Are The Best Middle Schools In IL: U.S. News Ranking

Young Magnet High School in Chicago is the best public middle school in Illinois, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

Chicago schools claimed the first six spots in the 2027 rankings, released Tuesday. Maple School in Northbrook, Sunset Ridge Elementary School in Northfield and several other suburban schools also made the top 25.

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U.S. News researchers based the rankings on publicly available data collected directly from state education agencies by RTI International, alongside data from the U.S. Department of Education. The direct state agency data is a new addition to the methodology.

The expanded data provides a more comprehensive assessment of student achievement in reading and math across proficiency levels, while continuing to account for student background and overall performance on state assessments.

This year's rankings include more than 24,000 public middle schools nationwide, with schools ranked at the state and district levels. Student-teacher ratios are used to break ties in overall scores.

The top 25 public middle schools in Illinois are:

1. Young Magnet High School, Chicago
2. Decatur Classical Elementary School, Chicago
3. Hawthorne Elementary Scholastic Academy, Chicago
4. Lane Technical High School, Chicago
5. Keller Elementary Gifted Magnet School, Chicago
6. Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center, Chicago
7. Bradford Junior High School, Bradford
8. Maple School, Northbrook
9. Skinner North Elementary School, Chicago
10. Sunset Ridge Elementary School, Northfield
11. Thurgood Marshall School, Rockford
12. Hickory Creek Middle School, Frankfort
13. University of Illinois High School, Urbana
14. Reservoir Gifted School, Peoria
15. Kennedy Junior High School, Lisle
16. H H Conrady Junior High School, Hickory Hills
17. Daniel Wright Junior High School, Lincolnshire
18. Clarendon Hills Middle School, Clarendon Hills
19. Northbrook Junior High School, Northbrook
20. Wood Oaks Junior High School, Northbrook
21. Butler Junior High School, Oak Brook
22. Prescott Elementary School, Chicago
23. Hadley Junior High School, Glen Ellyn
24. McDade Elementary Classical School, Chicago
25. Bronzeville Classical School, Chicago

The list includes schools with elementary or high school in their names because they also serve middle school grades.

The rankings are intended as an evaluation tool to give parents a snapshot of academic performance and help families assess educational options in their communities.

The complete Illinois middle school rankings are available on the U.S. News website.