Morgan Park Academy Ranked #8 and #13 Among Top IL Private Schools

CHICAGO — Morgan Park Academy remains the top private school in Chicago’s Southland area and one of the best in the state, according to an annual report from the school rankings and reviews website Niche.com.

MPA was among 2.5 percent of schools nationwide to receive an overall grade of A+ and ranked No. 8 among Illinois K-12 private schools and No. 13 among the state’s private high schools.

On diversity, long a strong suit, the academy again earned the highest marks, ranked 16th in the state among most diverse private high schools.

Niche’s report ranks schools based on a combination of data from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of school reviews and parent and student surveys.

MPA also was the No. 8 private high school in the city in the most recent rankings by Chicago Magazine, which praised the school’s global focus.

“Statistics and rankings aren't everything,” Head of School Mercedes Z. Sheppard said. “As an independent school, our mission focuses first on educating the whole child and preparing our students to be independent thinkers and global leaders.

“But certainly, it's wonderful for our amazing teachers and our school community as a whole to receive this outside validation, and especially, to see such positive feedback from MPA families,” Sheppard added.

Serving students from prekindergarten through grade 12, Morgan Park Academy is an independent college preparatory school founded in 1873.

The school will host several admission events this fall, including a high school open house at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Built around small class sizes and strong teacher-student relationships, the MPA experience invites students to develop a worldview rooted in their own culture while broadening and deepening their thinking beyond the boundaries of campus, city, and country.

With a ratio of one teacher for every eight students, Morgan Park Academy’s 450 students not only have the opportunity to speak up and stand out in the classroom, on stage, and on the athletic field, but also to develop genuine, personal relationships with teachers that foster academic achievement and create a sense of community.

Graduates emerge as confident young adults, original thinkers, and creative problem solvers. They progress into the next stages of their lives well-prepared for advanced college coursework and poised to meet and exceed the high expectations that they refined at MPA.

Families are invited to visit Morgan Park Academy or call 773-881-6700 to learn more about MPA's programs and mission to engage the whole child, inspire the independent learner, and prepare the global leader of tomorrow to make a positive difference in the world.

“We want students to leave MPA understanding that their neighborhood and their city aren't everything, that we are part of a larger world that we have a responsibility to,” Sheppard said.

Small class sizes also allow MPA students to receive individualized attention from the director of college counseling beginning freshman year, ensuring that students find the right fit in their college searches and are ready for advanced college coursework once they get there.

Morgan Park Academy seniors have gained admission to 39 of the nation's top 40 colleges and universities in the past 15 years, and the class of 2023 earned $11.6 million in scholarship offers.

“MPA allowed me to grow not only as a student but as a person overall,” recent graduate Angela Cabrera said. “Every teacher has a genuine, real love for their students and will do anything it takes to see them succeed, not only academically, but in your development as a person. They teach you to be globally aware, to approach life with an open mind, and to not be afraid to challenge your own ideas.”