Mother McAuley Named One of State's Best Private High Schools

Mother McAuley High School is touted among the state’s top 100 private high schools, in a recent report from Niche.com.

The methodology ranks 3,880 private high schools on factors of academics, student culture and diversity, and survey responses from current students, parents, alumni, and administrators. Mother McAuley’s results place them 37th of the state’s top 100 private schools.

The factors were chosen to ”represent a healthy balance between statistical rigor and practical relevance in the ranking,” according to the website. For instance, a high ranking in Academics indicates that students are very happy with the quality of the education they are receiving, perform well on standardized testing, and leave the school college- and career-ready.

Academics account for 60 percent of the school’s Niche “grade,” with 30 percent to the student culture and diversity, and 30 percent to survey responses.

Mother McAuley received an overall grade of B, with other grades:

• B- in Academics, Administration & Policies, Admissions
• B in Educational Outcomes
• A in Extracurricular activities
• B+ in Food, Health & Safety, Resources & Facilities
• A- in Sports & Fitness
• B+ in Student Culture & Diversity
• B- in Teachers

Some students raved about the schools in their survey responses.

“McAuley is the best!” wrote one anonymous student. “It instills a lifetime’s worth of values and confidence into all young women who go there. Take it from me, a second semester senior, I only wish I had more time and took advantage of all the wonderful opportunities presented to me. Send your daughters here no matter the cost, there are plenty of scholarships available and if your daughter applies herself, it is more than possible to exceed academically.”

Another commented on the administration and staff.

“The administration at McAuley is very useful,” wrote another Niche user. “The guidance counselors made a world of difference through the ugly months of college applications. They acted as friends, pushing us to reach our goals, complimenting our hard work and being there for us when things did not necessarily go our way. The dress code at McAuley was strict but I understood that McAuley had an image they wanted to withold and that is why I always obeyed the rules.”

Read more commentary and find out more about the methodology at Niche.com.

See what other schools finished in the top 100.

Check out other area schools ranked among the top 100:

• Marist Among Best Private High Schools in Illinois: Report
• Brother Rice Ranked Among Top Private High Schools in State
• Morgan Park Academy Among Top 5 Private Schools in State