Best Schools for Black Students in Illinois (2026)

These are the Illinois public schools where black students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested black students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.

Other lists: Asian · Hispanic · Low-income · Multiracial · White

Elementary schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Chelsea Elem School Frankfort	65%	45%	48	A
2	Homestead Elementary School Aurora	50%	30%	20	A+
3	The Wheatlands Elementary School Aurora	50%	30%	21	B
4	Scott Elem School Scott Air Force Base	45%	25%	36	A+
5	Heather Hill Elem School Flossmoor	35%	27%	60	B
6	Ridgeview Elementary School Peoria	30%	30%	27	A+
7	Mascoutah Elem School Mascoutah	30%	30%	24	A+
8	Wingate Elementary School Shiloh	30%	30%	27	A+
9	Churchill Elem School Oswego	30%	30%	22	B+
10	Grande Park Elem Sch Plainfield	30%	30%	28	C+
11	Charles Reed Elementary Sch Plainfield	30%	30%	24	D
12	Field Stevenson Elem School Forest Park	30%	—	22	B
13	Meadow Ridge School Orland Park	35%	25%	46	B+
14	Northmoor Primary School Peoria	35%	15%	44	B+
15	Oak Ridge Elem School Palos Hills	35%	15%	36	A+
16	Flossmoor Hills Elem School Flossmoor	27%	17%	66	A
17	Scarlet Oak Elementary School Oak Forest	30%	10%	24	C
18	Robinson Elem School Chicago	30%	10%	24	D
19	Greenbriar Elem School Chicago Heights	30%	10%	23	B
20	Jefferson Elem School Chicago Heights	30%	10%	22	C
21	Lincoln Elem School Chicago Heights	10%	30%	27	C+
22	Kerkstra Elem School Oak Forest	30%	10%	24	B+
23	Beebe Elem School Naperville	30%	10%	21	C+
24	Walkers Grove Elementary School Plainfield	30%	10%	20	A+
25	Nancy Young Elementary School Aurora	30%	10%	27	A+

Middle schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Thurgood Marshall School Rockford	90%	70%	23	A
2	Keller Elem Gifted Magnet School Chicago	85%	65%	45	B+
3	Hickory Creek Middle School Frankfort	77%	67%	87	A+
4	Skinner North Elem Sch Chicago	70%	70%	26	B+
5	Reservoir Gifted School Peoria	65%	75%	34	A+
6	Iles Elem School Springfield	55%	55%	34	A+
7	Lenart Elem Regional Gifted Ctr Chicago	57%	52%	78	C+
8	Poe Elem Classical School Chicago	62%	42%	76	A
9	Bronzeville Classical Elem Sch Chicago	47%	52%	77	A
10	McDade Elem Classical School Chicago	55%	45%	44	A+
11	Jamieson Elem School Chicago	50%	30%	21	C+
12	Mitchell Elem School Chicago	70%	10%	23	A
13	Wredling Middle School Saint Charles	50%	30%	23	A
14	STEM Magnet Academy Elem Chicago	50%	30%	29	A
15	Summit Hill Junior High School Frankfort	45%	35%	55	A+
16	Wolf Branch Middle School Swansea	45%	35%	59	A
17	Skinner Elem School Chicago	42%	32%	151	C+
18	Bednarcik Junior High School Aurora	35%	35%	43	B+
19	H H Conrady Jr High School Hickory Hills	45%	25%	42	A+
20	Armstrong G Elem IntL Studies Chicago	32%	32%	146	B
21	Hawthorne Elem Scholastic Academy Chicago	30%	30%	26	A+
22	Orland Jr High School Orland Park	30%	30%	28	C+
23	Roosevelt School River Forest	30%	30%	30	A+
24	Lincoln Magnet School Springfield	45%	15%	60	A
25	Jane Addams JHS Schaumburg	50%	10%	21	A+

High schools

#	School	Reading	Math	Tested	Overall Repit grade
1	Northside College Preparatory Hs Chicago	90%	90%	21	A+
2	Payton College Preparatory HS Chicago	90%	90%	30	A+
3	Young Magnet High School Chicago	82%	77%	118	A+
4	Jones College Prep High School Chicago	75%	75%	48	A+
5	Lane Technical High School Chicago	72%	57%	97	A+
6	Brooks College Prep Academy HS Chicago	62%	42%	211	A+
7	Lindblom Math & Science Acad HS Chicago	52%	42%	218	A+
8	Plainfield North High School Plainfield	45%	35%	47	A+
9	Naperville North High School Naperville	35%	35%	32	A+
10	Proviso Math and Science Academy Forest Park	45%	25%	44	A+
11	Kenwood Academy High School Chicago	36%	27%	438	A
12	Grant Community High School Fox Lake	30%	30%	21	B+
13	Mascoutah High School Mascoutah	30%	30%	28	A+
14	J B Conant High School Hoffman Estates	30%	30%	23	A+
15	Adlai E Stevenson High School Lincolnshire	30%	30%	23	A+
16	Von Steuben Metro Science HS Chicago	35%	25%	32	A
17	Devry Advantage Academy High Schl Chicago	35%	25%	33	A
18	Lincoln-Way East High School Frankfort	35%	25%	51	A+
19	Springfield High School Springfield	35%	25%	49	A
20	Chicago Math & Sci Elem Charter Chicago	27%	27%	97	C+
21	Southland College Prep Chtr HS Richton Park	32%	17%	108	A
22	Plainfield East High School Plainfield	22%	22%	85	A+
23	Horizon Science Acad-McKinley Pk Chicago	30%	10%	21	B
24	Rolling Meadows High School Rolling Meadows	30%	10%	21	A
25	Victor J Andrew High School Orland Hills	30%	10%	28	A

Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology

Best Schools for Black Students in Illinois (2026)

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

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