Chicago, Suburbs Dominate U.S. News Best High School List In Illinois

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago area schools dominate the top 10 in the state, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings, and two rank among the nation's 50 best schools.

Five of the ten in Illinois, including the top four, are Chicago public schools. The other five are suburban schools.

Two of the Chicago schools ranked in the top 50 in the nation on the U.S. News list: Northside College Prep (No. 36) and Walter Payton College Prep (No. 49).

Northside and Payton ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state. Two other Chicago schools -- Jones College Prep and Whitney Young Magnet School -- ranked No. 3 and No. 4.

At all four schools, at least 98 percent of the students were considered proficient in math. At three of the schools, 97 percent were proficient in reading.

At Northside, 93 percent of students passed Advanced Placement exams, which U.S. News also used to gauge college readiness.

Rounding out the top 10:

Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire;

Deerfield High School in Deerfield

Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale

Lane Tech in Chicago

Hersey High School in Arlington Heights

Highland Park High School in Highland Park

Highland Park and Deerfield are in the same School District 113.

One school from Northwest Indiana made the top 10 in that state: Munster High School in Munster was ranked No. 10