No matter which Naperville high school a family is zoned for, their student is attending a top-50 school in Illinois.
All five high schools across District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 landed in the state's top 50 out of 675 ranked schools in U.S. News & World Report's 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings, released Tuesday, Aug. 18. Neuqua Valley High School led the pack at No. 12 statewide and No. 295 nationally, placing it in the top 2% of nearly 18,000 ranked public high schools across the country.
The full statewide rankings for Naperville-area schools:
- No. 12 — Neuqua Valley High School (IPSD 204)
- No. 25 — Metea Valley High School (IPSD 204)
- No. 27 — Naperville Central High School (District 203)
- No. 35 — Naperville North High School (District 203)
- No. 42 — Waubonsie Valley High School (IPSD 204)
Every school posted a graduation rate at or above 94%. Neuqua Valley led at 98%, followed by Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley at 96%, Naperville Central at 95% and Metea Valley at 94%.
What drove the rankings
College readiness carried the most weight, accounting for 30% of each school's overall score, according to a U.S. News press release. That metric measures the share of seniors who scored 3 or higher on AP exams or 4 or higher on IB exams. State assessment proficiency and performance each counted for 20%, while college curriculum breadth, underserved student performance and graduation rate each contributed 10%.
The rankings used 2023-2024 school year data and were produced with research firm RTI International. LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the rankings aim to give families data and transparency to make informed school choices.
What this means for special education families
The graduation rates in the rankings are aggregate figures that include all students, including those on IEPs and 504 plans. However, U.S. News does not publish school-level breakdowns of AP or IB participation for students with disabilities. Families seeking that data can contact each district's special education department or file a FOIA request through naperville203.org or ipsd.org.
Year-over-year movement
Compared to last year's rankings, Neuqua Valley improved its national position from No. 340 to No. 295. Metea Valley jumped from No. 32 to No. 25 in Illinois. Naperville Central moved from No. 22 to No. 27 and Naperville North from No. 26 to No. 35, though rank shifts do not necessarily reflect changes in school quality because U.S. News uses a fresh year of data each edition.
Both districts started classes the week of Aug. 11. District 203 students returned Thursday, Aug. 13, and IPSD 204 students began Monday, Aug. 17.
Nationally, the top Illinois schools were all in Chicago: Northside College Preparatory (No. 1), Payton College Preparatory (No. 2) and Lane Technical (No. 3). The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora ranked No. 4, the highest-ranked suburban school in the state.
