New rankings: Report names best public high schools across Rockford, Freeport areas

Rockford Register Star
·2 min read

Only one Rockford area school made it on U.S. News & World Report's list of top 100 public high school in Illinois.

The media company, known for its consumer advice, analysis and rankings, released its 2023 high school rankings Aug. 28.

Nearly 18,000 public high schools across the U.S. were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments, graduation rates and how well they prepare students for college.

According to the latest rankings, Hononegah High School in Rockton in the best public high school in the Rockford area.

Here's a look at how Rockford area schools fared.

More: 61% of Rockford students are chronically absent, more than double state average

Hononegah High School

Hononegah High School is 55th best high school in Illinois and the 1,536th best in the country. Student participation in Advanced Placement exams is 41%, with a 34% passing rate. The school has a graduation rate of 92%.

Pecatonica High School

Pecatonica High School is the second highest rated school in the Rockford area, ranking 126th in the state and 3,382nd nationally. According to U.S. News & World Report, the school has a graduation rate of 92%.

Auburn High School

Auburn High School is the highest rated Rockford Public Schools high school coming in at third in the Rockford area, 181st in Illinois and 5,532nd nationally. The school has a graduation rate of 56%.

Harlem High School

The fourth highest rated school in the Rockford area is Harlem High School in Machesney Park. The school is ranked 206th in Illinois and 6,509th in the U.S. It has a graduation rate of 83%.

Durand High School

Durand High School is the first highest ranked school in the Rockford area, coming in at 262nd in Illinois and 8,692nd nationally. It has a graduation rate of 91%.

Out of 723 Illinois high schools, here's where Rockford- and Freeport-area schools rank:

  • Hononegah High School: 55th

  • Pecatonica High School: 126th

  • Auburn High School: 181st

  • Harlem High School: 206th

  • Durand High School: 262nd

  • South Beloit High School: 277th

  • Belvidere North High School: 278th

  • Dakota Junior and Senior High School: 292nd

  • Guilford High School: 321st

  • Belvidere High School: 395th

  • Lena-Winslow High School: 404th

  • Pearl City High School: 408th

  • Winnebago High School: 416th

The following schools were ranked between 437th and 664th in Illinois:

  • Freeport High School

  • Jefferson High School

  • Rockford East High School

  • North Boone High School

  • Orangeville High School

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford, Freeport public high schools graded by US News & World Report