Chicago Magazine ranked Proviso Math and Science Academy as the third best public high school in suburban Cook County in its “Best Public Schools” review of 2,000 elementary, middle and high schools in the city and suburbs. The high ranking is a slight decrease from Chicago’s most recent review in 2016, which then gave PMSA the top spot.
“Proviso’s graduation rate has held at 100 percent the past four years,” the magazine noted, also mentioning that PMSA spends $7,811 per student — the lowest of the top 20 finishers — that 90 percent of PMSA freshman are “on track,” and that 74 percent of students achieve “SAT attainment.”
New Trier High School ranked in the top spot on the list, and Glenbrook North High School came in second. Nearby Oak Park and River Forest High School ranked as the 10th best school on Chicago Magazine’s list, up from 14th in 2016.
“Top finishers are some of the most innovative and academically rigorous places you’ll find anywhere,” according to the review.
Experts from the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, along with the research nonprofit RTI International, compiled the rankings by analyzing spending per pupil, attendance, graduation, 5Essentials survey responses, among other criteria.
The article is available in the September issue of the magazine. Chicago did not review public high schools in 2017.
Nona Tepper
