The US News High School rankings for 2024 have been released and the top high school in Illinois is also the 5th best high school in the entire US, here are the details… According to US News, the number one high school in Illinois is Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago. Payton College Prep is also the 5th ranked high school in the US according to US News. What about Payton College Prep makes it so special?