Is King College Prep High School a good school?

King College Prep High School ranks 521 st of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend King College Prep High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 606 students attended King College Prep High School.

What is the racial makeup of King College Prep High School?

Students at King College Prep High School are 94% African American, 3% Hispanic.

King College Prep High School

Summary:

King College Prep High School is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 606 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 688 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past 12 years, King College Prep High School's statewide ranking has declined from a high of 119 out of 670 Illinois high schools in 2012-2013 (with a 4-star rating) to a current ranking of 521 out of 697 high schools in 2023-2024 (with a 1-star rating). The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with African American students and special education students performing relatively better, while female, male, low socioeconomic, and disabled student groups struggle. King College Prep High School has also seen a decline in its four-year graduation rates, from a high of 99.2% in 2021-2022 to 87.6% in 2023-2024, and a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 14.7% in 2019-2020 to 34.8% in 2023-2024.

When compared to nearby schools, Kenwood Academy High School stands out as a strong performer, ranking 233 out of 697 Illinois high schools in 2023-2024 with a 3-star rating. Kenwood Academy outperforms King College Prep across various academic measures, including higher proficiency rates in SAT/Mathematics, SAT/English Language Arts, and ISA/Science. While King College Prep has seen a steady increase in its per-student spending, from $15,972 in 2019-2020 to $20,953 in 2022-2023, the academic performance does not seem to be commensurate with the higher spending.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4445 S Drexel Blvd
Chicago, IL 60653-3551

(773) 535-1180

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

SchoolDigger Rank:
521^st of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $22,381

Student/teacher ratio: 13.6

Number of students: 606

Racial breakdown:

African American:

93.6%

Hispanic:

3.3%

White:

1.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.7%

See top rated Illinois high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details King College Prep High School ranks worse than 74.7% of high schools in Illinois. It also ranks 43^rd among 145 ranked high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.41. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at King College Prep High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details King College Prep High School has the largest high school student body size in the Chicago Public Schools District 299. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at King College Prep High School is $22,381. 74 high schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

King College Prep High School:

SchoolDigger ranks King College Prep High School 521^st of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See King College Prep High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Chicago Public Schools District 299:

SchoolDigger ranks Chicago Public Schools District 299 688^th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for King College Prep High School

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Rank History for all students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2005	43.82	395^th	590	33.1%
2006	35.21	443^rd	596	25.7%
2007	51.51	347^th	612	43.3%
2008	47.00	383^rd	624	38.6%
2009	39.25	440^th	632	30.4%
2010	56.99	318^th	643	50.5%
2011	67.83	234^th	655	64.3%
2012	80.90	109^th	665	83.6%
2013	80.78	119^th	670	82.2%
2014	68.08	208^th	670	69.0%
2016	56.68	224^th	643	65.2%
2017	54.27	278^th	642	56.7%
2018	44.13	368^th	647	43.1%
2019	48.60	353^rd	701	49.6%
2021	38.03	411^th	688	40.3%
2022	29.94	495^th	699	29.2%
2023	24.41	536^th	699	23.3%
2024	22.41	521^st	697	25.3%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	57.91	138^th	476	71.0%
2024	48.76	173^rd	482	64.1%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	68.04	123^rd	585	79.0%
2019	66.55	142^nd	639	77.8%
2021	52.17	235^th	611	61.5%
2022	48.36	297^th	626	52.6%
2023	35.76	432^nd	644	32.9%
2024	35.49	393^rd	639	38.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	90.39	8^th	98	91.8%
2024	25.74	68^th	125	45.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	41.26	378^th	620	39.0%
2019	31.92	456^th	665	31.4%
2021	29.22	441^st	639	31.0%
2022	32.73	452^nd	658	31.3%
2023	20.31	528^th	656	19.5%
2024	20.08	520^th	664	21.7%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	27.00	261^st	429	39.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	45.64	339^th	619	45.2%
2019	68.10	165^th	675	75.6%
2021	45.67	325^th	653	50.2%
2022	25.92	488^th	664	26.5%
2023	30.64	471^st	668	29.5%
2024	26.45	472^nd	668	29.3%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at King College Prep High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	78.40	27^th	253	89.3%
2019	77.38	38^th	299	87.3%
2021	66.72	53^rd	281	81.1%
2022	65.07	65^th	294	77.9%
2023	47.39	122^nd	301	59.5%
2024	46.57	110^th	299	63.2%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Illinois State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

by a parent
Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This is a real high school! My daughter has the opportunity to participate in so many activities (band, drama, art, basketball, swimming, volleyball, track, dance, debate). The school is so welcoming and inviting to all visitors. My daughter loves it there and I have been nothing but excited for her to be here. The school is always bustling with activities. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, November 4, 2011

I am very happy with King -- it not only has a rigorous curriculum, but it has an outstanding variety of extracurricular activities so that students can graduate as well-rounded citizens. Also, King has an excellent principal who is committed to the school and its students; the marching band is the best in the city; and last year, graduates earned about $70 million in college scholarships! If you haven't considered King as an option for your child, you should definitely give it a look. This isn't your father's King High School. Close Quote

Enrollment information for King College Prep High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	1201	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	1201
1990	n/a	1217	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	1217
1991	0	1164	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1164
1992	0	1049	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	1051
1993	0	1035	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1035
1994	0	1022	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1022
1995	0	1027	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1027
1996	0	1027	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	1027
1997	0	797	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	797
1998	0	686	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	686
1999	1	547	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
2000	0	332	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2001	0	186	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	186
2002	0	180	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
2003	0	180	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
2004	5	408	20	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
2005	10	637	27	23	1	n/a	n/a	0	698
2006	12	798	32	24	0	n/a	n/a	19	885
2007	12	832	33	27	0	n/a	n/a	19	923
2008	11	832	22	24	0	n/a	n/a	10	899
2009	10	828	20	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	877
2010	9	854	11	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	893
2011	7	882	12	36	1	0	2	0	940
2012	7	841	10	40	1	0	6	0	905
2013	9	807	13	37	1	0	8	0	875
2014	8	729	12	41	0	0	6	0	796
2015	5	687	12	26	0	0	9	0	739
2016	5	639	13	31	0	0	5	0	693
2017	4	598	6	25	0	0	5	0	638
2018	1	563	6	23	0	0	6	0	599
2019	1	484	3	21	1	0	4	0	514
2020	1	461	2	13	1	0	5	0	483
2021	2	410	1	6	1	0	5	0	425
2022	5	556	1	10	1	2	6	0	581
2023	6	567	5	20	1	1	6	0	606

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at King College Prep High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1201	73.2	16.4	n/a
1990	1217	77.2	15.7	n/a
1991	1164	78.2	14.8	n/a
1992	1051	66.2	15.8	n/a
1993	1035	80.8	12.8	n/a
1994	1022	49.2	20.8	n/a
1995	1027	52.2	19.7	n/a
1996	1027	52.2	19.7	n/a
1997	797	54.8	14.5	n/a
1998	686	41.6	16.5	n/a
1999	548	37.4	14.7	n/a
2000	332	29.8	11.1	n/a
2001	186	26.6	7.0	n/a
2002	195	26.0	7.5	56.9
2003	195	26.0	7.5	56.9
2004	449	26.6	16.9	70.8
2005	698	45.5	15.3	66.6
2006	885	59.5	14.9	40.9
2007	923	48.0	19.2	57.2
2008	899	59.0	15.2	68.7
2009	877	61.0	14.4	74
2010	893	58.0	15.4	73.8
2011	940	58.0	16.2	68.9
2012	905	60.0	15.0	73.9
2013	875	73.7	11.8	71.9
2014	796	52.0	15.3	76.6
2015	739	46.0	16.0	81.3
2016	693	46.0	15.0	79.9
2017	638	37.4	17.0	80.1
2018	599	38.3	15.6	80.1
2019	514	41.0	12.5	79.2
2020	483	33.0	14.6	83
2021	425	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	581	34.5	16.8	80.4
2023	606	44.5	13.6	78.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio King College Prep High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1201	73.2	16.4	n/a
1990	1217	77.2	15.7	n/a
1991	1164	78.2	14.8	n/a
1992	1051	66.2	15.8	n/a
1993	1035	80.8	12.8	n/a
1994	1022	49.2	20.8	n/a
1995	1027	52.2	19.7	n/a
1996	1027	52.2	19.7	n/a
1997	797	54.8	14.5	n/a
1998	686	41.6	16.5	n/a
1999	548	37.4	14.7	n/a
2000	332	29.8	11.1	n/a
2001	186	26.6	7.0	n/a
2002	195	26.0	7.5	56.9
2003	195	26.0	7.5	56.9
2004	449	26.6	16.9	70.8
2005	698	45.5	15.3	66.6
2006	885	59.5	14.9	40.9
2007	923	48.0	19.2	57.2
2008	899	59.0	15.2	68.7
2009	877	61.0	14.4	74
2010	893	58.0	15.4	73.8
2011	940	58.0	16.2	68.9
2012	905	60.0	15.0	73.9
2013	875	73.7	11.8	71.9
2014	796	52.0	15.3	76.6
2015	739	46.0	16.0	81.3
2016	693	46.0	15.0	79.9
2017	638	37.4	17.0	80.1
2018	599	38.3	15.6	80.1
2019	514	41.0	12.5	79.2
2020	483	33.0	14.6	83
2021	425	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	581	34.5	16.8	80.4
2023	606	44.5	13.6	78.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates