Is Joliet Central High School a good school?

Joliet Central High School ranks 519 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Joliet Central High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 3,383 students attended Joliet Central High School.

What is the racial makeup of Joliet Central High School?

Students at Joliet Central High School are 72% Hispanic, 15% African American, 11% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Joliet Central High School?

Joliet Central High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : A O Marshall Elementary School Elementary : Edna Keith Elementary School Elementary : Elwood C C School Elementary : Farragut Elementary School Elementary : Laraway School Elementary : M J Cunningham Elementary School Elementary : T E Culbertson Elementary School Elementary : Union Elementary School Elementary : Woodland Elementary School Middle : Washington Junior High & Academy Prgm

Joliet Central High School

Summary:

Joliet Central High School is a public high school located in Joliet, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 3,377 students. The school is part of the Joliet Township High School District 204, which is ranked 643 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Joliet Central High School has consistently underperformed compared to the state and nearby schools across various metrics. The school ranks 519 out of 697 in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, significantly lower than the nearby Lockport Township High School East, which ranks 104 out of 697 and has a 4-star rating. Joliet Central's four-year graduation rate ranges from 70.7% to 76.9%, lower than the state average and the nearby Lincoln Way West (95.9%) and Lockport Township High School East (93.0%). The school also has a higher dropout rate and chronic absenteeism rate compared to these nearby schools.

Joliet Central High School's proficiency rates in SAT Mathematics, SAT English Language Arts, and ISA Science are consistently lower than the district and state averages, as well as the nearby Lockport Township High School East and Lincoln Way West. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students (74.77% in 2022-2023) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families compared to the nearby schools. These factors suggest that Joliet Central High School faces significant socioeconomic challenges that may be impacting its academic performance, and there is room for improvement in addressing the factors contributing to its lower performance.

Detail:

Public 9-12

201 E Jefferson St
Joliet, IL 60432-2841

(815) 727-6740

District: Joliet Township HSD 204

SchoolDigger Rank:
519^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,230

Feeder schools for Joliet Central High School:

Elementary:	A O Marshall Elementary School
	Edna Keith Elementary School
	Elwood C C School
	Farragut Elementary School
	More...
	Laraway School
	M J Cunningham Elementary School
	T E Culbertson Elementary School
	Union Elementary School
	Woodland Elementary School
Middle:	Washington Junior High & Academy Prgm

Student/teacher ratio: 18.4

Number of students: 3,383

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

71.7%

African American:

14.6%

White:

11.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 76.7%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Joliet Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Joliet Central High School ranks worse than 74.5% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.58. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Joliet Central 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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (71.7%), African American (14.6%), White (11.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 76.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Joliet Township HSD 204 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Joliet Central High School is 18.4. 2 high schools in the Joliet Township HSD 204 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Joliet Central High School employs 183.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Joliet Central High School is $18,230, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Joliet Township HSD 204 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Joliet Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Joliet Central High School 519^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Joliet Central High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Joliet Township HSD 204:

SchoolDigger ranks Joliet Township HSD 204 643^rd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Joliet Central High School.

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Rank History for Joliet Central High School

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Rank History for all students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	6.56	537^th	586	8.4%
2004	13.31	520^th	592	12.2%
2005	12.28	520^th	590	11.9%
2006	14.13	516^th	596	13.4%
2007	36.56	439^th	612	28.3%
2008	31.91	475^th	624	23.9%
2009	19.24	531^st	632	16.0%
2010	37.86	465^th	643	27.7%
2011	20.75	535^th	655	18.3%
2012	20.93	542^nd	665	18.5%
2013	21.97	532^nd	670	20.6%
2014	18.67	554^th	670	17.3%
2015	24.54	481^st	614	21.7%
2016	23.64	510^th	643	20.7%
2017	36.34	423^rd	642	34.1%
2018	25.98	499^th	647	22.9%
2019	30.42	501^st	701	28.5%
2021	26.89	497^th	688	27.8%
2022	37.10	446^th	699	36.2%
2023	26.40	518^th	699	25.9%
2024	22.58	519^th	697	25.5%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	28.88	107^th	154	30.5%
2019	10.78	157^th	165	4.8%
2021	14.21	137^th	160	14.4%
2022	15.66	140^th	170	17.6%
2023	45.12	85^th	163	47.9%
2024	17.11	150^th	182	17.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	48.99	45^th	151	70.2%
2019	32.77	125^th	183	31.7%
2021	50.91	57^th	189	69.8%
2022	39.05	117^th	205	42.9%
2023	35.05	136^th	217	37.3%
2024	33.29	140^th	248	43.5%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.63	221^st	374	40.9%
2019	33.98	276^th	473	41.6%
2021	37.93	221^st	453	51.2%
2022	37.31	249^th	493	49.5%
2023	27.04	330^th	476	30.7%
2024	25.01	353^rd	482	26.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.16	406^th	585	30.6%
2019	41.99	364^th	639	43.0%
2021	40.19	341^st	611	44.2%
2022	51.62	270^th	626	56.9%
2023	36.93	420^th	644	34.8%
2024	30.94	426^th	639	33.3%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2019	24.69	57^th	91	37.4%
2021	58.25	10^th	24	58.3%
2022	28.47	46^th	98	53.1%
2023	55.07	28^th	104	73.1%
2024	40.05	59^th	125	52.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.73	481^st	620	22.4%
2019	30.01	469^th	665	29.5%
2021	25.57	465^th	639	27.2%
2022	32.78	451^st	658	31.5%
2023	24.79	491^st	656	25.2%
2024	23.40	490^th	664	26.2%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	31.81	262^nd	428	38.8%
2024	36.43	208^th	429	51.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	25.19	487^th	619	21.3%
2019	30.38	479^th	675	29.0%
2021	27.03	473^rd	653	27.6%
2022	40.44	395^th	664	40.5%
2023	27.58	494^th	668	26.0%
2024	22.06	514^th	668	23.1%

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

Rank History for African American students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	37.01	142^nd	253	43.9%
2019	40.39	145^th	299	51.5%
2021	38.34	143^rd	281	49.1%
2022	35.45	167^th	294	43.2%
2023	48.18	120^th	301	60.1%
2024	33.76	178^th	299	40.5%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	33.28	199^th	291	31.6%
2019	36.38	186^th	317	41.3%
2021	32.24	208^th	317	34.4%
2022	46.02	166^th	335	50.4%
2023	30.05	236^th	333	29.1%
2024	25.65	255^th	336	24.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Joliet Central High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	39.46	309^th	548	43.6%
2019	48.29	238^th	552	56.9%
2021	37.80	305^th	553	44.8%
2022	63.44	167^th	560	70.2%
2023	30.49	392^nd	557	29.6%
2024	34.06	340^th	554	38.6%

See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for White 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%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, September 29, 2014

Central provides its students with an incredible amount of real life opportunities with challenging coursework. From robotics to AP classes I am always amazed at what Central offers. The teachers are talented and caring, couldn't ask for a better school! Steelmen Pride! Close Quote

by a student
Wednesday, February 29, 2012

This school is safe and offers many classes with multiple opportunities Close Quote

Enrollment information for Joliet Central High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1386	895	37	472	7	n/a	n/a	0	2797
1989	1344	857	39	495	1	n/a	n/a	0	2736
1990	1321	824	47	545	7	n/a	n/a	0	2744
1991	1118	741	0	538	0	n/a	n/a	0	2397
1992	1132	736	30	604	12	n/a	n/a	0	2514
1993	1076	697	31	577	22	n/a	n/a	0	2403
1994	1017	695	22	569	19	n/a	n/a	0	2322
1995	996	823	25	631	20	n/a	n/a	0	2495
1996	996	823	25	631	20	n/a	n/a	0	2495
1997	945	829	29	639	17	n/a	n/a	0	2459
1998	921	818	29	670	17	n/a	n/a	0	2455
1999	822	761	31	686	14	n/a	n/a	0	2314
2000	830	772	29	716	11	n/a	n/a	0	2358
2001	823	748	33	779	7	n/a	n/a	0	2390
2002	803	832	26	969	3	n/a	n/a	0	2633
2003	803	832	26	969	3	n/a	n/a	0	2633
2004	819	858	20	1034	5	n/a	n/a	0	2736
2005	772	894	16	1078	13	n/a	n/a	0	2773
2006	747	835	13	1093	12	n/a	n/a	2	2702
2007	736	782	12	1150	9	n/a	n/a	5	2694
2008	773	706	16	1218	6	n/a	n/a	26	2745
2009	727	796	19	1285	3	n/a	n/a	53	2883
2010	687	678	19	1354	3	n/a	n/a	73	2814
2011	48	672	11	1447	15	1	671	0	2865
2012	616	644	10	1519	7	1	80	0	2877
2013	610	669	10	1603	3	1	85	0	2981
2014	590	709	13	1651	8	1	85	0	3057
2015	566	684	14	1750	9	0	90	0	3113
2016	529	642	13	1818	10	0	82	0	3094
2017	539	568	13	1911	12	1	76	0	3120
2018	492	622	18	2000	14	0	93	0	3239
2019	491	607	16	2090	17	0	118	0	3339
2020	454	579	14	2120	15	0	77	0	3259
2021	435	593	14	2240	14	0	88	0	3384
2022	403	526	11	2382	12	1	73	0	3408
2023	388	516	11	2390	10	0	61	1	3377
2024	389	493	5	2424	11	0	61	0	3383

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 Joliet Central High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2797	157.9	17.7	n/a
1989	2736	161.3	16.9	n/a
1990	2744	154.5	17.7	n/a
1991	2397	151.5	15.8	n/a
1992	2514	142.1	17.6	n/a
1993	2403	117.6	20.4	n/a
1994	2322	116.7	19.9	n/a
1995	2495	136.4	18.3	n/a
1996	2495	136.4	18.3	n/a
1997	2459	145.5	16.9	n/a
1998	2455	144.9	16.9	n/a
1999	2314	143.0	16.2	n/a
2000	2358	148.6	15.9	n/a
2001	2390	145.5	16.4	n/a
2002	2633	171.0	15.4	66.9
2003	2633	171.0	15.4	66.9
2004	2736	170.0	16.1	70.4
2005	2773	168.5	16.5	70.8
2006	2702	174.0	15.5	32.1
2007	2694	149.0	18.1	66.8
2008	2745	133.0	20.6	69.9
2009	2883	172.0	16.8	68.2
2010	2814	172.1	16.3	76.3
2011	2865	167.3	17.1	76.1
2012	2877	168.0	17.1	77.9
2013	2981	213.8	13.9	76.5
2014	3057	166.9	18.3	72.4
2015	3113	165.0	18.8	76.2
2016	3094	175.0	17.6	72.4
2017	3120	174.6	17.8	75.5
2018	3239	177.3	18.2	73.4
2019	3339	178.7	18.6	72.2
2020	3259	174.5	18.6	72.7
2021	3384	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	3408	184.8	18.4	67.7
2023	3377	184.3	18.3	74.8
2024	3383	183.7	18.4	76.7

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 Joliet Central High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	2797	157.9	17.7	n/a
1989	2736	161.3	16.9	n/a
1990	2744	154.5	17.7	n/a
1991	2397	151.5	15.8	n/a
1992	2514	142.1	17.6	n/a
1993	2403	117.6	20.4	n/a
1994	2322	116.7	19.9	n/a
1995	2495	136.4	18.3	n/a
1996	2495	136.4	18.3	n/a
1997	2459	145.5	16.9	n/a
1998	2455	144.9	16.9	n/a
1999	2314	143.0	16.2	n/a
2000	2358	148.6	15.9	n/a
2001	2390	145.5	16.4	n/a
2002	2633	171.0	15.4	66.9
2003	2633	171.0	15.4	66.9
2004	2736	170.0	16.1	70.4
2005	2773	168.5	16.5	70.8
2006	2702	174.0	15.5	32.1
2007	2694	149.0	18.1	66.8
2008	2745	133.0	20.6	69.9
2009	2883	172.0	16.8	68.2
2010	2814	172.1	16.3	76.3
2011	2865	167.3	17.1	76.1
2012	2877	168.0	17.1	77.9
2013	2981	213.8	13.9	76.5
2014	3057	166.9	18.3	72.4
2015	3113	165.0	18.8	76.2
2016	3094	175.0	17.6	72.4
2017	3120	174.6	17.8	75.5
2018	3239	177.3	18.2	73.4
2019	3339	178.7	18.6	72.2
2020	3259	174.5	18.6	72.7
2021	3384	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	3408	184.8	18.4	67.7
2023	3377	184.3	18.3	74.8
2024	3383	183.7	18.4	76.7

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