Naperville Central High School

Summary:

Naperville Central High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Naperville, Illinois, part of the highly-ranked Naperville CUSD 203 district. This school has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in Illinois, currently placing 19th out of 697 schools for the 2023-2024 school year.

Naperville Central High School stands out for its exceptional academic performance, with 56.8% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT Mathematics, compared to 56.2% for the district and 26.1% for the state. Similarly, 60.9% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in SAT English Language Arts, exceeding the district and state averages. The school also maintains a high 94.8% four-year graduation rate, significantly higher than the state average. Notably, Naperville Central High School performs exceptionally well across various student subgroups, ranking 23rd out of 664 Illinois high schools for female students, 19th out of 668 for male students, and 26th out of 336 for Hispanic students.

While Naperville Central High School has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (23.9%) compared to the state average, it is still lower than some nearby schools, such as Waubonsie Valley High School (25.2%) and Metea Valley High School (22.4%). The strong performance of Naperville Central High School, along with other top-ranked schools in the area like Neuqua Valley High School and Wheaton Warrenville South High School, suggests a commitment to educational excellence in the Naperville community.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 440 Aurora Ave
       Naperville, IL  60540-6266


(630) 420-6422

District: Naperville CUSD 203

SchoolDigger Rank:
19th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,871 Help


Feeder schools for Naperville Central High School:

Elementary:    Elmwood Elementary School
    Kingsley Elementary School
    Maplebrook Elementary School
    Ranch View Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Lincoln Junior High School
    Madison Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio:  14.4 Help
Number of students:  2,551

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.8%
Asian:
16.6%
Hispanic:
9.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  16% Help


 See top rated Illinois high schools

 Compare Naperville Central High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Naperville Central High School ranks better than 97.3% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 98.77. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Naperville Central High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Help
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.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Naperville Central High School is $20,871.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Naperville Central High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Naperville Central High School 19th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Naperville 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:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Naperville CUSD 203:

SchoolDigger ranks Naperville CUSD 203 39th of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)


What do you think?

Your rating for Naperville Central High School?

Rank History for Naperville Central High School

Help
Compare

Rank History for all students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 97.26 9th 586 98.5%
2004 97.53 7th 592 98.8%
2005 94.65 13th 590 97.8%
2006 96.78 8th 596 98.7%
2007 95.88 15th 612 97.5%
2008 95.03 17th 624 97.3%
2009 92.31 26th 632 95.9%
2010 93.48 23rd 643 96.4%
2011 95.75 13th 655 98.0%
2012 95.56 15th 665 97.7%
2013 95.83 15th 670 97.8%
2014 94.69 24th 670 96.4%
2015 99.50 3rd 614 99.5%
2016 94.86 9th 643 98.6%
2017 98.52 11th 642 98.3%
2018 98.52 11th 647 98.3%
2019 98.84 12th 701 98.3%
2021 98.81 22nd 688 96.8%
2022 98.15 10th 699 98.6%
2023 96.95 14th 699 98.0%
2024 98.77 19th 697 97.3%
See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.15 5th 154 96.8%
2019 95.04 9th 165 94.5%
2021 88.86 23rd 160 85.6%
2022 92.33 7th 170 95.9%
2023 89.51 18th 163 89.0%
2024 88.57 22nd 182 87.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 95.08 11th 248 95.6%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 93.91 19th 374 94.9%
2019 77.78 49th 473 89.6%
2021 91.26 21st 453 95.4%
2022 96.56 21st 493 95.7%
2023 94.33 35th 476 92.6%
2024 98.50 20th 482 95.9%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 95.06 17th 585 97.1%
2019 90.46 33rd 639 94.8%
2021 94.13 29th 611 95.3%
2022 96.67 13th 626 97.9%
2023 94.88 14th 644 97.8%
2024 98.57 15th 639 97.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 98.19 9th 620 98.5%
2019 98.26 12th 665 98.2%
2021 97.26 25th 639 96.1%
2022 97.40 11th 658 98.3%
2023 96.52 15th 656 97.7%
2024 98.18 23rd 664 96.5%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 87.97 25th 428 94.2%
2024 96.99 20th 429 95.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 98.06 13th 619 97.9%
2019 98.72 12th 675 98.2%
2021 99.07 15th 653 97.7%
2022 98.09 10th 664 98.5%
2023 96.39 17th 668 97.5%
2024 98.57 19th 668 97.2%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.86 11th 132 91.7%
2019 89.64 7th 130 94.6%
2021 84.93 21st 135 84.4%
2022 89.65 9th 141 93.6%
2023 83.96 15th 134 88.8%
2024 85.78 21st 137 84.7%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 82.80 22nd 253 91.3%
2019 76.80 40th 299 86.6%
2021 71.45 43rd 281 84.7%
2022 77.41 37th 294 87.4%
2023 52.77 105th 301 65.1%
2024 66.07 56th 299 81.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.81 20th 291 93.1%
2019 91.25 21st 317 93.4%
2021 98.48 13th 317 95.9%
2022 97.97 8th 335 97.6%
2023 90.04 25th 333 92.5%
2024 91.80 26th 336 92.3%
See the entire list of Best Illinois High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Naperville Central High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 96.90 16th 548 97.1%
2019 97.35 19th 552 96.6%
2021 95.58 33rd 553 94.0%
2022 94.58 26th 560 95.4%
2023 94.21 25th 557 95.5%
2024 96.25 30th 554 94.6%
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.

Naperville Central High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 




Data source: Illinois State Board of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Open Quote I like it her and I am a student and it is an okay school. the teachers here are great some of them are and some of them are not. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Open Quote first class from top to bottom. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Naperville Central High School

Help
Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 2397 46 75 14 5 n/a n/a 0 2537
1989 2237 60 87 12 8 n/a n/a 0 2404
1990 2170 51 92 19 17 n/a n/a 0 2349
1991 2276 40 72 10 4 n/a n/a 0 2402
1992 2300 31 70 4 3 n/a n/a 0 2408
1993 2289 36 65 7 1 n/a n/a 0 2398
1994 2301 40 95 8 0 n/a n/a 0 2444
1995 2283 53 149 26 0 n/a n/a 0 2511
1996 2283 53 149 26 0 n/a n/a 0 2511
1997 2365 64 188 30 0 n/a n/a 0 2647
1998 2382 56 221 30 0 n/a n/a 0 2689
1999 2394 64 243 28 0 n/a n/a 0 2729
2000 2461 58 256 37 7 n/a n/a 0 2819
2001 2454 57 280 39 8 n/a n/a 0 2838
2002 2515 89 325 55 8 n/a n/a 0 2992
2003 2515 89 325 55 8 n/a n/a 0 2992
2004 2513 72 354 59 7 n/a n/a 0 3005
2005 3068 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 3068
2006 2546 102 372 63 3 n/a n/a 0 3086
2007 2561 113 385 62 2 n/a n/a 1 3124
2008 2481 109 389 72 2 n/a n/a 3 3056
2009 2423 135 413 75 2 n/a n/a 8 3056
2010 2357 126 423 81 1 n/a n/a 13 3001
2011 2195 102 401 142 2 1 75 0 2918
2012 2173 129 392 142 5 0 67 0 2908
2013 2145 111 392 159 5 1 76 0 2889
2014 2091 117 388 177 7 1 77 0 2858
2015 2063 129 399 190 5 1 103 0 2890
2016 2025 128 409 200 6 3 103 0 2874
2017 1960 122 431 218 5 5 110 0 2851
2018 1886 138 446 222 4 5 109 0 2810
2019 1831 110 439 226 4 5 104 0 2719
2020 1794 104 445 229 5 2 98 0 2677
2021 1745 110 436 244 4 1 100 0 2640
2022 1728 93 414 254 4 2 112 5 2612
2023 1653 90 423 248 3 2 120 12 2551

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 Naperville Central High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2537 141.5 17.9 n/a
1989 2404 140.6 17.0 n/a
1990 2349 139.3 16.8 n/a
1991 2402 139.4 17.2 n/a
1992 2408 141.9 16.9 n/a
1993 2398 147.5 16.3 n/a
1994 2444 144.5 16.9 n/a
1995 2511 146.5 17.1 n/a
1996 2511 146.5 17.1 n/a
1997 2647 148.7 17.8 n/a
1998 2689 157.3 17.1 n/a
1999 2729 164.3 16.6 n/a
2000 2819 171.0 16.5 n/a
2001 2838 175.2 16.2 n/a
2002 2992 172.8 17.3 0
2003 2992 172.8 17.3 0
2004 3005 168.7 17.8 0
2005 3068 181.1 16.9 0
2006 3086 177.7 17.4 0
2007 3124 169.0 18.5 0
2008 3056 157.0 19.5 0
2009 3056 178.4 17.1 0
2010 3001 180.6 16.6 0
2011 2918 178.1 16.3 6.8
2012 2908 179.1 16.2 6.3
2013 2889 280.5 10.2 8.6
2014 2858 190.7 14.9 9.4
2015 2890 189.0 15.2 13.7
2016 2874 188.0 15.2 10.5
2017 2851 190.0 15.0 13.6
2018 2810 181.9 15.4 13.4
2019 2719 180.1 15.0 13.4
2020 2677 176.0 15.2 12.7
2021 2640 n/a n/a n/a
2022 2612 175.7 14.8 14.3
2023 2551 177.0 14.4 16

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 Naperville Central High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 2537 141.5 17.9 n/a
1989 2404 140.6 17.0 n/a
1990 2349 139.3 16.8 n/a
1991 2402 139.4 17.2 n/a
1992 2408 141.9 16.9 n/a
1993 2398 147.5 16.3 n/a
1994 2444 144.5 16.9 n/a
1995 2511 146.5 17.1 n/a
1996 2511 146.5 17.1 n/a
1997 2647 148.7 17.8 n/a
1998 2689 157.3 17.1 n/a
1999 2729 164.3 16.6 n/a
2000 2819 171.0 16.5 n/a
2001 2838 175.2 16.2 n/a
2002 2992 172.8 17.3 0
2003 2992 172.8 17.3 0
2004 3005 168.7 17.8 0
2005 3068 181.1 16.9 0
2006 3086 177.7 17.4 0
2007 3124 169.0 18.5 0
2008 3056 157.0 19.5 0
2009 3056 178.4 17.1 0
2010 3001 180.6 16.6 0
2011 2918 178.1 16.3 6.8
2012 2908 179.1 16.2 6.3
2013 2889 280.5 10.2 8.6
2014 2858 190.7 14.9 9.4
2015 2890 189.0 15.2 13.7
2016 2874 188.0 15.2 10.5
2017 2851 190.0 15.0 13.6
2018 2810 181.9 15.4 13.4
2019 2719 180.1 15.0 13.4
2020 2677 176.0 15.2 12.7
2021 2640 n/a n/a n/a
2022 2612 175.7 14.8 14.3
2023 2551 177.0 14.4 16

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

Naperville Central High School

Help
Compare
YearPolioMeaslesMumpsRubellaHepatitis BVaricellaDTPPneumococcal Meningococcal
201599.3%99.2%99.4%99.4%99.4%99.3%100.0%
201699.3%99.2%99.2%99.2%99.3%99.0%0.7%0.7%25.6%
201799.2%99.1%99.1%99.1%99.3%98.9%100.0%25.1%
201899.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.2%98.6%98.9%26.9%
201998.9%98.8%98.8%98.8%99.2%98.6%98.9%25.4%
202198.7%98.7%98.7%98.7%99.0%98.5%98.6%97.7%
202298.8%98.9%98.9%98.9%99.1%98.6%98.8%97.9%
202398.6%98.7%98.7%98.7%98.9%98.5%98.6%97.8%
202498.5%98.5%98.5%98.5%98.9%98.5%98.6%97.4%

Data source: Illinois State Board of Education
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Naperville Central High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $547 (3.3%) $16,120 (96.7%) $16,667
2020 $164 (1.0%) $15,649 (99.0%) $15,814
2021 $511 (3.0%) $16,371 (97.0%) $16,882
2022 $511 (3.0%) $16,371 (97.0%) $16,882
2023 $698 (3.5%) $19,288 (96.5%) $19,986
2024 $320 (1.5%) $20,551 (98.5%) $20,871

Data source: Illinois Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Naperville Central High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 12th of 701 High schoolsRanks 14th of 699 High schools
 0.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade Mathematics (Naperville Central High School)69.557.2
 12.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Naperville CUSD 203)67.654.7
 12.9%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Illinois)34.826.7
 8.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Naperville Central High School)67.261.7
 5.5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Naperville CUSD 203)6660.7
 5.3%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Illinois)36.731.6
 5.1%
End of Course Science (Naperville Central High School)76.280
 3.8%
   End of Course Science (Naperville CUSD 203)7578.6
 3.6%
   End of Course Science (Illinois)36.452.2
 15.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students27192551
 6.2%
African American11090
 18.2%
American Indian43
 25%
Asian439423
 3.6%
Hispanic226248
 9.7%
Pacific Islander52
 60%
White18311653
 9.7%
Two or More Races104120
 15.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients13.4%16%
 2.6%


Schools Near Naperville Central High School









Frequently Asked Questions about Naperville Central High School

Students at Naperville Central High School are 65% White, 17% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,551 students attended Naperville Central High School.

Yes! Naperville Central High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 19th of 697 Illinois high schools.


Rate Naperville Central High School!



Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Naperville Central High School!




SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





Diagnostics

None retrieved from Database in 623 milliseconds.