Is Oswego High School a good school?

Oswego High School ranks 276 th of 697 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Oswego High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,866 students attended Oswego High School.

What is the racial makeup of Oswego High School?

Students at Oswego High School are 51% White, 30% Hispanic, 11% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools feed into Oswego High School?

Oswego High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Boulder Hill Elementary School Elementary : Fox Chase Elementary School Elementary : Hunt Club Elementary Elementary : Lakewood Creek Elementary Elementary : Old Post Elementary School Elementary : Prairie Point Elementary School Elementary : Southbury Elementary School Middle : Thompson Junior High School Middle : Traughber Junior High School

Oswego High School

Summary:

Oswego High School is a public high school located in Oswego, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 2,901. It is part of the Cusd 308 school district, which is ranked 322 out of 813 districts in Illinois and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. However, Oswego High School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past few years, dropping from 161 out of 688 Illinois high schools in 2020-2021 to 276 out of 697 in 2023-2024, with a corresponding drop in its SchoolDigger rating from 4 stars to 3 stars.

Oswego High School has maintained a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 92.6% to 95.4% over the past five years, which is higher than the state average. However, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 17.5% in 2019-2020 to 37.8% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, Oswego High School's test scores in SAT Mathematics, SAT English Language Arts, and ISA Science have been consistently lower than the district and state averages, indicating a need for improvement in academic performance. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with Asian and Hispanic students generally performing lower than their peers in the school and state.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Oswego East High School and Waubonsie Valley High School, Oswego High School's performance is generally lower, with higher rankings, graduation rates, and test scores. Despite increased spending per student, from $11,788 in 2019-2020 to $13,651 in 2022-2023, the school has not seen improved academic outcomes. To address these challenges, the school and district may need to implement targeted interventions, focus on improving academic instruction and support, and address the underlying factors contributing to the chronic absenteeism problem.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4250 State Route 71
Oswego, IL 60543-8341

(630) 636-2000

District: Cusd 308

SchoolDigger Rank:
276^th of 697 Illinois High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,871

Feeder schools for Oswego High School:

Elementary:	Boulder Hill Elementary School
	Fox Chase Elementary School
	Hunt Club Elementary
	Lakewood Creek Elementary
	More...
	Old Post Elementary School
	Prairie Point Elementary School
	Southbury Elementary School
Middle:	Thompson Junior High School
	Traughber Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.2

Number of students: 2,866

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.2%

Hispanic:

30.3%

African American:

10.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.1%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Oswego High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Oswego High School ranks better than 60.4% of high schools in Illinois. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.7. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Oswego 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: White (51.2%), Hispanic (30.3%), African American (10.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Oswego High School is 17.2. (See more...)

Compare Oswego High School employs 166.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Oswego High School is $14,871.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Oswego High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Oswego High School 276^th of 697 Illinois public high schools. (See Oswego 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:

Cusd 308:

SchoolDigger ranks Cusd 308 322^nd of 813 Illinois school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Oswego High School

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Rank History for all students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2003	58.64	267^th	586	54.4%
2004	55.79	289^th	592	51.2%
2005	65.05	213^th	590	63.9%
2006	70.37	164^th	596	72.5%
2007	67.98	197^th	612	67.8%
2008	73.42	153^rd	624	75.5%
2009	67.03	222^nd	632	64.9%
2010	71.98	168^th	643	73.9%
2011	69.52	220^th	655	66.4%
2012	60.29	284^th	665	57.3%
2013	68.47	221^st	670	67.0%
2014	61.86	267^th	670	60.1%
2015	77.83	96^th	614	84.4%
2016	47.85	305^th	643	52.6%
2017	77.94	111^th	642	82.7%
2018	70.24	170^th	647	73.7%
2019	71.66	155^th	701	77.9%
2021	71.13	161^st	688	76.6%
2022	71.24	163^rd	699	76.7%
2023	60.28	238^th	699	66.0%
2024	53.70	276^th	697	60.4%

See the entire list of Illinois High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	50.68	76^th	154	50.6%
2019	59.40	68^th	165	58.8%
2021	52.44	74^th	160	53.8%
2022	63.37	58^th	170	65.9%
2023	24.88	116^th	163	28.8%
2024	47.09	85^th	182	53.3%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	42.39	66^th	151	56.3%
2019	52.74	45^th	183	75.4%
2021	32.79	86^th	189	54.5%
2022	65.58	33^rd	205	83.9%
2023	46.37	89^th	217	59.0%
2024	28.56	158^th	248	36.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	61.38	77^th	374	79.4%
2019	47.85	153^rd	473	67.7%
2021	48.31	152^nd	453	66.4%
2022	56.88	111^th	493	77.5%
2023	49.46	166^th	476	65.1%
2024	60.22	130^th	482	73.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	54.06	244^th	585	58.3%
2019	55.60	237^th	639	62.9%
2021	42.29	314^th	611	48.6%
2022	54.21	246^th	626	60.7%
2023	42.28	376^th	644	41.6%
2024	36.48	382^nd	639	40.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	67.45	186^th	620	70.0%
2019	68.51	179^th	665	73.1%
2021	70.25	163^rd	639	74.5%
2022	75.14	136^th	658	79.3%
2023	60.27	234^th	656	64.3%
2024	55.97	244^th	664	63.3%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	54.40	126^th	428	70.6%
2024	36.63	206^th	429	52.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	69.59	152^nd	619	75.4%
2019	71.80	146^th	675	78.4%
2021	68.06	168^th	653	74.3%
2022	63.65	203^rd	664	69.4%
2023	57.41	245^th	668	63.3%
2024	48.65	307^th	668	54.0%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	35.45	96^th	132	27.3%
2019	31.57	98^th	130	24.6%
2021	30.42	103^rd	135	23.7%
2022	22.43	116^th	141	17.7%
2023	20.76	110^th	134	17.9%
2024	37.64	90^th	137	34.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	56.64	75^th	253	70.4%
2019	61.15	75^th	299	74.9%
2021	64.15	56^th	281	80.1%
2022	60.53	75^th	294	74.5%
2023	52.72	106^th	301	64.8%
2024	41.66	134^th	299	55.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	45.22	144^th	291	50.5%
2019	52.31	122^nd	317	61.5%
2021	44.22	144^th	317	54.6%
2022	57.57	110^th	335	67.2%
2023	42.13	171^st	333	48.6%
2024	39.89	178^th	336	47.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Oswego High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IL State Percentile
2018	71.06	137^th	548	75.0%
2019	69.66	136^th	552	75.4%
2021	70.78	129^th	553	76.7%
2022	71.39	130^th	560	76.8%
2023	65.32	167^th	557	70.0%
2024	53.57	211^th	554	61.9%

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: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, March 28, 2011

I COULDN'T GIVE THIS SCHOOL A WORSE RATING! They do not care about the students..
My son went from being on the honor roll 6-8th grade to slowly dropping throughout high school, with his having no interest his last semester of high school.
I tried contacting the teachers directly, I asked one of them what was going on and if she could meet with him before or after school to see if she could help him... Her response "That's not in my job description"... I called the counselor for a couple reasons #1 he wanted to go to a certain college, supposedly they had gone over this during career week, but when I sat down with my son, he was missing 2 classes that he needed to take before they would except him. He had all electives his last semester as a senior and there was no reason he couldn't have taken those classes except his counselor missed that and told him he didn't require anything else(It was only listed right on the college websight). Then by not returning my calls for months, it was to late by the time we were finally able to speak. #2 I asked her if she could see why he was losing interest.. ALL IN ALL ... NO RETURN CALLS AFTER 5 VOICEMAILS OVER A 3 MONTHS PERIOD!! I finally had to call the dean twice before she returned my call! When she did call (3 months later in Feb) she told me she talked to him about his college in October but told him maybe a community college would be a better move for a few years. If she would have contacted me in a timely manner we would have had the time to switch his classes so that he had the 2 required for college his last semester and he would have had that choice but she had no interest... I asked if she had time to meet with him or had meet with him considering they had watched his grades move from A's and B's to a C average. She told me she has more than my son at that school and she needs to focus on those that are qualifing for scholorships... She didn't have time to sit down and talk with him to see what maybe happening, why his grades were slipping and his lack of interest.. She told me "that's the parents job not her's" (I thought that was the job of a counselor? I didn't think the counselor sole job was to help a select few apply for scholorships!) , as I told her I had tried to speak with him which is why I was asking for her help! Sometimes a teen wants someone other than a parent to speak with.. Maybe he had an issue that he didn't feel comfortable speak with me about... She had no interest...

All in all the staff goes through the motions ONLY! Their interest is in bring home a paycheck and getting their raises.. They have no interest in the kids or teaching.. If the kids learn something while the teach is talking great if not oh well the teach read and followed the curriculum...

I COULDN'T HAVE PICKED A WORSE SCHOOL FOR MY SON!!
Now in Jr. College he can't wait to get out of Oswego with his friends. He agrees the High School was horrible, middle and grade schools where pretty good.
FYI now in college he's back as a A-B student and enjoying school again!

If your thinking of moving to Oswego with kids think again about the schools for your kids sake!!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Oswego High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1208	9	14	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	1253
1989	1180	14	13	43	4	n/a	n/a	0	1254
1990	1166	10	9	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	1230
1991	1121	6	11	46	4	n/a	n/a	0	1188
1992	1084	12	14	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	1168
1993	1118	13	15	64	2	n/a	n/a	0	1212
1994	1156	22	18	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	1277
1995	1376	11	14	95	4	n/a	n/a	0	1500
1996	1376	11	14	95	4	n/a	n/a	0	1500
1997	1354	22	13	105	4	n/a	n/a	0	1498
1998	1418	27	14	118	4	n/a	n/a	0	1581
1999	1446	28	22	130	4	n/a	n/a	0	1630
2000	1475	35	23	144	7	n/a	n/a	0	1684
2001	1583	41	31	166	11	n/a	n/a	0	1832
2002	1777	116	57	234	12	n/a	n/a	0	2196
2003	1777	116	57	234	12	n/a	n/a	0	2196
2004	1879	163	79	314	15	n/a	n/a	0	2450
2005	1531	132	57	264	14	n/a	n/a	1	1999
2006	1443	124	41	243	8	n/a	n/a	5	1864
2007	1244	75	18	197	10	n/a	n/a	12	1556
2008	1215	95	22	208	8	n/a	n/a	13	1561
2009	1296	106	28	220	4	n/a	n/a	21	1675
2010	1425	130	37	293	9	n/a	n/a	43	1937
2011	1516	147	40	365	7	0	51	0	2126
2012	1637	144	47	469	7	0	53	0	2357
2013	1647	154	63	505	8	0	74	0	2451
2014	1703	168	71	528	5	0	84	0	2559
2015	1701	157	80	459	37	6	163	0	2603
2016	1739	195	83	510	21	1	129	0	2678
2017	1752	203	74	535	12	0	153	0	2729
2018	1739	222	71	563	8	0	170	0	2773
2019	1707	236	82	596	4	0	176	0	2801
2020	1682	243	84	657	4	1	177	0	2848
2021	1643	252	86	752	4	1	152	0	2890
2022	1566	275	79	857	1	2	133	0	2913
2023	1517	298	84	878	4	2	115	3	2901
2024	1468	311	88	867	5	2	119	6	2866

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 Oswego High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1253	67.9	18.4	n/a
1989	1254	67.0	18.7	n/a
1990	1230	68.5	17.9	n/a
1991	1188	68.3	17.3	n/a
1992	1168	65.8	17.7	n/a
1993	1212	66.5	18.2	n/a
1994	1277	69.0	18.5	n/a
1995	1500	77.0	19.5	n/a
1996	1500	77.0	19.5	n/a
1997	1498	78.0	19.2	n/a
1998	1581	80.0	19.8	n/a
1999	1630	87.7	18.6	n/a
2000	1684	92.0	18.3	n/a
2001	1832	100.7	18.2	n/a
2002	2196	120.3	18.3	5.6
2003	2196	120.3	18.3	5.6
2004	2450	124.3	19.7	8.7
2005	1999	113.9	17.6	8.7
2006	1864	107.4	17.4	8.8
2007	1556	96.0	16.2	11.3
2008	1561	86.0	18.2	15.3
2009	1675	94.4	17.7	14.1
2010	1937	101.3	19.1	19.3
2011	2126	106.7	19.9	21.4
2012	2357	117.7	20.0	21.1
2013	2451	180.8	13.5	25.8
2014	2559	134.7	18.9	25.2
2015	2603	140.0	18.5	26.4
2016	2678	151.0	17.7	20.1
2017	2729	167.9	16.2	18.9
2018	2773	169.8	16.3	23.1
2019	2801	169.0	16.5	25.3
2020	2848	168.2	16.9	22.5
2021	2890	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	2913	167.6	17.3	25.4
2023	2901	178.2	16.2	30.2
2024	2866	166.4	17.2	31.1

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 Oswego High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1253	67.9	18.4	n/a
1989	1254	67.0	18.7	n/a
1990	1230	68.5	17.9	n/a
1991	1188	68.3	17.3	n/a
1992	1168	65.8	17.7	n/a
1993	1212	66.5	18.2	n/a
1994	1277	69.0	18.5	n/a
1995	1500	77.0	19.5	n/a
1996	1500	77.0	19.5	n/a
1997	1498	78.0	19.2	n/a
1998	1581	80.0	19.8	n/a
1999	1630	87.7	18.6	n/a
2000	1684	92.0	18.3	n/a
2001	1832	100.7	18.2	n/a
2002	2196	120.3	18.3	5.6
2003	2196	120.3	18.3	5.6
2004	2450	124.3	19.7	8.7
2005	1999	113.9	17.6	8.7
2006	1864	107.4	17.4	8.8
2007	1556	96.0	16.2	11.3
2008	1561	86.0	18.2	15.3
2009	1675	94.4	17.7	14.1
2010	1937	101.3	19.1	19.3
2011	2126	106.7	19.9	21.4
2012	2357	117.7	20.0	21.1
2013	2451	180.8	13.5	25.8
2014	2559	134.7	18.9	25.2
2015	2603	140.0	18.5	26.4
2016	2678	151.0	17.7	20.1
2017	2729	167.9	16.2	18.9
2018	2773	169.8	16.3	23.1
2019	2801	169.0	16.5	25.3
2020	2848	168.2	16.9	22.5
2021	2890	n/a	n/a	n/a
2022	2913	167.6	17.3	25.4
2023	2901	178.2	16.2	30.2
2024	2866	166.4	17.2	31.1

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