Illinois students are graduating at record rates — and reading and maths proficiency ticked up too

Illinois's 2026 school report card carries a cluster of good numbers. The state's four-year graduation rate reached nearly 89%, a record, and Chicago Public Schools rose for a second straight year to more than 83%. Proficiency climbed as well: about 56% of students are now proficient in English language arts, up from 53%, and almost 40% in maths, up from 38.5%. More schools earned the state's top 'Exemplary' rating — 27% of them. The state changed how proficiency cut scores are set last year, so long-run comparisons need care; the graduation records, counted the same way year to year, stand on their own.

SDG 4 · Quality education