Best Private Schools in Chicago – 2025

College Admissions Highlights:  From 2020-2023, multiple students enrolled at the following schools: UMichigan (22), Northwestern (16), UChicago (10), Tufts (9), Vanderbilt (9), WashU (7), George Washington (6), NYU (6), Stanford (6), Wake Forest (6), Georgetown (5), Harvard (5), USC (5), Yale (5), Northeastern (4), BC (4), and UCLA (3). 

Academic Highlights: 88% of staff members possess advanced degrees.  46% self-identify as students of color.  50 “no-cut” inter-scholastic teams with 75% of students participating. The 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  Over 40 clubs for students to join.  Upper School has robust arts and Model UN programs.

College Admissions Highlights:  Over a recent 5 year span, students have enrolled in prominent universities such as: American, BC, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, John Hopkins, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, U Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wesleyan, William & Mary, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Students come from 45 Chicago neighborhoods and 15 suburbs. 84% of faculty members hold advanced degrees and 35% have taught at Latin for more than 10 years.  38% consider themselves students of color.  9:1 student-to-teacher ratio. 20 competitive sports teams are available with 79% students playing. 50 clubs for students to join and 40 performing arts productions and concerts in the middle and upper school

College Admissions Highlights:  In the past three years, students from Laboratory Schools have chosen the following colleges and universities:  American, BU, Brandeis, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Carleton, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, DePaul, Emory, Georgetown, Grinnell, Harvard, Indiana, Loyola, Macalester, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Pitzer, Princeton, Purdue, Rice, Stanford, Swarthmore, Tufts, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, Michigan, Penn, USC, U Washington, Vanderbilt, Washington U, Wellesley, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Affiliated with the University of Chicago.  10 AP courses & 15 Advanced Topic courses are offered (student may take AP exam for AT courses). 62% of students identify as non-white. Over 60 languages are spoken in students’ homes.  UChicago professors routinely visit U-High classes. 40 hours of service learning is a graduation requirement.

College Admissions Highlights:  The last two years saw students matriculate to the following institutions: American, Baylor, BC, BU, CalTech, Case Western, Colby, Colgate, Cornell, Davidson, DePaul, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, UChicago, UMichigan, Notre Dame, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, and Washington U.

Academic Highlights:  Enrollment from 90+ zip codes. 83% of faculty hold advanced degrees. 24 AP courses are available and 52 honors courses. 93% of AP students earned a 3 or better on the exam.  10% of students participate in one of these honors programs: Dubach Scholars, Clavius Scholars, or the STEAM Scholars.

College Admissions Highlights:  The most popular destinations for LFA graduates over the last four years include: BC, Brown, Bucknell, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Dartmouth, Davidson, Drexel, Emory, George Washington, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Marquette, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Purdue, RPI, Rice, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, U Miami, U Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Penn, USC, Vanderbilt, VaTech, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wellesley, William & Mary, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  71% of faculty have advanced degrees.  7:1 student-to-faculty ratio.  The average class size is 12 students.  24 AP courses are offered.  39% of domestic students identify as students of color. 50% of the students are boarding.  27 Varsity Sports, 60+ Clubs, and over 12 offerings in art with an AP Music Theory Class.

College Admissions Highlights:  In the past 15 years, students have gone on to enter some of the nation’s top colleges including Brown, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, George Washington, Howard, John Hopkins, Loyola, Marquette, Michigan State, Morehouse, MIT, Northwestern, Penn State, Pepperdine, Purdue, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, UCLA, UChicago, Notre Dame, Penn, U Michigan, Vanderbilt, Washington U, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  Fewer than 15 students is the average class size.  76% of teachers hold advanced degrees.  The average unweighted GPA earned is 3.48.  8:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  15 AP courses are offered.

College Admissions Highlights:  Two or more students the most recent five classes went on to matriculate into American, Barnard, BC, BU, Colgate, Davidson, Denison, Emory, George Washington, Hamilton, Harvard, Howard, Kenyon, Loyola, Middlebury, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Purdue, Rice, SMU, Trinity, U Chicago, U Miami, U Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn, UVA, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington U, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  7:1 student-to-teacher ratio with an average class size of 12.  43% students of color. 20 AP courses are offered.  80% of the faculty possess advanced degrees. About 85% of upper school students participate in at least one of the 17 sports offered. Over 28 student led clubs and affinity groups. All students are encouraged to ‘take the stage’ with their performing arts program.

College Admissions Highlights:  In the last five years, students have enrolled in the following colleges and universities: American, Baylor, BC, Brown, Bryn Mawr, CalPoly, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, GaTech, Harvard, Howard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pepperdine, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Tufts, US Military Acad, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, UMass, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn, USC, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, Wellesley, and Yale.

Academic Highlights:  The student-to-faculty ratio is 15:1.  80% of faculty have advanced degrees. 38% student identify as people of color. In the last six years, the school has produced an average of 5 National Merit Finalists.  78% of students have achieved a 3 or higher on an AP test.  The school offers 27 AP courses & 72 honors courses.  Over 60 clubs, 14 of which are service oriented. 70% students participate in 34 athletic programs.

College Admissions Highlights:  Recent college acceptances for the last five years for Rochelle Zell include Brandeis, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, DePaul, Duke, Embry-Riddle, Emory, Grinnell, Harvard, Indiana U, Lake Forest, Marquette, MIT, Michigan State, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Ohio State, Princeton, Purdue, Stanford, Tel Aviv U, Tennessee, UT Austin, Tufts, UChicago, U Miami, U Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Vanderbilt, Vassar, Wake Forest, and Washington U.

Academic Highlights:  1:15 teacher-to-student ratio. 10 AP courses.  91% of students who tested AP scored a 3 or higher.  90% of the faculty hold advanced degrees.  All students study Tanach/Bible, Jewish History, Jewish Thought, and Talmud. 80% students participate in at least one sport.

College Admissions Highlights:  Over the last five years, Woodlands Academy graduates have been accepted to these prestigious schools: American, Belmont, BC, BC, Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, Case Western, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Ga Tech, Lake Forest, Loyola, Middlebury, NYU, Northwestern, Pratt, Princeton, Purdue, RIT, Skidmore, Ohio State, UChicago, UMass, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wellesley, and Wesleyan.

Academic Highlights:  Woodlands Academy is an all-girls institution.  The average class size is just 10 students.  4:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  20% of students live on campus. 90% of faculty possess advanced degrees.  20+ AP subjects are offered. 70% of students participate in at least one sport.  18+ clubs and 120 different leadership positions available to students.