Last year, Niles West was ranked number 1622 on Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools. This year, West has been bumped up to number 916. Newsweek’s ranking focused on the top 1,000 public high schools of 2012. Judging was based on graduation rate, college matriculation rate, AP/IB/AICE tests taken per student, AP courses offered per student, and average ACT/SAT scores.

Members of the Niles West community should take pride in the fact that, according to Newsweek, we “have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads.”

Among our neighboring schools, Northside College Prep was ranked 28th, making it the top school in Illinois. New Trier was ranked number 189, with Glenbrook North following close behind at number 216, and finally, Glenbrook South, who earned number 360.

Though our rival schools were higher up on the charts than we were, the fact that we jumped up 706 places in just one year is something to be applauded.

Principal Kaine Osburn agrees.

“It’s great. We deserve the recognition. It shows that we have the right priorities into achieving certain goals. If this is maintained, in a few years, we’ll earn even more recognition for our students and our school,” he said.