Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Central High School

Public Grades 9-12

45^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 94% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Central High School is a public high school located in Burlington, Illinois, serving 1,473 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Central CUSD 301 district, which is ranked 84 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Illinois, with rankings ranging from 38th to 125th out of 697-699 high schools over the past several years. The school's academic performance is exceptional, with high proficiency rates in subjects like English Language Arts (70.6%), Mathematics (56.7%), and Science (64.9%) on the ACT for 11th-grade students. Central High School's students also perform well on the PreACT Secure assessments, with proficiency rates ranging from 54% to 83.2% across different grade levels and subject areas. The school has maintained a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.7% to 96.9% over the past few years, and a relatively low dropout rate, ranging from 1.4% to 2.9% during the same period.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as St. Charles North High School, Kaneland Senior High School, and Huntley High School, Central High School outperforms them in terms of academic performance, graduation rates, and subgroup outcomes. However, some schools like South Elgin High School and Larkin High School, which are part of the larger School District U-46, lag behind Central High School in several key metrics. Central High School's spending per student, ranging from $12,944 to $15,222, is generally lower than the nearby schools, which may contribute to its strong academic performance and outcomes.

1,575

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,169

Per pupil spending ?

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

44W625 Plato Rd
Burlington, IL 60109-0068

(847) 464-6030

District: Central CUSD 301

Feeder schools for Central High School:

Elementary:	Country Trails Elementary
	Howard B Thomas Grade School
	Lily Lake Grade School
	Prairie View Grade School
Middle:	Central Middle School
	Prairie Knolls Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.1%

Hispanic:

19.6%

Asian:

14.8%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Central High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 94th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Illinois average (69% vs 48% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Illinois high schools

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Illinois average (89%)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg69%

Illinois avg48%

45^th of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 32 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to top 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 811Central CUSD 301 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	92.2	45 of 698	93.6%	★★★★★
2024	77.8	125 of 697	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	89.6	56 of 699	92.0%	★★★★★
2022	93.3	38 of 699	94.6%	★★★★★
2021	91.9	57 of 688	91.7%	★★★★★
2019	88.6	66 of 701	90.6%	★★★★★
2018	84.5	84 of 647	87.0%	★★★★☆
2017	89.1	55 of 642	91.4%	★★★★★
2016	78.0	72 of 643	88.8%	★★★★☆
2015	54.8	234 of 614	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	87.5	70 of 670	89.6%	★★★★☆
2013	84.5	88 of 670	86.9%	★★★★☆
2012	88.4	56 of 665	91.6%	★★★★★
2011	89.7	49 of 655	92.5%	★★★★★
2010	82.8	84 of 643	86.9%	★★★★☆
2009	82.6	82 of 632	87.0%	★★★★☆
2008	81.1	97 of 624	84.5%	★★★★☆
2007	75.3	143 of 612	76.6%	★★★★☆
2005	81.6	75 of 590	87.3%	★★★★☆
2004	81.8	76 of 592	87.2%	★★★★☆
2003	79.9	95 of 586	83.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	99.8	5 of 323	98.5%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	21 of 299	93.0%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	66.1	43 of 148	70.9%	★★★★☆
2024	49.7	68 of 137	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.1	46 of 134	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.7	62 of 141	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.9	37 of 135	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	32 of 130	75.4%	★★★★☆
2018	49.9	68 of 132	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	70.5	73 of 491	85.1%	★★★★☆
2024	27.0	261 of 429	39.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.6	215 of 428	49.8%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	72.2	45 of 284	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	78.6	26 of 248	89.5%	★★★★☆
2023	31.0	159 of 217	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	59.0	38 of 189	79.9%	★★★★☆
2019	65.7	24 of 183	86.9%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	90.2	49 of 685	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	75.4	133 of 664	80.0%	★★★★☆
2023	91.8	45 of 656	93.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.8	38 of 658	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	83.2	95 of 639	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	84.7	81 of 665	87.8%	★★★★☆
2018	77.8	120 of 620	80.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	80.4	52 of 366	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	48.7	139 of 336	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.1	56 of 333	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	78.4	52 of 335	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	67.5	69 of 317	78.2%	★★★★☆
2019	68.1	70 of 317	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	60.6	83 of 291	71.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	91.3	32 of 672	95.2%	★★★★★
2024	74.9	109 of 639	82.9%	★★★★☆
2023	74.6	100 of 644	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	91.0	31 of 626	95.0%	★★★★★
2021	42.2	316 of 611	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.7	236 of 639	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	78.6	64 of 585	89.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	91.9	45 of 685	93.4%	★★★★★
2024	76.9	128 of 668	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.3	82 of 668	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	92.8	42 of 664	93.7%	★★★★★
2021	94.6	47 of 653	92.8%	★★★★★
2019	89.7	63 of 675	90.7%	★★★★★
2018	86.7	64 of 619	89.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	60 of 211	71.6%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	57 of 182	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	64 of 160	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.7	59 of 165	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.5	75 of 154	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	86.8	57 of 527	89.2%	★★★★☆
2024	32.4	275 of 482	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	269 of 476	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	68.6	62 of 493	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	29.3	270 of 453	40.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	91.4	24 of 473	94.9%	★★★★★
2018	86.9	31 of 374	91.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	87.3	63 of 564	88.8%	★★★★☆
2024	64.5	158 of 554	71.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	79 of 557	85.8%	★★★★☆
2022	90.4	49 of 560	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	85.2	75 of 553	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	82.2	83 of 552	85.0%	★★★★☆
2018	85.0	65 of 548	88.1%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2025)98th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)95th percentile~ school

Male (2025)93rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)93rd percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)89th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)89th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)86th percentile-8 vs school

Disabled (2025)85th percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)84th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)72nd percentile-22 vs school

Asian (2025)71st percentile-23 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts71%+19 vs state

Science65%+16 vs state

Mathematics57%+17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Central High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, March 12, 2010

I'm ONLY giving this school 5 stars because of art program. Please keep it alive!!!
This is the reason we moved to this district, so my kids can attend this great school with GREAT art program. My son is involved in theater, choir, musicals, string club...you name it...My daughter can't wait to start this High School, so she can continue to sing and play in a band. Please, please, please, don't destroy what's the greatest thing about this school. Your music teachers are just fabulous. They actually care about their students, and they make their lifes better!
All teachers are great, but the ones that are just exeptional, are our music Teachers: Mrs. Nesseth, and Mrs. Strike. Thank you so much for your great work, and caring about those souls. Close Quote

Schools Near Central High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				PreACT Secure English Language Arts (2025)		PreACT Secure Mathematics (2025)		PreACT Secure Science (2025)		ACT English Language Arts (2025)	ACT Mathematics (2025)	ACT Science (2025)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 9th Grade	PreACT Secure English Language Arts 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Mathematics 10th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 9th Grade	PreACT Secure Science 10th Grade	ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	ACT Science 11th Grade	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alop	Public	9-12	44W625 Plato Rd # R	Burlington	60109	Kane County	Kane ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(847) 464-6000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Central High School	Public	9-12	44W625 Plato Rd	Burlington	60109	Kane County	Central CUSD 301	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 464-6030	1,575	85	18.4	17.1%	931 (59.1%)	37 (2.3%)	308 (19.6%)	233 (14.8%)	5 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (3.9%)	92.2	45^th of 698 public high schools	93.6%		77.8	125^th of 697 public high schools	82.1%	80	83.1	77.6	65.0	54.0	71.5	75.9	70.6	56.7	64.9	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.4	97.7	98.4	96.8	$16,169	$255	$15,915
Hampshire High School	Public	9-12	1600 Big Timber Rd	Hampshire	60140	Kane County	Cusd 300	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 792-3500	2,046	121	16.8	32.1%	1,137 (55.6%)	96 (4.7%)	584 (28.5%)	137 (6.7%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	86 (4.2%)	67.8	187^th of 698 public high schools	73.2%		72.9	148^th of 697 public high schools	78.8%	39	66.2	55.4	35.0	32.3	51.4	49.7	61.3	46.4	54.0	99.1	99.2	99.2	99.2	99.0	99.1	99.1	97.3	$15,670	$386	$15,285
Larkin High School	Public	9-12	1475 Larkin Ave	Elgin	60123	Kane County	School District U-46	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 888-5200	2,174	142	15.3	65.0%	226 (10.4%)	184 (8.5%)	1,616 (74.3%)	28 (1.3%)	37 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (3.8%)	18.1	569^th of 698 public high schools	18.5%		22.7	517^th of 697 public high schools	25.8%	52	38.2	34.1	9.9	14.2	25.2	30.2	22.7	13.7	21.7	97.9	98.2	98.2	98.2	98.0	97.6	97.9	96.0	$20,371	$1,390	$18,980
St Charles North High School	Public	9-12	255 Red Gate Rd	Saint Charles	60175	Kane County	St Charles CUSD 303	No	(n/a)	No	No	(331) 228-4400	1,903	129	14.6		1,359 (71.4%)	41 (2.2%)	238 (12.5%)	188 (9.9%)	7 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (3.6%)	96	25^th of 698 public high schools	96.4%		97.5	28^th of 697 public high schools	96.0%	3	83.5	78.2	73.9	72.0	73.7	77.3	78.2	74.2	74.6	98.6	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.7	98.4	98.7	97.0	$18,959	$341	$18,617
Fox Valley Career Center	Public	9-12	47W326 Keslinger Rd	Maple Park	60151	Kane County	Kane ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(630) 365-5113	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Kaneland Senior High School	Public	9-12	47W326 Keslinger Rd	Maple Park	60151	Kane County	Kaneland CUSD 302	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 365-5100	1,201	91	13.2		889 (74.0%)	31 (2.6%)	212 (17.7%)	25 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	41 (3.4%)	77.1	127^th of 698 public high schools	81.8%		74.2	142^nd of 697 public high schools	79.6%	15	71.3	64.9	46.1	38.2	64.2	49.2	59.7	47.8	58.1	95.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	96.2	94.0	96.0	93.1	$21,292	$215	$21,077
Huntley High School	Public	9-12	13719 Harmony Rd	Huntley	60142	McHenry County	Huntley Community School District 158	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(847) 659-6600	2,804	179	15.6	19.3%	1,999 (71.3%)	88 (3.1%)	363 (12.9%)	206 (7.3%)	17 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	120 (4.3%)	88.4	62^nd of 698 public high schools	91.1%		85.4	87^th of 697 public high schools	87.5%	25	80.2	70.4	54.2	46.2	65.7	65.3	68.2	56.5	70.3	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.7	98.5	98.6	98.0	$16,086	$335	$15,751
South Elgin High School	Public	9-12	760 E Main St	South Elgin	60177	Kane County	School District U-46	No	(n/a)	No	No	(847) 289-3760	2,665	174	15.2	37.4%	1,020 (38.3%)	147 (5.5%)	1,031 (38.7%)	326 (12.2%)	17 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	122 (4.6%)	60	250^th of 698 public high schools	64.2%		57.3	243^rd of 697 public high schools	65.1%	7	57.4	54.0	32.5	30.4	46.4	51.9	53.1	37.3	51.7	98.8	98.9	98.9	98.9	99.1	98.7	98.8	98.3	$18,853	$1,198	$17,655
Kane County Detention Center	Public	6-12	37W655 Il Route 38	Saint Charles	60175	Kane County	St Charles CUSD 303	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 406-7480	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Central High School

Is Central High School a good school?

Yes. Central High School ranks in the top 6.4% of Illinois high schools.

What district is Central High School in?

Central CUSD 301

How many students attend Central High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,575 students attended Central High School.

What schools feed into Central High School?

Central High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Country Trails Elementary
Elementary : Howard B Thomas Grade School
Elementary : Lily Lake Grade School
Elementary : Prairie View Grade School
Middle : Central Middle School
Middle : Prairie Knolls Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Central High School?

Students at Central High School are 59% White, 20% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American.

Rate Central High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ILIllinois High School Rankings

ILIllinois District Rankings

Schools in Burlington, IL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for 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.