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Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

Public Grades 9-12

605^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 13% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Thomas Kelly College Preparatory is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 1,862 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299, which is ranked 698 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Thomas Kelly College Preparatory consistently ranks in the bottom half of Illinois high schools, with low academic performance on standardized tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 23.3% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts, compared to 51.7% at the state level and 40.1% in the district. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 9.6% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT Mathematics, compared to 39.3% at the state level and 25.3% in the district. The school's four-year graduation rate has declined from 87.7% in 2023-2024 to 73.6% in 2024-2025, and its dropout rate has increased from 2.7% to 5.9% during the same period.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Solorio Academy High School, Curie Metropolitan High School, and Back of The Yards IB High School, Thomas Kelly College Preparatory generally performs worse on academic measures, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school's high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 94.79% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024, likely contributes to these challenges. Despite the school's struggles, it has a relatively high per-student spending of $18,819 in 2023-2024, suggesting the need to re-evaluate resource allocation and instructional strategies to better support student success.

1,762

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,161

Per pupil spending ?

93.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4136 S California Ave
Chicago, IL 60632-1817

(773) 535-4900

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Feeder schools for Thomas Kelly College Preparatory:

Elementary:	Brighton Park Elementary School
	Burroughs Elementary School
	Calmeca Academy Elementary School
	Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy
	More...
	Davis N Elementary School
	Everett Elementary School
	Greene N Elementary School
	Nightingale Elementary School
	Shields Elementary School
Middle:	Evergreen Academy Elementary School
	Shields Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

86.2%

Asian:

9.6%

African American:

2.3%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Thomas Kelly College Preparatory to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 12th percentile in 2014 → 13th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (19% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (74% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg37%

Illinois avg48%

605^th of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 13%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

69^th of 144High Schools in the Chicago Public Schools District 299

698^th of 811Chicago Public Schools District 299 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	12.9	605 of 698	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.2	566 of 697	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.3	566 of 699	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.8	553 of 699	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.5	544 of 688	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	581 of 701	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	550 of 647	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.1	550 of 642	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.0	574 of 643	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	12.2	587 of 670	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	14.0	565 of 670	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	10.0	584 of 665	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	15.7	552 of 655	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	16.6	540 of 643	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	9.7	557 of 632	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.2	549 of 624	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	7.6	549 of 612	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	6.9	540 of 596	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	4.0	541 of 590	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	2.5	557 of 592	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	3.7	549 of 586	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2024	45.9	113 of 299	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.6	232 of 301	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.0	218 of 294	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.1	241 of 281	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.8	221 of 299	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	241 of 253	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	6.9	136 of 148	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	123 of 137	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	3.8	129 of 134	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.8	126 of 141	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.5	123 of 135	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	5.7	122 of 130	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.0	124 of 132	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.2	465 of 491	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	30.0	253 of 429	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	353 of 428	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	24.9	241 of 284	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	38.0	122 of 248	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.3	104 of 217	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	69.4	27 of 205	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	67.5	19 of 189	89.9%	★★★★★
2019	39.0	93 of 183	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.4	47 of 151	68.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.8	607 of 685	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	559 of 664	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.8	539 of 656	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	523 of 658	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.7	532 of 639	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.0	557 of 665	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.3	525 of 620	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	13.1	333 of 366	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.7	289 of 336	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.8	284 of 333	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	275 of 335	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.9	270 of 317	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	266 of 317	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.5	241 of 291	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	41.8	74 of 138	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.7	49 of 125	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.3	27 of 104	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	24.7	57 of 91	37.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.2	565 of 672	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	476 of 639	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.4	472 of 644	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.6	410 of 626	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.0	394 of 611	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	29.4	469 of 639	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.1	452 of 585	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	16.1	582 of 685	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.4	524 of 668	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.8	537 of 668	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	507 of 664	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.5	483 of 653	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.0	548 of 675	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	17.0	522 of 619	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	22.4	425 of 527	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.6	340 of 482	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	368 of 476	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	36.4	258 of 493	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.3	270 of 453	40.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.3	305 of 473	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.2	248 of 374	33.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2021	20.4	458 of 553	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	10.7	521 of 548	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2024)62nd percentile+43 vs school

Homeless (2025)46th percentile+33 vs school

Special Education (2025)19th percentile+6 vs school

White (2021)17th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)16th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)15th percentile~ school

Male (2025)15th percentile~ school

Female (2025)11th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)9th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2025)8th percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2025)5th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts23%-28 vs state

Science16%-32 vs state

Mathematics10%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

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
Thomas Kelly College Preparatory	Public	9-12	4136 S California Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-4900	1,762	124	14.2	93.9%	27 (1.5%)	41 (2.3%)	1,518 (86.2%)	170 (9.6%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.2%)	12.9	605^th of 698 public high schools	13.3%		18.2	566^th of 697 public high schools	18.8%	39	35.6	24.4	12.5	10.6	20.8	19.8	23.3	9.6	16.3	90.0	93.9	93.8	93.9	87.4	92.1	92.7	70.3	$19,161	$2,156	$17,005
Noble St Charter - Mansueto	Public, Charter	9-12	2911 W 47Th St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 349-8200	1,106	61	18.2	91.0%	6 (0.5%)	6 (0.5%)	1,087 (98.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33.3	491^st of 698 public high schools	29.7%		34.3	438^th of 697 public high schools	37.2%	53	46.7	38.7	28.0	11.7	39.5	33.8	35.7	18.0	41.2									$18,074	$1,821	$16,253
Pathways in Education Brighton Pa	Public	9-12	3124 W 47Th St	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 579-1220	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										94.9	96.2	95.6	95.9	90.5	96.4	95.9	84.4
Back of The Yards IB High School	Public	9-12	2111 W 47th St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7320	1,039	82	12.7	93.0%	9 (0.9%)	15 (1.4%)	1,005 (96.7%)	7 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.2	481^st of 698 public high schools	31.1%		38.5	402^nd of 697 public high schools	42.3%	79	34.6	42.4	18.0	22.7	31.6	30.4	48.5	28.3	43.8	98.1	99.3	99.3	99.3	98.6	99.4	99.1	95.0	$17,467	$2,130	$15,338
Acero Charter School Netwrk- Victoria	Public, Charter	9-12	5025 S St Louis Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(312) 455-5446	561	42	13.3	98.4%	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	559 (99.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12.7	608^th of 698 public high schools	12.9%		12.5	635^th of 697 public high schools	8.9%	27	29.4	31.3	8.7	8.6	24.8	27.3	15.2	4.3	16.7									$22,496	$1,169	$21,327
Cook County Juvenile Det -York Alt High School	Public	9-12	2700 S California Ave	Chicago	60608	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7021	0	41	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										90.6	95.3	95.3	95.3	89.8	92.1	93.7	69.3
Peace and Education Coalition High School	Public	10-12	4946 S Paulina St	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9212	0	24	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										82.2	85.9	85.9	87.4	82.2	85.2	77.0	70.4
Curie Metropolitan High School	Public	9-12	4959 S Archer Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-2100	3,099	198	15.6	85.8%	39 (1.3%)	254 (8.2%)	2,731 (88.1%)	60 (1.9%)	9 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.2%)	26.4	528^th of 698 public high schools	24.4%		22.1	524^th of 697 public high schools	24.8%	4	43.9	38.1	19.5	14.7	27.6	29.5	32.2	22.2	33.2	96.1	97.7	97.6	97.6	91.8	96.9	97.2	85.4	$16,337	$2,059	$14,277
Solorio Academy High School	Public	9-12	5400 S St Louis Ave	Chicago	60632	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9070	1,287	84	15.3	90.5%	13 (1.0%)	16 (1.2%)	1,246 (96.8%)	5 (0.4%)	5 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	37.7	465^th of 698 public high schools	33.4%		42.8	373^rd of 697 public high schools	46.5%	92	53.8	37.9	28.4	23.2	35.8	30.6	40.9	28.2	36.7	94.4	98.2	98.1	98.1	93.0	97.1	97.7	86.0	$17,100	$2,295	$14,805
Gage Park High School	Public	9-12	5630 S Rockwell St	Chicago	60629	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9230	392	33	12.0	93.9%	5 (1.3%)	89 (22.7%)	298 (76.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4.5	681^st of 698 public high schools	2.4%		10.1	676^th of 697 public high schools	3.0%	5	20.5	12.3	0.0	0.0	11.4	12.3	7.5	1.1	8.6	81.7	90.8	90.8	90.8	82.8	87.4	84.8	73.9	$24,984	$3,310	$21,674

Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Kelly College Preparatory

How many students attend Thomas Kelly College Preparatory?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,762 students attended Thomas Kelly College Preparatory.

What district is Thomas Kelly College Preparatory in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

What schools feed into Thomas Kelly College Preparatory?

Thomas Kelly College Preparatory is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Brighton Park Elementary School
Elementary : Burroughs Elementary School
Elementary : Calmeca Academy Elementary School
Elementary : Columbia Explorers Elementary Academy
Elementary : Davis N Elementary School
Elementary : Everett Elementary School
Elementary : Greene N Elementary School
Elementary : Nightingale Elementary School
Elementary : Shields Elementary School
Middle : Evergreen Academy Elementary School
Middle : Shields Middle School

Is Thomas Kelly College Preparatory a good school?

Thomas Kelly College Preparatory ranks in the bottom 13.3% of Illinois high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Thomas Kelly College Preparatory?

Students at Thomas Kelly College Preparatory are 86% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 2% African American, 2% White.

Rate Thomas Kelly College Preparatory!

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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.