ISU Laboratory Schools

ISU Laboratory Schools includes two schools in Illinois: University High School (grades 9–12, 624 students) and Thomas Metcalf School (prekindergarten–8, 459 students). The clearest overall finding is that both schools consistently outperform Illinois: all 25 listed 2025–26 school-versus-state test results were higher, and even the smallest lead—Metcalf Grade 5 math—was 5 points.

University High School stands out for strong results across its tested grades, while Thomas Metcalf School has particularly strong results in some grades but a more uneven math picture. University High’s largest listed advantage was 35 points in Grade 10 PreACT ELA; its average state advantage across listed results was 32 points in science, 32 in math and 29 in ELA. Metcalf’s biggest grade-level advantage was 37 points in Grade 7 math, but its Grade 5 math lead was just 5 points. Its average grade-level advantage was 32 points in science, 26 in ELA and 22 in math. Because the schools serve different grades and their results are not directly comparable, these figures show performance against the state, not which school achieves more.

Recent changes are mixed: across 13 matched comparisons, the average state-relative lead narrowed by 1 point. University High was essentially flat overall, though its Grade 9 ELA lead narrowed by 6 points; Metcalf’s Grade 8 science lead narrowed by 10 points. SchoolDigger ranked University High 19th of 620 Illinois high schools (97th percentile, five stars) and Metcalf 298th of 1,737 elementary schools (83rd percentile, four stars) in 2025–26. Other context measures include 2025–26 chronic absenteeism of 4% at University High and 7% at Metcalf, compared with 24% statewide; University High’s graduation rate was 97%, versus 90% statewide. Their 2024–25 student-teacher ratios were 15 and 8.6, respectively. The free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 2% at University High in 2021–22 and 7% at Metcalf in 2024–25.