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Charleston High School

Q: Is Charleston High School a good school?

Charleston High School ranks 387 th of 620 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

387^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 620 Illinois High Schools

Better than 38% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Charleston High School serves grades 9–12 and enrolls 795 students in Charleston, Illinois, as part of Charleston CUSD 1. Its test results match the district’s in the supplied data. The clearest academic concern is math: 11th-grade ACT proficiency was 24%, 16 points below the state’s 40%.

Science is the school’s strongest subject relative to the state, but results vary by grade. Ninth-grade science proficiency was 48%, just above the state’s 47% and 14 points higher than Mattoon High School; 10th-grade science was 38%, 10 points below the state and 5 points below Mattoon. Charleston also does better than Mattoon in 11th-grade ACT English and science, but trails on most other same-grade comparisons. Attendance is another concern: chronic absenteeism was 39% in 2025–2026, compared with 24% statewide and 28% in the district. It was higher than at Oakland High School (38%) and Mattoon (30%), though lower than Kansas High School (45%).

Some measures are improving, but the picture is mixed: graduation rose from 68% in 2022–2023 to 84% in 2025–2026, yet remained below the state’s 90% and nearby Oakland (93%), Mattoon (91%) and Kansas (100%). Chronic absenteeism also fell from 46% to 39%, but remains high. SchoolDigger ranked Charleston 387th of 620 Illinois schools in 2025–2026, in the 38th percentile with 2 stars; its percentile fell from 66 in 2023–2024 to 40 in 2024–2025. In 2024–2025, 45% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. The student–teacher ratio was 16.5, the highest among these nearby schools. SchoolDigger’s effectiveness ranking showed a relative strength for Special Education Students, placing the school in the 66th percentile in 2025–2026, up from the 19th the prior year. For Hispanic Students, it ranked in the 20th percentile in 2024–2025, down from the 68th percentile in 2023–2024.

795

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,898

Per pupil spending ?

44.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

92.7%

Measles protection (all grades) (2025-26)

1615 Lincoln Ave
Charleston, IL 61920-3010

(217) 639-5000

District: Charleston CUSD 1

Feeder schools for Charleston High School:

Elementary:	Ashmore Elementary School
	Carl Sandburg Elementary School
	Mark Twain Elementary School
Middle:	Charleston Middle School
	Jefferson Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.2%

Two or more races:

7.4%

African American:

7.3%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Charleston High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 77th percentile in 2016 → 38th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (40% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (84% vs 90%)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 24% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg40%

Illinois avg47%

387^th of 620

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▼ down 40 pts since 2016

From top 23% (2016) to bottom 38% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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
2026	39.0	387 of 620	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	420 of 698	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	58.2	238 of 697	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.1	411 of 699	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	72.9	153 of 699	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	47.8	314 of 688	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	210 of 701	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.5	185 of 647	71.4%	★★★★☆
2017	64.0	198 of 642	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	64.5	147 of 643	77.1%	★★★★☆
2015	70.8	139 of 614	77.4%	★★★★☆
2014	68.0	210 of 670	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.7	209 of 670	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	76.0	149 of 665	77.6%	★★★★☆
2011	73.8	176 of 655	73.1%	★★★★☆
2010	66.6	226 of 643	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.4	219 of 632	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	83.5	80 of 624	87.2%	★★★★☆
2007	53.4	325 of 612	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	58.9	266 of 596	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	64.2	219 of 590	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	54.0	307 of 592	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2003	57.5	278 of 586	52.6%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	170 of 323	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.9	68 of 299	77.3%	★★★★☆
2023	34.4	175 of 301	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.6	335 of 491	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	77.7	61 of 429	85.8%	★★★★☆
2023	26.5	343 of 428	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	35.0	373 of 545	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.6	418 of 685	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.1	265 of 664	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.0	413 of 656	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	77.9	129 of 658	80.4%	★★★★☆
2021	42.9	343 of 639	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.4	229 of 665	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.9	214 of 620	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.6	291 of 366	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	56.1	109 of 336	67.6%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2021	62.9	8 of 24	66.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	34.8	310 of 478	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	28.6	515 of 672	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	55.1	233 of 639	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.3	351 of 644	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.2	237 of 626	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.9	357 of 611	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.1	247 of 639	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.9	214 of 585	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	352 of 521	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.1	401 of 685	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.8	214 of 668	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.1	370 of 668	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	62.2	211 of 664	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.3	296 of 653	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.5	201 of 675	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	68.9	159 of 619	74.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.9	182 of 211	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.2	123 of 182	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	56.2	82 of 238	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	22.3	426 of 527	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.6	184 of 482	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	21.1	375 of 476	21.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	31.2	286 of 493	42.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.3	270 of 453	40.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.1	274 of 473	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.7	220 of 374	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2026	26.6	381 of 515	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.2	453 of 564	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.1	261 of 554	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.1	408 of 557	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	57.5	200 of 560	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.1	364 of 553	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.0	250 of 552	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.3	214 of 548	60.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

Homeless (2021)67th percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2026)66th percentile+28 vs school

African American (2025)47th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)35th percentile~ school

Male (2026)32nd percentile-5 vs school

Disabled (2025)32nd percentile-8 vs school

Female (2026)32nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)26th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2025)20th percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)14th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2025-2026) ?

Science46%~ state avg

English Language Arts44%-6 vs state

Mathematics24%-16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Charleston High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				PreACT Secure English Language Arts (2026)		PreACT Secure Mathematics (2026)		PreACT Secure Science (2026)		ACT English Language Arts (2026)	ACT Mathematics (2026)	ACT Science (2026)	ISA Science (2026)	IAR English Language Arts (2026)			IAR Mathematics (2026)			Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	Vaccination: Measles protection (all grades)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Charleston High School	Public	9-12	1615 Lincoln Ave	Charleston	61920	Coles County	Charleston CUSD 1	No	(n/a)	No	No	(217) 639-5000	795	48	16.5	44.9%	622 (78.2%)	58 (7.3%)	47 (5.9%)	8 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (7.4%)	39	387^th of 620 public high schools	37.6%		41.8	420^th of 698 public high schools	39.8%	33	59.2	41.9	35.3	19.3	48.4	38.0	44.1	23.5	46.4								92.7%		$15,898	$62	$15,836
Shelbyville TAOEP	Public	6-12	201 E North 12Th St	Shelbyville	62565	Coles County	Clk/Cls/Cmbn/Dglas/Edgr/Mltr/Shlb	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(217) 774-1037	0	1	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lerna Bridges	Public	6-12	10 Third St	Lerna	62440	Coles County	Clk/Cls/Cmbn/Dglas/Edgr/Mltr/Shlb	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(217) 235-4867	0	5	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lerna TAOEP	Public	6-12	10 3Rd St	Lerna	62440	Coles County	Clk/Cls/Cmbn/Dglas/Edgr/Mltr/Shlb	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(217) 235-4867	0	2	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
OnTRACC	Public, Virtual	12	121 S 17Th St	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Eastern IL Area of Special Educ	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(844) 999-9006	0	1	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Leaders Innovating for Tomorrow	Public	9-12	121 S 17Th St	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Clk/Cls/Cmbn/Dglas/Edgr/Mltr/Shlb	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(217) 238-8900	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Adult LIFE Academy-Intermediate	Public	9-12	1617 Lake Land Blvd	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Eastern IL Area of Special Educ	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(844) 999-9006	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Adult LIFE Academy	Public	9-12	1617 Lake Land Blvd	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Eastern IL Area of Special Educ	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(844) 999-9006	0	4	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Mattoon High School	Public	9-12	2521 Walnut Ave	Mattoon	61938	Coles County	Mattoon CUSD 2	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(217) 238-7800	888	52	16.9	47.5%	729 (82.1%)	39 (4.4%)	48 (5.4%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (7.5%)	37.8	401^st of 620 public high schools	35.3%		44.7	397^th of 698 public high schools	43.1%	4	52.2	47.0	35.4	31.3	34.5	42.8	41.6	31.1	39.2								99.4%		$16,048	$733	$15,315
Kansas High School	Public	7-12	310 S Front	Kansas	61933	Edgar County	Kansas CUSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	No	(217) 948-5175	73	13	5.5	63.0%	66 (90.4%)	5 (6.8%)	1 (1.4%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)													52.0				93.8%		$20,870	$1,121	$19,749

Frequently Asked Questions about Charleston High School

How many students attend Charleston High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 795 students attended Charleston High School.

What district is Charleston High School in?

Charleston CUSD 1

What schools feed into Charleston High School?

Charleston High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ashmore Elementary School
Elementary : Carl Sandburg Elementary School
Elementary : Mark Twain Elementary School
Middle : Charleston Middle School
Middle : Jefferson Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Charleston High School?

Students at Charleston High School are 78% White, 7% Two or more races, 7% African American, 6% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Is Charleston High School a good school?

Charleston High School ranks 387^th of 620 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Charleston High School!

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 30, 2026

2025–26 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresNewOct 30, 2026

2013–14 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

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.