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Chester High School

Q: Is Chester High School a good school?

Chester High School ranks 441 st of 698 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

441^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 37% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Chester High School is a public high school located in Chester, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with 331 students. The school is part of the Chester CUSD 139 district, which is ranked 652 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Chester High School consistently performs below the state average on standardized tests, with only 32.1% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 13.6% in Mathematics, and 34.6% in Science in the 2024-2025 school year. This is significantly lower than the state averages of 51.7%, 39.3%, and 48.7%, respectively. The school also has a 4-year graduation rate of 89.0% in 2024-2025, which is slightly below the state average, and a higher dropout rate of 2.4% in 2024-2025. Additionally, Chester High School has a high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching 25.4% in the 2024-2025 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Sparta High School, Trico Senior High School, and Steeleville High School, Chester High School generally performs worse on academic measures, including standardized test scores and graduation rates. For example, Steeleville High School outperforms Chester High School in ACT English Language Arts (60% vs. 32.1%), ACT Mathematics (48.6% vs. 13.6%), and ACT Science (40% vs. 34.6%).

335

Students ?

15.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,496

Per pupil spending ?

39.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1901 Swanwick St
Chester, IL 62233-1128

(618) 826-2302

District: Chester CUSD 139

Feeder schools for Chester High School:

Elementary:

Chester Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.8%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Two or more races:

1.8%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare Chester High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 34th percentile in 2015 → 37th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (36% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (82% vs 89%)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg36%

Illinois avg48%

441^st of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 34% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

652^nd of 811Chester CUSD 139 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	40.1	441 of 698	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.2	439 of 697	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	404 of 699	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.7	467 of 699	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.4	519 of 688	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.8	439 of 701	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.8	441 of 647	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.9	332 of 642	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	43.8	359 of 643	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	32.6	407 of 614	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	53.4	339 of 670	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	67.6	230 of 670	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	33.4	497 of 665	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	43.2	418 of 655	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	58.4	304 of 643	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.6	395 of 632	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2008	42.6	418 of 624	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	42.0	402 of 612	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	48.0	361 of 596	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2005	41.6	404 of 590	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	66.6	204 of 592	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	39.5	420 of 586	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	433 of 491	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	34.4	470 of 685	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.2	439 of 664	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.5	384 of 656	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.5	405 of 658	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	424 of 639	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	391 of 665	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.3	429 of 620	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	49.4	337 of 672	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	26.8	471 of 639	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.5	508 of 644	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	538 of 626	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	29.8	444 of 611	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	23.6	510 of 639	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	32.4	430 of 585	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	45.7	363 of 685	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.4	398 of 668	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	384 of 668	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.0	465 of 664	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	17.4	539 of 653	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.7	455 of 675	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.9	421 of 619	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.5	351 of 527	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.7	204 of 476	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.2	286 of 493	42.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	65.3	89 of 453	80.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	485 of 564	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	472 of 554	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.3	434 of 557	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.5	485 of 560	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.0	502 of 553	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.2	437 of 552	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	475 of 548	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)50th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)31st percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)14th percentile-23 vs school

Disabled (2025)12th percentile-25 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science35%-14 vs state

English Language Arts32%-20 vs state

Mathematics14%-26 vs state

★

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Schools Near Chester 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
Chester High School	Public	9-12	1901 Swanwick St	Chester	62233	Randolph County	Chester CUSD 139	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(618) 826-2302	335	22	15.5	39.4%	294 (87.8%)	4 (1.2%)	30 (9.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	40.1	441^st of 698 public high schools	36.8%		34.2	439^th of 697 public high schools	37.0%	2	61.0	48.8	26.8	19.8	45.1	39.5	32.1	13.6	34.6	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.7	99.4	$16,496	$1,437	$15,060
Steeleville High School	Public	9-12	701 S Sparta St	Steeleville	62288	Randolph County	Steeleville CUSD 138	No	(n/a)	No	No	(618) 965-3432	148	12	12.8	36.5%	133 (89.9%)	5 (3.4%)	4 (2.7%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	63.9	216^th of 698 public high schools	69.1%		36.7	423^rd of 697 public high schools	39.3%	207	76.5	47.6	41.2	31.0	55.9	35.7	60.0	48.6	40.0	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	99.3	97.9	$13,011	$137	$12,874
Trico Senior High School	Public	9-12	16533 Highway 4	Campbell Hill	62916	Jackson County	Trico CUSD 176	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(618) 426-1111	220	21	10.4	55.9%	188 (85.5%)	1 (0.5%)	31 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.5	480^th of 698 public high schools	31.2%		59	227^th of 697 public high schools	67.4%	253	48.3	42.1	24.1	21.1	43.1	34.2	31.8	24.2	34.8	98.2	99.6	99.6	99.6	98.2	99.6	98.2	98.7	$18,072	$1,416	$16,656
Sparta High School	Public	9-12	205 W Hood St	Sparta	62286	Randolph County	Sparta CUSD 140	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(618) 443-4341	309	22	14.0	63.1%	231 (74.8%)	45 (14.6%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.5%)	29.1	511^th of 698 public high schools	26.8%		38	412^th of 697 public high schools	40.9%	99	36.4	31.5	13.6	13.7	21.2	26.0	50.7	37.7	36.2	96.4	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	95.2	96.4	96.4	$15,695	$548	$15,147

Frequently Asked Questions about Chester High School

What district is Chester High School in?

Chester CUSD 139

What schools feed into Chester High School?

Chester High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Chester Elementary School

Is Chester High School a good school?

Chester High School ranks 441^st of 698 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Chester High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 335 students attended Chester High School.

What is the racial makeup of Chester High School?

Students at Chester High School are 88% White, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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ILIllinois District Rankings

Schools in Chester, IL

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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.