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Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts

Public Grades 9-12

632^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 9% of Illinois high schools

Summary

Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving 535 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. Over the past several years, Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois high schools, with a ranking between 608-665 out of around 700 schools.

The school faces significant academic and socioeconomic challenges. It consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in standardized test scores across all subjects, with only 7.2% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT/English Language Arts, compared to 40.1% for the district and 51.7% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low in mathematics, with only 4.3% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT/Mathematics, compared to 25.3% for the district and 39.3% for the state. Additionally, the school has had a four-year graduation rate ranging from 80.9% to 92.0%, which is generally lower than the state and district averages, and a higher dropout rate ranging from 2.4% to 4.0%.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Tilden Career Community Academy High School, Univ of Chicago Charter-Woodlawn, and Phillips Academy High School, also struggle academically and have similar challenges to Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts. However, some schools, like Kenwood Academy High School, which is located about 1.17 miles away, perform significantly better academically, with much higher test scores and graduation rates.

538

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,310

Per pupil spending ?

83.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

555 E 51st St
Chicago, IL 60615

(773) 535-1825

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Racial breakdown:

African American:

96.1%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Two or more races:

0.7%

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Compare Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 13th percentile in 2019 → 9th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Illinois average (89%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (15% vs 48% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (72% vs 25% Illinois)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg37%

Illinois avg48%

632^nd of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 4 pts since 2019

From bottom 13% (2019) to bottom 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

88^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	9.5	632 of 698	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.6	665 of 697	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.4	653 of 699	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.7	661 of 699	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.9	629 of 688	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.0	608 of 701	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.5	227 of 323	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.4	253 of 299	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.2	259 of 301	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.8	234 of 294	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	26.6	218 of 281	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.7	164 of 299	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.6	268 of 491	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.0	261 of 429	39.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.4	382 of 428	10.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	616 of 685	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.1	632 of 664	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.6	620 of 656	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.1	629 of 658	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	575 of 639	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	576 of 665	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	114 of 138	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.2	43 of 104	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.5	46 of 98	53.1%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	15.8	597 of 672	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.4	600 of 639	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.3	582 of 644	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.2	576 of 626	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	566 of 611	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.5	549 of 639	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	11.0	622 of 685	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.1	620 of 668	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	633 of 668	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	613 of 664	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.6	621 of 653	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	14.8	577 of 675	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.6	362 of 527	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.1	361 of 482	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.7	363 of 476	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.3	236 of 493	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	29.3	270 of 453	40.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	36.1	248 of 473	47.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2025)45th percentile+36 vs school

Special Education (2025)31st percentile+22 vs school

African American (2025)30th percentile+20 vs school

Homeless (2025)17th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)11th percentile~ school

Female (2025)10th percentile~ school

Male (2025)9th percentile~ school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science16%-33 vs state

English Language Arts7%-45 vs state

Mathematics4%-35 vs state

★

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Schools Near Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts

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)	ISA Science (2025)	IAR English Language Arts (2025)				IAR Mathematics (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	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% 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
Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts	Public	9-12	555 E 51st St	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1825	538	32	17.0	83.1%	2 (0.4%)	517 (96.1%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	9.5	632^nd of 698 public high schools	9.5%		10.6	665^th of 697 public high schools	4.6%	33	37.0	24.2	8.7	3.0	23.0	15.2	7.2	4.3	15.8										94.4	95.4	95.4	95.4	88.9	93.6	94.4	77.4	$21,310	$2,880	$18,430
Williams Medical Prep High School	Public	9-12	4934 S Wabash Ave	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1120	74	16	4.6	75.7%	0 (0.0%)	71 (95.9%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	16.1	579^th of 698 public high schools	17.0%					(n/a)	38.1	33.3	4.8	4.2	23.8	41.7	22.2	0.0	16.7										97.4	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.8	100.0	100.0	89.6	$36,712	$8,699	$28,013
Bronzeville Scholastic High School	Public	9-12	4934 S Wabash Ave	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1150	119	19	6.2	90.8%	0 (0.0%)	109 (91.6%)	9 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9.8	628^th of 698 public high schools	10.0%		16.1	584^th of 697 public high schools	16.2%	44	46.2	15.2	3.8	6.1	26.9	12.1	14.3	0.0	4.8										95.2	100.0	100.0	100.0	96.2	100.0	100.0	91.4	$36,818	$5,658	$31,160
King College Prep High School	Public	9-12	4445 S Drexel Blvd	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1180	819	49	16.6	82.8%	3 (0.4%)	781 (95.4%)	25 (3.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	33.5	490^th of 698 public high schools	29.8%		22.4	521^st of 697 public high schools	25.3%	31	62.1	44.3	22.4	7.0	36.4	29.7	39.8	15.7	34.3										94.9	98.0	98.0	98.0	90.4	97.9	97.0	85.9	$18,678	$2,216	$16,462
Kenwood Academy High School	Public	7-12	5015 S Blackstone Ave	Chicago	60615	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1350	2,268	130	17.4	53.8%	144 (6.3%)	1,868 (82.4%)	158 (7.0%)	36 (1.6%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	56 (2.5%)	76.1	134^th of 698 public high schools	80.8%		58.5	233^rd of 697 public high schools	66.6%	99	77.8	64.5	47.4	33.9	62.8	49.9	62.0	40.5	56.3	73.2		83.6	82.5	83.0		77.9	64.7	71.1	90.2	94.4	94.4	94.4	87.2	94.0	93.8	78.6	$15,280	$1,644	$13,636
Tilden Career Communty Academy High School	Public	9-12	4747 S Union Ave	Chicago	60609	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1625	288	27	10.6	86.8%	21 (7.3%)	89 (30.9%)	170 (59.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.7%)	8.2	643^rd of 698 public high schools	7.9%		13.8	612^th of 697 public high schools	12.2%	31	25.9	11.9	10.7	2.4	25.9	19.0	10.0	1.7	11.7										81.1	84.7	84.7	84.7	78.5	82.9	84.2	79.0	$30,221	$4,612	$25,609
Univ of Chicago Charter-Woodlawn	Public, Charter	6-12	6300 S University Ave	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 752-8101	591	44	13.4	72.4%	0 (0.0%)	577 (97.6%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	17.1	574^th of 698 public high schools	17.8%		18.9	558^th of 697 public high schools	19.9%	16	32.7	32.5	5.7	5.2	16.3	22.1	37.0	4.9	37.0	7.6	35.5	31.1	20.3	29.2	8.0	8.1	3.0	6.5									$21,810	$961	$20,849
Phillips Academy High School	Public	9-12	244 E Pershing Rd	Chicago	60653	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-1603	467	33	14.3	71.5%	4 (0.9%)	427 (91.4%)	23 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	11 (2.4%)	6.5	661^st of 698 public high schools	5.3%		11.7	643^rd of 697 public high schools	7.7%	18	21.1	18.6	1.0	4.1	10.6	17.3	12.2	4.4	12.2										84.7	87.8	87.8	87.8	81.2	87.0	86.8	55.0	$22,344	$3,024	$19,320
Urban Prep Charter Academy Englewood High School	Public, Charter	9-12	6201 S Stewart Ave	Chicago	60621	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9724	87	10	8.7	92.0%	0 (0.0%)	81 (93.1%)	5 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	23	546^th of 698 public high schools	21.8%		11.7	647^th of 697 public high schools	7.2%	101	24.0	45.5	12.0	27.3	24.0	45.5	18.2	0.0	13.6																		$23,316	$1,057	$22,259
Hyde Park Academy High School	Public	9-12	6220 S Stony Island Ave	Chicago	60637	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-0880	838	56	14.9	96.8%	1 (0.1%)	807 (96.3%)	16 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.6%)	6.1	662^nd of 698 public high schools	5.2%		10	679^th of 697 public high schools	2.6%	17	19.1	17.3	3.7	3.6	13.0	16.8	11.4	0.6	11.0										93.2	96.0	96.0	96.0	88.1	95.4	95.0	78.8	$20,482	$2,614	$17,868

Frequently Asked Questions about Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts

How many students attend Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 538 students attended Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts.

What is the racial makeup of Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts?

Students at Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts are 96% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

Is Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts a good school?

Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Illinois high schools.

Rate Walter Henri Dyett High School for Arts!

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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.