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CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

631^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 10% of Illinois high schools

Summary

CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus is a public charter high school in Chicago, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 227 students. 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.

CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus consistently performs below the district and state averages on standardized tests. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 18.6% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts, compared to 40.1% for the district and 51.7% for the state. Similarly, only 1.7% were proficient or better in ACT Mathematics, compared to 25.3% for the district and 39.3% for the state. The school's four-year graduation rate has also declined, from 87.7% in 2023-2024 to 89.0% in 2024-2025, and its dropout rate has increased from 2.7% to 2.4% during the same period. Additionally, CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus has a high chronic absenteeism rate, reaching 82.2% in the 2024-2025 school year, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Simeon Career Academy High School and Goode STEM Academy High School, CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus generally performs worse academically. The school has also seen a significant increase in its spending per student, from $14,053 in 2020-2021 to $31,189 in 2023-2024, but this increased spending does not appear to have translated into improved academic outcomes. Additionally, CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 27.2 to 54.6 over the past few years, which may contribute to the school's academic challenges.

247

Students ?

24.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,885

Per pupil spending ?

85%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1817 W 80th St
Chicago, IL 60620-4557

(773) 478-4434

District: Chicago Public Schools District 299

Racial breakdown:

African American:

97.2%

Hispanic:

2.4%

Two or more races:

0.4%

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Compare CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 8th percentile in 2019 → 10th in 2025

Worth a look

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

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (71% vs 89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg37%

Illinois avg48%

631^st of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 10%▲ up 1 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

87^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	631 of 698	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.4	654 of 697	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	674 of 699	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	6.9	693 of 699	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	606 of 688	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.4	643 of 701	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.9	235 of 323	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.2	237 of 299	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.8	262 of 301	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	284 of 294	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	34.4	166 of 281	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.3	231 of 299	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.0	368 of 491	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.0	261 of 429	39.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	9.6	613 of 685	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.7	621 of 664	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	638 of 656	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.2	647 of 658	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.4	616 of 639	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.8	609 of 665	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	50 of 138	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.7	68 of 125	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.5	32 of 91	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	14.1	604 of 672	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.8	597 of 639	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.4	631 of 644	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.5	617 of 626	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.2	536 of 611	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.7	575 of 639	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	10.7	624 of 685	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.9	622 of 668	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	634 of 668	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.1	656 of 664	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.7	500 of 653	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	620 of 675	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.0	443 of 527	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	377 of 482	21.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
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	29.6	306 of 473	35.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)64th percentile+54 vs school

African American (2025)27th percentile+18 vs school

Disabled (2025)25th percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2025)16th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2025)11th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)10th percentile~ school

Male (2025)9th percentile~ school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts19%-33 vs state

Science7%-42 vs state

Mathematics2%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus

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
CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus	Public, Charter	9-12	1817 W 80th St	Chicago	60620	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 478-4434	247	10	24.7	85.0%	0 (0.0%)	240 (97.2%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	9.5	631^st of 698 public high schools	9.6%		11.4	654^th of 697 public high schools	6.2%	23	38.3	27.1	3.3	2.1	25.0	14.6	18.6	1.7	6.8									$23,885	$1,600	$22,285
Southside Occupational Academy High School	Public	11-12	7342 S Hoyne Ave	Chicago	60636	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-9100	0	48	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										96.7	98.3	98.1	98.1	92.2	96.7	97.5	72.9
Noble St Charter-Hansberry Prep Slvr	Public, Charter	9-12	8748 S Aberdeen St	Chicago	60620	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 729-3400	534	28	19.0	85.8%	0 (0.0%)	522 (97.8%)	8 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.7%)	14.2	597^th of 698 public high schools	14.5%		16.3	583^rd of 697 public high schools	16.4%	14	36.0	29.5	7.3	6.4	22.2	22.0	26.0	7.1	26.8									$22,521	$2,208	$20,313
YCCS-Community Youth Dev Inst High School	Public, Charter	9-12	7836 S Union Ave	Chicago	60620	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 224-2273	94	5	18.8	89.4%	0 (0.0%)	90 (95.7%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.7	618^th of 698 public high schools	11.5%		9.7	680^th of 697 public high schools	2.4%	62		9.1		18.2		27.3	2.9	2.9	8.6									$19,624	$1,363	$18,261
Excel Academy - Englewood High School	Public	9-12	7141 S Morgan St	Chicago	60621	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 675-6654	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										85.0	89.2	89.2	89.2	84.2	86.7	86.7	55.8
Excel Academy - Southwest High School	Public	9-12	7050 S Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60629	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 424-0721	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										91.0	92.6	92.6	92.6	88.5	91.8	92.6	54.1
Simeon Career Academy High School	Public	9-12	8147 S Vincennes Ave	Chicago	60620	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-3200	1,095	76	14.4	71.0%	1 (0.1%)	1,068 (97.5%)	17 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.6%)	15.1	585^th of 698 public high schools	16.2%		16.8	580^th of 697 public high schools	16.8%	5	44.8	30.0	8.1	4.6	27.4	22.9	15.6	9.4	25.0	97.1	98.5	98.5	98.5	91.2	97.8	97.9	72.3	$19,194	$2,379	$16,816
ACE Amandla Charter School	Public, Charter	9-12	6820 S Washtenaw Ave	Chicago	60629	Cook County	ACE Amandla Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7150	137	13	10.5	94.9%	0 (0.0%)	68 (49.6%)	65 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	11.8	617^th of 698 public high schools	11.6%		10.9	661^st of 697 public high schools	5.2%	44	29.7	25.0	0.0	0.0	21.6	13.9	28.6	14.3	25.0									$23,460	$4,705	$18,756
Goode STEM Academy High School	Public	9-12	7651 S Homan Ave	Chicago	60652	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(773) 535-7875	991	64	15.4	82.4%	12 (1.2%)	307 (31.0%)	666 (67.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	15.1	586^th of 698 public high schools	16.0%		18.6	561^st of 697 public high schools	19.5%	25	29.2	32.6	12.5	10.9	24.3	24.9	22.3	8.7	23.1	98.0	99.5	99.5	99.5	93.8	99.1	99.4	89.0	$18,558	$2,423	$16,135
Pathways in Education Ashburn	Public	9-12	3284 W 87Th St	Chicago	60652	Cook County	Chicago Public Schools District 299	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(773) 434-6300	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)										95.8	97.0	97.0	97.0	89.3	94.3	96.6	79.0

Frequently Asked Questions about CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus

What district is CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus in?

Chicago Public Schools District 299

Is CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus a good school?

CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus ranks in the bottom 9.6% of Illinois high schools.

How many students attend CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus?

In the 2024-25 school year, 247 students attended CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus.

What is the racial makeup of CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus?

Students at CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus are 97% African American, 2% Hispanic.

Rate CICS - Ralph Ellison Campus!

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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.