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Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Illinois State Board of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

DeKalb High School

Q: Is DeKalb High School a good school?

DeKalb High School ranks 484 th of 698 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

484^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 698 Illinois High Schools

Better than 31% of Illinois high schools

Summary

DeKalb High School is a public high school located in DeKalb, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,070 students. The school is part of the DeKalb CUSD 428 district, which is ranked 767 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

DeKalb High School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Illinois high schools, with a ranking between 224 and 491 out of 614-701 schools over the past 10 years. Its performance on standardized tests is also below the state average, with only 34.6% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in ACT English Language Arts, 24.3% in ACT Mathematics, and 31.5% in ACT Science in the 2024-2025 school year. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 25.4% to 35.4% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, DeKalb High School has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 61.45% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Indian Creek High School, Hinckley-Big Rock High School, Kaneland Senior High School, Genoa-Kingston High School, and Hiawatha Junior/Senior High School, DeKalb High School generally performs worse on academic measures, including standardized test scores and graduation rates. The overall poor performance of DeKalb High School is likely influenced by the low-performing nature of the DeKalb CUSD 428 district, which is ranked 767 out of 811 districts in Illinois and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

2,134

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,397

Per pupil spending ?

61.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 W Dresser Rd
Dekalb, IL 60115-8227

(815) 754-2100

District: DeKalb CUSD 428

Feeder schools for DeKalb High School:

Elementary:	Cortland Elementary School
	Founders Elementary School
	Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School
	Jefferson Elementary School
	More...
	Lincoln Elementary School
	Littlejohn Elementary School
	Malta Elementary School
	Tyler Elementary School
Middle:	Clinton Rosette Middle School
	Huntley Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

34.5%

White:

34.3%

African American:

23.8%

See top rated Illinois high schools

Compare DeKalb High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 68th percentile in 2019 → 31st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Illinois average (33% vs 48% meeting standards)

!Graduation rate below the Illinois average (80% vs 89%)

!Dropout rate above the Illinois average (7% vs 2%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg33%

Illinois avg48%

484^th of 698

Illinois public high schools ?

Bottom 31%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

767^th of 811DeKalb CUSD 428 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	34.9	484 of 698	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	391 of 697	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.1	467 of 699	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	358 of 699	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	268 of 688	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.8	224 of 701	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.1	405 of 647	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	54.7	274 of 642	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.5	242 of 643	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2015	22.4	491 of 614	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	47.7	391 of 670	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.8	377 of 670	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.2	324 of 665	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	69.6	219 of 655	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	52.7	357 of 643	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.5	304 of 632	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.3	356 of 624	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	61.6	249 of 612	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	66.3	200 of 596	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	55.2	302 of 590	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	71.2	161 of 592	72.8%	★★★★☆
2003	72.4	147 of 586	74.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	220 of 323	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.5	196 of 299	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	173 of 301	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.5	148 of 294	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.2	179 of 281	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.6	112 of 299	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.4	129 of 253	49.0%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2022	21.6	117 of 141	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	42.0	223 of 491	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.6	231 of 429	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.6	233 of 428	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.3	231 of 284	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.8	134 of 248	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.8	50 of 217	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	72.7	21 of 205	89.8%	★★★★★
2021	32.8	86 of 189	54.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.6	141 of 183	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	126 of 151	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	31.8	491 of 685	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.6	398 of 664	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.3	431 of 656	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	354 of 658	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.5	332 of 639	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.9	239 of 665	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.9	388 of 620	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.8	271 of 366	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.0	223 of 336	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.3	244 of 333	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	43.0	179 of 335	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.1	138 of 317	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.4	170 of 317	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.4	190 of 291	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	63.3	27 of 138	80.4%	★★★★☆
2024	51.6	40 of 125	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.9	51 of 104	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	27.1	524 of 672	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.7	392 of 639	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.7	494 of 644	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.0	338 of 626	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.5	323 of 611	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	290 of 639	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.8	396 of 585	32.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	445 of 685	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	368 of 668	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.5	444 of 668	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.0	325 of 664	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	227 of 653	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.1	214 of 675	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.6	389 of 619	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	21.7	157 of 211	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	153 of 182	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	127 of 163	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.4	123 of 170	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.7	79 of 160	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	12.4	152 of 165	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	130 of 154	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	193 of 527	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.3	210 of 482	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.5	262 of 476	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.7	211 of 493	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.7	201 of 453	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.2	246 of 473	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.7	180 of 374	51.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	44.9	274 of 564	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.7	210 of 554	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	34.2	361 of 557	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.1	171 of 560	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.3	199 of 553	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.0	106 of 552	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	41.4	298 of 548	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)80th percentile+50 vs school

Special Education (2025)63rd percentile+33 vs school

Disabled (2025)55th percentile+24 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile+21 vs school

Male (2025)35th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)28th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)26th percentile-5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)26th percentile-5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)22nd percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)19th percentile-12 vs school

Asian (2022)17th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts35%-17 vs state

Science32%-17 vs state

Mathematics24%-15 vs state

1.0

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by a student
Wednesday, July 4, 2018

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Schools Near DeKalb 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 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 (2025)	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
DeKalb High School	Public	9-12	501 W Dresser Rd	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 754-2100	2,134	142	15.0	61.3%	733 (34.3%)	508 (23.8%)	736 (34.5%)	27 (1.3%)	8 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	116 (5.4%)	34.9	484^th of 698 public high schools	30.7%		39.8	391^st of 697 public high schools	43.9%	93	48.8	44.3	24.6	23.9	40.7	28.2	34.6	24.3	31.5										97.7	97.8	97.8	97.8	98.0	97.4	97.8	92.7	$18,397	$1,000	$17,397
Beyond One Barb Transition Center	Public	12	530 Charter St	Dekalb	60115	DeKalb County	DeKalb CUSD 428	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 754-2100	0	1	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Sycamore High School	Public	9-12	427 Spartan Trl	Sycamore	60178	DeKalb County	Sycamore CUSD 427	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 899-8160	1,161	75	15.5	24.8%	922 (79.4%)	36 (3.1%)	140 (12.1%)	22 (1.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.4%)	80.1	111^th of 698 public high schools	84.1%		71.7	158^th of 697 public high schools	77.3%	47	76.7	63.9	56.5	39.6	61.1	53.2	64.5	49.3	53.8										97.8	97.9	97.9	97.9	97.5	96.8	97.6	95.6	$16,132	$316	$15,816
KEC Central EFE 170	Public	7-12	21255 Malta Rd	Malta	60150	DeKalb County	De Kalb ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 825-2000	0	19	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
KEC Area Vocational Center	Public	11-12	21255 Malta Rd	Malta	60150	DeKalb County	De Kalb ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(815) 825-2000	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Genoa-Kingston High School	Public	9-12	980 Park Ave	Genoa	60135	DeKalb County	Genoa Kingston CUSD 424	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 784-5111	485	35	13.8	39.4%	345 (71.1%)	5 (1.0%)	119 (24.5%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	62.4	228^th of 698 public high schools	67.3%		37.8	414^th of 697 public high schools	40.6%	186	61.7	57.0	31.3	44.0	40.0	55.0	51.6	38.5	48.4										100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.6	$15,726	$228	$15,498
Hiawatha Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	410 1st St	Kirkland	60146	DeKalb County	Hiawatha CUSD 426	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(815) 522-3335	211	19	11.0	46.9%	166 (78.7%)	4 (1.9%)	29 (13.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.2%)	42.3	415^th of 698 public high schools	40.5%		32.2	458^th of 697 public high schools	34.3%	43	47.1	36.4	38.2	13.6	61.8	13.6	44.8	27.6	44.8	37.0	22.6	55.6	51.9	42.4	25.8	55.6	29.6	36.5	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.1	99.1	98.1	98.1	93.9	$20,671	$900	$19,771
Fox Valley Career Center	Public	9-12	47W326 Keslinger Rd	Maple Park	60151	Kane County	Kane ROE	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(630) 365-5113	0	0	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Kaneland Senior High School	Public	9-12	47W326 Keslinger Rd	Maple Park	60151	Kane County	Kaneland CUSD 302	No	(n/a)	No	No	(630) 365-5100	1,201	91	13.2		889 (74.0%)	31 (2.6%)	212 (17.7%)	25 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.2%)	41 (3.4%)	77.1	127^th of 698 public high schools	81.8%		74.2	142^nd of 697 public high schools	79.6%	15	71.3	64.9	46.1	38.2	64.2	49.2	59.7	47.8	58.1										95.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	96.2	94.0	96.0	93.1	$21,292	$215	$21,077
Hinckley-Big Rock High School	Public	9-12	700 E Lincoln Ave	Hinckley	60520	DeKalb County	Hinckley Big Rock CUSD 429	No	(n/a)	No	No	(815) 286-7501	217	19	11.5	25.8%	172 (79.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (16.6%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.3%)	51.6	330^th of 698 public high schools	52.7%		55	260^th of 697 public high schools	62.7%	70	76.9	46.5	32.7	20.9	51.9	25.6	52.8	30.2	39.6										94.7	94.2	94.2	94.2	93.8	92.8	94.7	87.5	$19,540	$168	$19,372

Frequently Asked Questions about DeKalb High School

What is the racial makeup of DeKalb High School?

Students at DeKalb High School are 34% Hispanic, 34% White, 24% African American, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend DeKalb High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 2,134 students attended DeKalb High School.

Is DeKalb High School a good school?

DeKalb High School ranks 484^th of 698 Illinois high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into DeKalb High School?

DeKalb High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cortland Elementary School
Elementary : Founders Elementary School
Elementary : Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School
Elementary : Jefferson Elementary School
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary School
Elementary : Littlejohn Elementary School
Elementary : Malta Elementary School
Elementary : Tyler Elementary School
Middle : Clinton Rosette Middle School
Middle : Huntley Middle School

What district is DeKalb High School in?

DeKalb CUSD 428

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 30, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2025

2024–25 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataOct 30, 2024

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.