Illinois' four-year high school graduation rate reached a record high of 89.8% in 2026, according to the 2026 Illinois Report Card released by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The state board says the figure continues a long-term trend of improvement. Since 2012, Illinois' graduation rate has increased by more than nine percentage points and has surpassed the state's Every Student Succeeds Act target of 88.9% — a milestone reached four years ahead of schedule.

"The 2026 Illinois Report Card shows that Illinois students are making meaningful progress across the measures that matter most," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. "We're seeing more students meeting grade-level expectations, graduating from high school on time, attending school consistently, and taking advantage of opportunities that prepare them for college and careers."

The board says English learners posted some of the largest gains, raising their graduation rate by 6.2 percentage points since 2022. Strong improvements were also reported among Black students, Hispanic students, and students identifying with two or more races.

Academic proficiency

Statewide proficiency increased across all three tested subjects in 2026, according to the board:

  • English language arts rose from 52.4% to 55.4%.
  • Math rose from 38.4% to 39.2%.
  • Science rose from 44.6% to 48.7%.

In ELA, Black students improved from 31.1% to 34.1%, and eighth graders posted the largest year-over-year gain among tested grades, rising from 56.3% to 62.5%. The board says student growth in ELA remains above pre-pandemic levels across every student group measured.

In math, ninth-grade students posted the largest increase, rising from 37.7% to 41.7%. The board says it recently released its first statewide Numeracy Plan to strengthen mathematics instruction.

Science showed some of the strongest gains, with proficiency increasing across every student group measured. Black students improved from 20.4% to 25.4%, low-income students from 27.7% to 32.1%, and English learners from 12.2% to 16.8%.

Attendance

Chronic absenteeism declined for the fourth consecutive year, falling from 29.8% in 2022 to 23.5% in 2026 — a 21.1% improvement, the board says. ISBE says regular attendance remains one of the strongest predictors of academic success and high school graduation.

Teacher workforce

Illinois schools now employ nearly 140,000 teachers, the board says. Since 2019, the state has added more than 12,000 teachers while reducing the number of unfilled teaching positions. The number of Asian educators increased 11%, Hispanic educators 6%, and Black educators 5.2% in 2026.

Student enrollment continued a long-term decline, decreasing 1.6% from the previous year, which the board links to declining birth rates in Illinois and nationally.

College and career readiness

The board says more than 326,000 students participated in enriched or honors coursework in 2026, nearly 160,000 enrolled in Advanced Placement courses, and more than 117,000 participated in dual credit programs. More than 290,000 students participated in Career and Technical Education programs, and over 163,000 completed career pathways as concentrators — an increase of more than 17% since 2024.

A redesigned accountability system

Beginning with the 2026 report card, ISBE is implementing a redesigned accountability system built around Profiles of Performance. The board says the new framework lets more schools earn Exemplary recognition by meeting defined statewide criteria rather than being limited to a top percentage. Under the previous system, about 10% of schools were designated Exemplary; under Profiles of Performance, 28.3% of schools met Exemplary criteria.

The model evaluates schools using indicators including proficiency, student growth, graduation rates, consistent attendance, climate survey participation, and English learner progress.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education's website, the report card is an annual report showing how the state and each school and district are progressing on a range of educational goals, and there are two versions — a customizable printable version and the web-based Illinois Interactive Report Card.

The 2026 Illinois Report Card reflects data from the 2025-26 school year. Interactive data is available at IllinoisReportCard.com, with additional resources at ISBE's Report Card webpage.

Source: the original release