Sterling High School
Sterling, IL · Sterling CUSD 5
Regular public school · Grades 9 - 12 · Town, distant
283rd of 601 Illinois high schools statewide · better than 53%▼ Declining
1608 4th Ave, Sterling, IL 61081
(815)625-6800NCES ID 174231004261Directory 2023–24
SchoolRow ranks Sterling High School 283rd of 601 Illinois high schools for 2024–25, based on Illinois Report Card 2024–25 English and Math results — better than 53% of high schools statewide. Its statewide percentile went from 58th in 2019 to 53th in 2025 — declining.
Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, Illinois Report Card 2024–25
Two or more races (last reported 2023) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Two or more races (last reported 2023) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Two or more races (last reported 2023) stops before 2025: IL suppresses a group once too few of its students are tested, so the line ends rather than the school having stopped testing.
Percent meeting or exceeding the state standard, by student race and ethnicity. Only groups IL reports for this school appear — small groups are suppressed at the source to protect student privacy, so a missing line means too few testers, not zero. Tap a group to compare it with the IL average for that same group.
Racial and ethnic breakdown of 996 students (2023–24, NCES) — history since 1988, with comparable seven-category changes from 2010
| Group | Trend | 2010 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.9% | 51.6% | ▼ 12.3 pts | |
| Hispanic | 29.7% | 38.6% | ▲ 8.9 pts | |
| Two or more races | 2.5% | 6.2% | ▲ 3.7 pts | |
| Black | 3.0% | 2.3% | ▼ 0.7 pts | |
| Asian | 0.6% | 1.1% | ▲ 0.5 pts |
NCES history for this school begins in 1988. Race categories changed by 2010: earlier data combines Asian and Pacific Islander students and does not consistently identify multiracial students. The chart retains that history, while the change table uses 2010 onward.
Typical home value $146K in zip 61081 as of 2026-05 · trend since 2006
Data Provided by Zillow Group
Closest same-level schools, with 2024–25 state rank · ▲▼ = points better or worse than Sterling High School
- #328Rock Falls Township High SchoolRock Falls Twp HSD 301 · 1.8 mi away328th of 601
ELA 50% ▲4 · Math 31% ▼10Compare - #381Dixon High SchoolDixon USD 170 · 10.9 mi away381st of 601
ELA 51% ▲5 · Math 25% ▼16Compare - #132Chadwick-Milledgeville Jr/Sr High SchoolChadwick-Milledgeville CUSD 399 · 12.1 mi away132nd of 601
ELA 69% ▲23 · Math 45% ▲4Compare - #236Polo Comm High SchoolPolo CUSD 222 · 14.1 mi away236th of 601
ELA 62% ▲16 · Math 33% ▼8Compare - #204Morrison High SchoolMorrison CUSD 6 · 14.3 mi away204th of 601
ELA 69% ▲23 · Math 31% ▼10Compare - #344Prophetstown High SchoolProphetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD3 · 15.5 mi away344th of 601
ELA 40% ▼6Compare - –Amboy High SchoolAmboy CUSD 272 · 19.3 mi awayCompare
- –Ohio Community High SchoolOhio CHSD 505 · 20.7 mi awayCompare
What school district is Sterling High School in?
Sterling High School is part of the Sterling CUSD 5 district in Sterling, Illinois.
Is Sterling High School a good school?
SchoolRow ranks Sterling High School 283rd of 601 Illinois high schools (better than 53% statewide) based on 2024–25 test results (Illinois Report Card 2024–25).
What is the racial makeup of Sterling High School?
White 52%, Hispanic 39%, Two or more races 6%, Black 2% (996 students, 2023–24).
How much do homes near Sterling High School cost?
The typical home value in zip code 61081 is $146K as of 2026-05 (Zillow ZHVI).
Sources: state education department data (Illinois Report Card 2024–25, low-income, chronic absenteeism), National Center for Education Statistics via the Urban Institute (enrollment, demographics, staffing), Zillow Group (home values). Rankings are computed by SchoolRow from state English and Math results within grade level; they measure test performance, not everything that makes a school good.