Walter Payton College Preparatory High School
CPS choice · 9-12
At a glance
The school’s supportive environment was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). Family involvement was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages). In 2024–25, 7,932 applications were recorded for 350 offers (GoCPS, 2024–25 school year - the most recent seat data SchoolNav has).
- Academic fit
- Instruction was rated ‘Very Strong’ on the 5Essentials survey (5Essentials spring 2024 survey - benchmarked levels relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages).
Computed from published data with its source and year on every clause - a description, never a grade.
Basics
- Address
- 1034 N WELLS ST
- Neighborhood
- Near North Side
- Phone
- (773)534-0034
- Hours
- Unknown - not verified yet
- Website
- https://wpcp.org
- Climate survey
- Involved families
- Very Strong
- Supportive environment
- Very Strong
- Ambitious instruction
- Very Strong
- Effective leaders
- Weak
- Collaborative teachers
- Neutral
- Safety (student-reported)
- Neutral
- Overall organization
- Organized
UChicago 5Essentials levels from the spring 2024 survey (CPS Progress Reports SY2425, verified 2026-09-16) - benchmarked categories relative to Illinois statewide, spring 2013, not percentages. A school can answer mostly positively and still rate below the benchmark typical.
Full 2024 report (UChicago)- the survey these levels come from·2026 report- newer survey, new benchmark
5Essentials - the latest survey in detail
Classroom Rigor, Expectations for Postsecondary Education, and Emotional Health are rated above the CPS average; Quality Professional Development, Instructional Leadership, and Teacher-Principal Trust are rated below it this year.
From the 2026 CPS 5Essentials survey (25-26). Scores are benchmarked 1–99 (not percentages) - higher is stronger, and each is shown against the CPS average that same year. This is a newer survey on a different benchmark than the component levels above, so the two aren’t directly comparable.
Show all measures ▸Hide measures ▾
Ambitious Instruction
85 ▲ above the CPS average (60)- Academic Press· students-reported88 ▲ above the CPS average (55)
- English Instruction· students-reported94 ▲ above the CPS average (65)
- Math Instruction· students-reported84 ▲ above the CPS average (69)
- Quality of Student Discussion· teachers-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
Supportive Environment
90 ▲ above the CPS average (56)- Expectations for Postsecondary Education· teachers-reported96 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
- Safety· students-reported85 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- School-Wide Future Orientation· students-reported94 ▲ above the CPS average (62)
- Student-Teacher Trust· students-reported86 ▲ above the CPS average (56)
Collaborative Teachers
56 ▲ above the CPS average (52)- Collaborative Practices· teachers-reported66 ▬ about the CPS average (63)
- Collective Responsibility· teachers-reported54 ▬ about the CPS average (52)
- Quality Professional Development· teachers-reported44 ▼ below the CPS average (55)
- School Commitment· teachers-reported52 ▲ above the CPS average (43)
- Teacher-Teacher Trust· teachers-reported65 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
Effective Leaders
52 ▬ about the CPS average (52)- Instructional Leadership· teachers-reported45 ▼ below the CPS average (56)
- Program Coherence· teachers-reported53 ▬ about the CPS average (52)
- Teacher Influence· teachers-reported69 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
- Teacher-Principal Trust· teachers-reported41 ▼ below the CPS average (48)
Involved Families
78 ▲ above the CPS average (50)- Parent Influence on Decision Making in Schools· teachers-reported74 ▲ above the CPS average (53)
- Parent Involvement in School· teachers-reported81 ▲ above the CPS average (49)
- Teacher-Parent Trust· teachers-reported79 ▲ above the CPS average (50)
Supplemental measures
Additional survey topics UChicago reports outside the five core measures.
- Academic Engagement· students-reported85 ▲ above the CPS average (70)
- Academic Personalism· students-reported77 ▲ above the CPS average (58)
- Classroom Disruptions· teachers-reported56 ▲ above the CPS average (42)
- Classroom Rigor· students-reported99 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Course Clarity· students-reported83 ▲ above the CPS average (54)
- Emotional Health· students-reported96 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Human & Social Resources in the Community· students-reported55 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Importance of High School for the Future· students-reported93 ▲ above the CPS average (67)
- Innovation· teachers-reported58 ▬ about the CPS average (56)
- Inquiry-Based Science Instruction· students-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (59)
- Parent Supportiveness· students-reported63 ▲ above the CPS average (41)
- Reflective Dialogue· teachers-reported62 ▬ about the CPS average (61)
- Rigorous Study Habits· students-reported95 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- School Connectedness· students-reported87 ▲ above the CPS average (58)
- School Safety· students-reported87 ▲ above the CPS average (57)
- Socialization of New Teachers· teachers-reported34 ▼ below the CPS average (40)
- Student Peer Relationships· students-reported98 ▲ above the CPS average (65)
- Student Responsibility· teachers-reported71 ▲ above the CPS average (38)
- Teacher Safety· teachers-reported75 ▲ above the CPS average (48)
UChicago Consortium — the 2026 cycle (school year 25-26) is re-benchmarked to spring 2024 (SY25+); it is NOT level-comparable to the spring-2013-benchmarked component levels shown elsewhere.
Programs (3)
| Program | Entry grades | How seats are offered | Test required | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Selective Enrollment High School Selective enrollment | 9 | Screening | Yes | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Significantly Modified Curriculum w/ Moderate Supports Special education | 9 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Visual Impairment Special education | 9 | Lottery | No | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
Cutoff history
What it took to receive an initial offer here in each cycle CPS has published - by tier for Selective Enrollment, and on the citywide points line for points-based Choice programs. History is context - it can’t predict a future cutoff.
| Cycle | Rank min | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 900 | 794 | 832 | 868 | 898 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2025-26 | 900 | 796 | 864 | 873 | 898 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2024-25 | 900 | 793.5 | 855 | 868 | 898 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2023-24 | 900 | 833.5 | 850 | 895 | 900 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| 2022-23 | 900 | 812 | 857 | 880 | 900 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2026 |
| Before the 2022-23 cycle CPS used a different admissions test - the rows below are shown for context only and are never mixed into the likelihood band. | ||||||
| 2021-22 | 898 | 797 | 851 | 886 | 895 | CPS-published · verified Dec 2021 |
| 2020-21 | 898 | 803 | 855 | 882 | 895 | CPS-published · verified May 2021 |
| 2019-20 | 898 | 792 | 871 | 882 | 894 | CPS-published · verified Mar 2022 |
| 2018-19 | 898 | 808 | 863 | 884 | 896 | CPS-published · verified Apr 2018 |
| 2017-18 | 898 | 771 | 846 | 875 | 894 | CPS-published · verified Jul 2017 |
| 2013-14 | 898 | 801 | 845 | 871 | 892 | CPS-published · verified Mar 2013 |
| 2011-12 | 897 | 806 | 833 | 869 | 889 | CPS-published · verified Jan 2012 |
Minimum point totals from CPS’s published initial offers - waitlist movement can lower what it actually took, and cutoffs move year to year. Within the current-test cycles above, a tier’s minimum has shifted by as much as 40 points from one cycle to the next - treat any single year as a snapshot, not a target.
Parent questions & conversation
What parents and people who know this school are asking, answering, and talking about - their own words, experiences and opinions rather than verified facts.
Parent notes on this school are visible to signed-in Chicago families. Sign in to read and ask.
SchoolNav is not affiliated with CPS. Details change - each fact above shows when it was last verified. Application decisions should always be confirmed in GoCPS.