Running Starts: CPS Class of 2025 Graduates with College Readiness, Technical Skills and Commendations

CHICAGO – As Chicago Public Schools’ graduating seniors toss their caps this year, more of them than ever will be leaving with significant head starts to life after high school, whether it is heading to higher education with commendations and scholarships, or entering an increasingly sought-after skilled trade with industry-approved certifications.

The Class of 2025’s achievements represent growing numbers of students earning early college credits or learning technical skills, getting commendations for literacy in world languages, and across the board, continuing the upward climb of academic accomplishments. The list of accolades for the graduates represents the District’s unprecedented investments in Chicago children’s public education and efforts to turn around the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s fourth largest school district.

“These numbers speak for themselves – Chicago Public Schools is graduating some of this city’s best and brightest young people,” said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. “These achievements remind us that we must continue investing in our youth because, with the right support, we can set up our next generation for success and economic mobility to not only improve their lives, but to also build a stronger Chicago.”

Recent graduates and members of the Class of 2025 are moving on to colleges and universities, including some of the most competitive schools in the country, and CPS graduates are increasingly persisting and earning their undergraduate degrees.

Many are getting a jump start on college while attending a CPS high school. Last month, CPS celebrated the more than 6,600 CPS graduates this year that earned more than 66,000 early college credits – the highest achievement in CPS history – representing an estimated $10 million in tuition savings for CPS families. This year’s graduates also include nearly 4,000 seniors who have completed Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes, expanding their pathways to high-paying wages in sought-after jobs.

Divinefavour Osuji, a senior at Lane Tech College Prep High School, is graduating with a long list of accomplishments, including being named the 2025 National STEM Champion, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic awards, for developing a cost-effective hand prosthetic controlled by muscle contractions. His achievements did not just draw local media attention, it captured interest from four universities that offered him scholarships to attend their institutions.

Ultimately, Osuji chose the University of Michigan, where he will study biomedical engineering and continue his work in scientific research, with a focus on tissue engineering.

“I’m thankful for the education I’ve been able to receive at Lane Tech and CPS, and the opportunity to participate in science competitions, and join clubs and the local school council. It has all been invaluable experiences that really stuck with me,” he said. “Chicago is a very diverse city and attending CPS has meant that I’ve been a part of a community with many racial groups from different socioeconomic backgrounds, which has really expanded my worldview and prepared me for the college experience.”

EARLY COLLEGE CREDITS

Over at Kelvyn Park High School, senior Meadow Zangrilli is graduating with 17 early college credits, the equivalent of one semester of college, at no cost. She will attend Illinois State University in the fall with an early jump on her plans to one day go to medical school and become a healthcare professional.

“It was a big challenge but it was definitely worth it. I have all these credits and I have a head start in college already,” Zangrilli said. “I’m excited that I got the work done now that will really contribute to my future in the long run. I’ve always loved helping people so I know I want to do something in the medical field.”

Zangrilli is not alone in her ambition. The Class of 2025 set new records across every Early College milestone:

• More than 1,000 students earned 15 or more college credits, the equivalent of one semester in college, which represents a 21.4 percent increase from 2024
• A total of 320 students earned 30 credits or more, equivalent to one full year of college, which marks a 47.5 percent increase from 2024
• 211 graduating seniors earned an associate degree while still in high school, a 46.5 percent increase from the prior year.
• 80 schools earned milestone recognition for early college achievement, representing a 21.3 percent increase from 2024.

These outcomes are made possible through the Chicago Roadmap, a strategic partnership first established between CPS and CCC, which ensures CPS students can access college-level courses, free of charge, during high school. The initiative this year expanded to a second phase with the University of Illinois Chicago, focused on helping students complete bachelor’s degrees through seamless credit transfer. The Roadmap partnership expands equitable access to:

• Dual credit courses taught by qualified CPS teachers at high schools
• Dual enrollment courses taught by CCC faculty at college campuses or online
• High-quality advising, career exploration, and transition supports

In addition to CCC, CPS students also earned credits through partners that include DeVry University, Chicago State University, Illinois Tech, Loyola University, Northeastern Illinois University, National Louis University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois Chicago.

VARYING PATHWAYS FOR SUCCESS

CPS is expanding pathways to high wage, high demand careers through CTE and work-based learning with labor and industry partners, such as Peoples Gas, ComEd, the Plumbers’ Local Union 130, IBEW Local 134, Laborers 1001, and City departments including Streets and Sanitation. In all, more than 10,000 students this year participated in training programs, career readiness workshops, internships, and field trips to explore various skilled trades – with about 250 students directly hired into skilled trades jobs after graduation through bridge programs.

Teachers for Elias Aviles, a senior at Lake View High School, recommended that he explore Chicago Builds – a pre-apprenticeship training program for the construction industry – after learning about his passion for carpentry and hands on work. Aviles immediately took to the opportunity, completing the program in May with nearly 100 other Chicago Builds graduates who earned industry-recognized certifications in electrical, carpentry, heating and cooling (HVAC) and welding.

“I like the creativity of building things,” Aviles said. “Chicago Builds helped me learn about the different trades to help you find a job and prepare for what’s to come in the future. It’s also fun and helps you learn everything you’re interested in learning.”

Aviles and the other Chicago Builds graduates are among an estimated 14,000 CPS students enrolled in CTE classes this year, all part of the District’s efforts to build a network of supportive government and community partner services to connect students with opportunities that will make them competitive for high-demand occupations.

BILINGUAL AND MULTILINGUAL GRADUATES

More than 3,400 students from 91 schools earned the Illinois Seal of Biliteracy this year, which is about 17 percent higher than last year and more than 80 percent higher than 2022. The Seal of Biliteracy is given to students who have attained proficiency in English and at least one other language before their high school graduation. This increase reflects the District’s intentional investment in bilingual teachers and dual-language programs, as well as the formation of bilingual advisory councils.

For Eric Chen, a senior at Walter Payton High School, language is a tool to help him learn more about the world and to put himself in the shoes of others. When he graduates this month, his commendations include four Seals of Biliteracy, demonstrating his proficiency in Cantonese, Mandarin, French, and Latin. He has also learned some Spanish but hasn’t earned a Seal in that language – yet.

“A majority of conflicts I witnessed in high school and in the world are from miscommunication,” he said. “If you understand the way someone speaks, you can also better understand the way they think and you’re not as quick to jump to conclusions. It’s good not to be entrenched in your own thinking – this is the richness of life.”

Other than Cantonese, which he speaks at home, the other languages Chen has learned began as self-studies. When he decided to pick up French during the COVID-19 pandemic, he completed a 298-day streak of studying the language through online learning app, Duolingo.

This fall, Chen will attend Princeton University with plans to major in computer science and minor in linguistics and intercultural communications. Wherever he lands professionally in the future, he believes he is ready, saying “I think this specific journey will help me discover more of myself.”

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