Press Release
Chicardgo School Launches Groundbreaking New Metric for High School Rankings
The Elite College Placement Index (ECPI) offers an outcome-driven perspective on a high school's success in placing students into top-tier universities.
REDWOOD CITY, CA, September 17, 2025. Updated March 24, 2026.
Chicardgo School today announced the launch of the Elite College Placement Index (ECPI), a new data-driven system for ranking high schools. Prioritizing outcomes over inputs, the ECPI is engineered to measure a single, critical outcome: a school's track record of placing its graduates into the nation's most selective universities and liberal arts colleges. The index synthesizes publicly available matriculation data, using a proprietary weighting system to evaluate a school’s performance in placing students at Top 25 National Universities, Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges, and top in-state and regional universities.
- A Singular Focus: The ECPI measures one specific outcome—placement into elite universities—providing an unparalleled level of clarity for families.
- Complete Objectivity: Unlike rankings that rely on subjective parent surveys, the ECPI is built on verifiable matriculation outcomes from open and public data sources.
- A Unique Tool for Parents: No other ranking on the market is built to answer this specific question, making it an invaluable resource for navigating the competitive college admissions landscape.
To explore the full rankings, view detailed school profiles, and learn more about the ECPI methodology, visit school.chicardgo.com.
Key National Insights
Matriculation to Top 25 National Universities
Largest Gaps (Private > Public)
(Difference in median T25 rates)
- New York City: Private outperforms by ~33 pts.
- Bay Area: Private outperforms by ~32 pts.
- Washington, DC: Private outperforms by ~18 pts.
- Los Angeles: Private outperforms by ~18 pts.
- Boston: Private outperforms by ~12 pts.
Where Public Schools Outperform
(Median public beats private > 1.0%)
- San Diego
- Dallas
- Cleveland
Highest Private School Medians
(Median T25 matriculation rates)
- Bay Area: ~40.0%
- New York City: ~39.0%
- Washington, DC: ~28.0%
- Los Angeles: ~26.0%
- Boston: ~24.5%
Highest Public School Medians
(Median T25 matriculation rates)
- Boston: ~12.0%
- Washington, DC: ~10.0%
- Bay Area: ~8.0%
- Los Angeles: ~8.0%
- Seattle: ~7.0%
- Philadelphia: ~6.5%
Matriculation to Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges
Largest Gaps (Private > Public)
(Difference in median T15 rates)
- New York City: Private outperforms by ~16 pts.
- Bay Area: Private outperforms by ~12 pts.
- Boston: Private outperforms by ~9 pts.
- Los Angeles: Private outperforms by ~9 pts.
- Philadelphia: Private outperforms by ~5 pts.
Highest Private School Medians
(Median T15 matriculation rates)
- New York City: ~18.0%
- Bay Area: ~15.0%
- Boston: ~13.0%
- Los Angeles: ~10.0%
- Philadelphia: ~7.0%
Highest Public School Medians
(Median T15 matriculation rates)
- New York City: ~5.0%
- Boston: ~4.0%
- Bay Area: ~3.0%
- D.C.: ~3.0%
- Philadelphia: ~2.0%