Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) records show that 59.5 percent of Staunton High School's 2015 graduating class enrolled in college within 12 months of graduation.
The 2015 state average for students in public schools was 70 percent.
For SHS, its college enrollment rate marks a decline since 2014, when 69.9 percent of its graduates chose post-secondary education.
Among high schools in Metro East, the class of 2015 college readiness rates at Highland High School (56.5 percent), Central Comm High School (50.0 percent), Bond Cty Comm Unit 2 High School (47.7 percent), Civic Memorial High School (40.8 percent) and Mulberry Grove Senior High School (32.5 percent) were all higher than at SHS. East St Louis Senior High School (5.4 percent), Cahokia High School (8.9 percent), Granite City High School (25.1 percent) and Gillespie High School (44.2 percent) were all lower.
The data, collected by the National Student Clearinghouse, includes two and four year colleges.
Enrollment at SHS in 2015 was 354. 89 (25.14 percent) were seniors.
Also according to ISBE, 47.7 percent of SHS seniors were "college ready" in 2015, versus an average of 46 percent statewide.
All students who score a 21 on the ACT qualify as "college ready."
SHS students did better on math (45.3 percent) and English (66.3 percent) and worse on science (34.9) and reading (38.4).
Only 25.6 percent of SHS students were college ready in all four subjects, according to ISBE.
Alerts Sign-up