Every Black Senior at This Illinois High School Is College-Bound

For the seniors at Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park, Ill., graduation season is more than just about walking the stage. These students carry the school’s growing legacy, and now, all 135 seniors are set to graduate. And for the 13th year in a row, 100 percent of the graduating Southland College Prep class have been accepted into colleges around the country… And that’s not even the best part!

Located just south of Chicago, Southland College Prep is no stranger to national attention. The public first learned about the school over a decade ago, when the then-seniors also graduated with a 100 percent college acceptance rate, according to the high school website. Fast forward to 2026, and it seems like Southland College Prep has mastered the formula for producing some of the most well-rounded and college-ready Black students in the country.

“You can learn from every environment, you just have to put forth the effort,” Southland College Prep CEO Dr. Blondean Davis told Fox 32 during last year’s graduation ceremony. “It’s not so much academics that we’re teaching– although we teach that. It is the mindset and determination.”

Founded in 2010, the high school welcomed its first 9th-grade class with a mission to “provide a college prep curriculum for all our students and fully prepare them for the next level of education – college,” according to the high school website.

Since then, every single graduating class– made up of mostly Black students– has seen a 100 percent college acceptance rate and 100 percent graduation rate. This year, the graduating class received over $54 million in merit and need-based scholarships, which was revealed during the school’s annual “All In” ceremony, where seniors announce their post-graduation plans.

This year’s valedictorian, LeiLani Barnes, is set to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Salutatorian Loren Rounds is headed to Northwestern University, according to Fox 32 News.

Several seniors, like Terrill Chambers, even received full-ride scholarships to the colleges of their dreams. “It alleviated a lot of the stress my family and my mom would have had to cover for college expenses,” Chambers said of his full-ride to Washington University.

“I’m able to pursue my dreams in the business school without worrying about graduating with a large amount of debt,” he added. In a country where Black Americans leave college with an average of $25,000 more in loan debt than white Americans, Southland College Prep offers a beacon of hope for the future generation of Black leaders.

Beyond the classroom, students at Southland College Prep are also involved in award-winning activities. This year, the Southland College Prep choir earned gold at a national festival in New York City. The high school’s marching band was even picked to perform during the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C.

The commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 23rd.