Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) records show that 65.4 percent of Herrin High School's (HHS) 2015 graduating class enrolled in college within 12 months of graduation.
The 2015 state average for students in public schools was 70 percent.
For HHS, its college enrollment rate marks an improvement over 2014, when 61.2 percent of its graduates chose post-secondary education.
The data, collected by the National Student Clearinghouse, includes two- and four-year colleges.
Enrollment at HHS in 2015 was 750; 162 (21.6 percent) were seniors.
Also according to ISBE, 36.3 percent of HHS 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."
Among high schools in Southeast Illinois, the class of 2015 college readiness rates at Carterville High School (61.5 percent), Goreville High School (39.5 percent), and Zeigler-Royalton High School (36.8 percent) were all higher than at HHS. Pope County High School (34.1 percent), Hamilton County Junior/Senior High School (32.2 percent) and Meridian High School (13.9 percent), Cairo Junior/Senior High School (10 percent), Joppa Junior & Senior High School (21.4 percent), and Century Junior/Senior High School (24 percent) were all lower.
HHS students did better on math (31.5 percent) and English (63 percent) and worse on science (26.7 percent) and reading (29.5 percent).
Only 13.7 percent of HHS students were college ready in all four subjects, according to ISBE.
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