Stevenson is the only high school in Illinois to receive four Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education from the U.S. Department of Education. SHS won the award in 1987, 1991, 1998, and 2002. Stevenson also received the U.S. Department of Education's New American High Schools Award in 1998. Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report have ranked Stevenson among the top 100 high schools in America, with Newsweek selecting SHS for the fourth time in 2005. Stevenson is included annually in the School Watch and School Match listings of schools that offer features most sought by parents.

Stevenson offers more than 200 courses in communication arts, mathematics, science, social science, foreign languages, fine arts, applied arts and physical welfare. Classes are taught by a talented and experienced corps of teachers, three-fourths of them with a master's degree or more. Several teachers at SHS are considered by their peers to be among the country's foremost authorities in their fields. Some of the textbooks and teaching practices used around the United States can trace their roots to Stevenson High School.

Stevenson's average ACT score in 2003-04 was a record 24.9. The school's Advanced Placement program is among the nation's best. More than 20 AP classes are available and SHS regularly leads the Midwest region in AP participation and has ranked in the top five worldwide.

Approximately 98 percent of SHS graduates attend college. Of that group, 8 in 10 will attend four-year colleges and universities while the remainder enroll at two-year schools. About 7 in 10 SHS graduates enroll at public colleges and universities. The Class of 2005 will receive $13.5 million in college scholarships.

Stevenson has nearly 100 co-curricular clubs and activities open to students. Three-fourths of the student body is involved in co-curriculars, ranging from athletics to performing arts to civics.

Stevenson's 76-acre campus features state-of-the-art facilities. All students have access to computers and nearly every classroom is capable of utilizing video, data and audio transmissions. A 1,200-seat performing arts center and an Olympic-sized swimming pool are other resources enjoyed by the community. The school has a college/career counseling center, two tutoring centers, two language laboratories, and a centralized technology area with five classrooms containing approximately 150 computers for student use.