Opened in 1971, The school is named for slain leader of the civil rights movement, Rev.

[citation needed] King College Prep is rated a 6 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site.

[10] In 2012, the King College Prep Marching Band again traveled to Washington D.C for the Presidential Inaugural Heritage Music Festival.

King competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

1982 graduate, Efrem Winters, was named MVP of that year's McDonald's All-American game.

In 1990, King won the Illinois state title, going 32–0, and was ranked #1 nationally behind star guard/forward Jamie Brandon.

After initially committing to Illinois, Brandon went on to play alongside Shaquille O'Neal at LSU after the Ilini went on NCAA probation.

In 1993, King had 7'2" Thomas Hamilton and 7'0" Rashard Griffith, who led the Jaguars to a state championship.