About the Laboratory Schools

Learning by doing has guided the efforts of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools since Professor John Dewey first began testing his educational theories in 1896. Beginning with a handful of primary grade children from Hyde Park and growing to over 1770 students (nursery through grade 12) from throughout the metropolitan Chicago area, the Laboratory Schools have earned a well-deserved international reputation for excellence.

Our mission is focused on students. We are more than just test scores and college admissions statistics. We are about learning well and complementing the work of one of the world's premier institutions of higher learning, the University of Chicago. Our academic program is rigorous, but we are as interested in the development of character as we are in scholastic achievement. Alumni from all over the world regularly attest that it was at Lab where they learned how to think deeply and thus learned how to learn. In short, we are among the leading independent schools in the nation and pride ourselves on creating conditions for a purposeful search for knowledge and truth.

The Laboratory Schools represent the best that America has to offer with students who come from a rich variety of backgrounds. We view this diversity as a strength, representative of the world in which we live. In fact, we believe that Lab needs to be experienced in order to be appreciated. Prospective students and their families have been visiting us for over a century to determine if the Laboratory Schools are the right fit for them. To arrange a visit, please contact the Office of Admissions. To visit the Schools for other purposes, please contact my office. We look forward to meeting you.

David W. Magill
Director

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