Founded by the renowned educator John Dewey in 1896 and located in Hyde Park, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools are among the nation’s best.

Being part of the University of Chicago means that the importance of intellectual life—of thought and exploration—infuses everything we do across all aspects of our curriculum. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity. All are attracted to a diverse community and an environment that creates and nurtures the habits of expansive thinking and complex problem-solving.

Life after Lab—prepared for success in college and beyond

Virtually all Lab alumni go on to graduate from a four-year college. They gain acceptance to outstanding colleges around Chicago and the country: from the University of Chicago, University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign, Northwestern, and DePaul, to Harvard, Emory, University of Southern California, and many more.

And Lab grads find each other wherever they go—their Lab relationships last for years after graduation, turning into unexpected opportunities over and over as they pursue any number of different fields: medicine, law, education, banking, finance, theater, and the creative arts.

UChicago resources and people enhance every student’s experience

Lab students of every age benefit from the University’s outstanding academicians and access to unmatched resources:

• Oceanographers, paleontologists, and other scientists to share their expertise with even our youngest students
• Students attend performances at the Court Theater and have special access to the Oriental Institute and Smart museums.
• High Schoolers have access to and are taught to use University libraries
• Lab’s Summer Link program places qualified U-Highers into paid internships in University laboratories and with professors and businesses around the city.