The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Give your child an education built on more than a century of experience

In 1896, just two years after the University of Chicago was founded, Professor John Dewey—now known the world over as one of the great minds in education—established the Laboratory Schools as a place to explore and implement his theories on childhood education. Within a few years of starting the school, Dewey outlined the beliefs that continue to guide the schools:

• Students benefit from an environment where teachers and students learn from each other.
• Students learn best through experimentation, reflecting on the conditions and consequences of action.
• By contributing to others, students develop their individuality and unique capacities to add to the common good.
• At its best, a school exemplifies a purer form of our society’s democratic principles so that students grow into adults who improve their world. 

Just as they did when Lab started with only 16 students, these values still resonate and shape what we do for the more than 2,100 students, age 3 to 18, who come here to learn and be inspired every day. 

The greatest testament to the power of a Laboratory Schools education has always been our graduates. They remind us regularly that the precollegiate life they experienced at the Laboratory Schools contributed to their achievements as adults. Lab alumni have a knack for making a difference in the world as professionals, academicians, artists, educators, researchers, public servants, and more.

The Laboratory Schools are home to the youngest members of the University of Chicago's academic community 

Because the Laboratory Schools are part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, the importance of intellectual life—of thought and exploration—infuses everything we do across all aspects of our curriculum. Families who choose to send their children to Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and education. All are attracted to this environment that creates and nurtures the hallmark habits of expansive thinking and complex problem-solving. Learn more about Lab’s academic program and experience Lab for yourself.