University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (also known as Lab, Lab Schools, or U-High, abbreviated UCLS) is a private, co-educational, day Pre-school and K-12 school in Chicago, Illinois. It is affiliated with the University of Chicago. Almost half of the students have a parent who is on the faculty or staff of the university.[3]
The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
Private Secondary
1896
Victoria Jueds
Nursery (age 3)–12
2,161 (2018–19)[1]
Maroons
Lab, Lab schools, U-High (high school only)
U-High Midway
U-Highlights Yearbook
2024-25:
Nursery, Half Day - $29,334
Nursery, Full Day-Grade 5 - $40,686
Grades 6-8 - $42,834
Grades 9-12 - $44,592[2]
Tuition for children of faculty is half of listed amounts.
History[edit]
The Laboratory Schools were founded by American educator John Dewey in 1896 in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Calvin Brainerd Cady was director of the music department under Dewey.[4] The school began as a progressive educational institution that goes from nursery school through 12th grade.[5]
The school was an attempt to create a unified school system from the kindergarten to university. Managed by the university's Department of Philosophy, Psychology, and Education, it served as a laboratory to test hypotheses and build on the knowledge about education because John Dewey, who became head of the department in 1894, wanted to test certain ideas of his.[6]
Dewey acknowledges in his book How We Think (1910) the contribution made by his wife Alice Dewey to the development of the school in its early years.[7]
Campus[edit]
The Laboratory Schools consists of two interrelated campuses. The Historic Campus, located at 1362 East 59th Street, fills two full city blocks and is known for its Modern Gothic style architecture. It houses grades 3–12 (about 1,200 students) in five connected buildings: Blaine Hall (built in 1903), Belfield Towers (1904), Judd Hall (1931), the high school (built in 1960), the middle school (1993), and Gordon Parks Arts Hall (2015) which has 100 classrooms. Two connected gymnasiums also sit on this campus, Sunny Gym (built in 1929) and Kovler Gymnasium (built in 2000) and students have access to both Scammon Garden and Jackman Field.
In September 2013, Lab opened Earl Shapiro Hall on its new Early Childhood Campus located at 5800 S. Stony Island Avenue. This new building, designed by Valerio Dewalt Train and FGM Architects, is home to approximately 625 children in nursery through second grade. The building is named for Earl Shapiro, who graduated from Lab in 1956.
Extracurricular activities[edit]
High school students may choose from over 40 different clubs and activities. The high school math, science, and Model UN teams are regular contenders for – and winners of – state titles. The school's newspaper/website, The U-High Midway,[14] and the yearbook, U-Highlights, regularly win state and national awards, as does its arts magazine, Renaissance. Other popular activities include theater, identity and affinity clubs, Student Council, policy debate, and Model UN. The Model UN team is consistently ranked among the top in the nation, and is world-renowned for its competitive excellence.[15] In 2011, it was ranked the #2 High School Model UN team in the United States.[16] The Debate Team has won numerous national circuit tournaments.
Organized by the Office of Alumni Relations Development, members of the student body at U-High are nominated by faculty to serve in the Maroon Key Society. The Maroon Key Society serve as[17] ambassadors for the school, and they help provide tours to visiting alumni, potential students, and other guests to the school.
The high school's extracurricular activities occasionally make national and international news. For example, in 1990 then-Governor Thompson declared a "Matthew Headrick Day"[18][19] and the US House made a proclamation[18] when then-student Headrick appeared on talk shows including Today[18][20] after winning the Westinghouse.[21][22] In response to the award, the Chicago Tribune wrote: "this ... is a ... school where being on the math team ... can actually enhance one's social status."[23]
The Finance Club was founded in 2015 with more than $100,000 of donated funds to invest.[24]