Ranked the #1 college preparatory public high school in Illinois and #1 STEM high school in Illinois by Niche.com, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced residential academic program. Graduates are leaders in the business, education, scientific, and civic sectors. By design, IMSA is not part of the K-12 educational system. Rather, IMSA is an independent state agency governed by an appointed Board of Trustees. IMSA’s budget is part of the Illinois higher education system.
Mission
To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition.
Notable IMSA technology alumni include YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen, PayPal Co-Creator Yu Pan, Yelp Co-Founder Russell Simmons, SparkNotes, and OkCupid Co-Founder Sam Yagan, and Hearsay Social Founder, Clara Shih. IMSA is proud to have been named among the top 40 public and private college preparatory institutions in the world by The Wall Street Journal. IMSA has been profiled by NBC-TV’s Dateline, CNN’s Science and Technology News, USA Today, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
IMSA is both a public residential Academy and a catalyst for the advancement of STEM teaching and learning statewide with the responsibility to stimulate further excellence for all Illinois schools in mathematics and science through student Educator Development and Youth Outreach Programs. These programs provide professional development training and turnkey STEM curricula, student enrichment, including summer camps, and entrepreneurship and makerspace education.
