Utah County Academy of Science

What Utah County Academy of Science does

Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) is a public charter high school founded in 2005 and operating across two campuses in Orem and Provo, Utah. The school delivers a STEM-focused early college program in which students complete a standard Utah high school diploma while simultaneously accumulating college credit through concurrent enrollment at Utah Valley University (UVU), with seniors spending their final year embedded full-time on the UVU campus. The instructional model is supported by 27 teachers (70% holding master's degrees), a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a layered set of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Early College pathways in Computer Science, Web Development, Engineering/Mechatronics, and Nursing.

The core technology and operating platform is the dual-campus concurrent-enrollment architecture itself, combined with standard K-12 SaaS tooling: Canvas (LMS), Aspire (Student Information System), SafeUT (mental-health/tip line), YouScience (career assessment), Khan Academy and Shmoop (test prep), and a UVU-ID-linked UTA bus pass for student transport. The school does not develop proprietary software; its differentiation rests on the structural arrangement with UVU, established pathway curricula, and instructional practices rather than on a technology product.

UCAS is a publicly funded, state-authorized nonprofit charter school. Revenue mechanics are dominated by per-pupil state appropriations and federal funding that follow enrolled students, supplemented by modest student fees, a meal program (breakfast $1.90, lunch $3.25, with reduced-price tiers), and donations (including a dedicated new-building fund and a robotics team fund). Distribution is purely direct: prospective families apply via an online lottery during open enrollment (December onward), attend orientation, complete a UVU application, and register; there is no athletics program and no part-time enrollment from students attending other public schools. Students are motivated, college-bound learners—primarily the "Motivated STEM-Focused Students" persona—drawn from Utah County.

Name

Utah County Academy of Science

Legal name

Utah County Academy of Sciences

Website

https://ucas-edu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UCAS is a public charter high school in Orem and Provo, Utah, offering a STEM-focused early college program that lets students earn a high school diploma and up to two years of UVU college credit simultaneously.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education (Charter High School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Early college education
• STEM high school
• Charter school programs
• Concurrent enrollment
• CTE career pathways

Headquarters

HQ city

Orem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: UCAS is a publicly funded charter high school receiving taxpayer dollars through state appropriations and federal grants. As a charter school, it receives per-pupil funding from the state of Utah based on enrollment.
2. Student Fees: Annual school fees charged to students including course fees, with fee waiver options available for families demonstrating financial hardship. Reduced price meals available for qualifying families.
3. Meal Program Revenue: Breakfast and lunch served daily. Full-priced breakfast costs $1.90, lunch costs $3.25. Reduced price meals available at $0.30 (breakfast) and $0.40 (lunch). A la carte items including milk and juice sold separately.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts monetary donations for school initiatives including new building fund, robotics team challenge, PTSO activities, and general school projects. General donations fund hands-on classroom experiences, labs, field trips, and support for students with financial hardships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UCAS is a public charter high school offering a STEM-focused early college program where students simultaneously earn a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit. Instruction is delivered across a dual-campus model (Provo campus for grades 9-10, Orem campus for grades 11-12), with seniors completing their final year directly on Utah Valley University's campus taking college courses. The school covers tuition and books for eligible UVU courses and offers CTE pathways in computer science, web development, engineering mechatronics, and nursing.

Product overview

Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) is an early college high school offering a unified educational program combining high school and college education. The core offering is the Early College High School Program which integrates traditional high school instruction with concurrent enrollment at Utah Valley University (UVU). Students progress through grade levels at UCAS campuses (Provo for 9th-10th grade, Orem for 11th-12th grade) and complete their senior year on UVU campus. The program includes specialized CTE pathways in Computer Science, Web Development, and Engineering Mechatronics partnered with UVU, plus Early College Pathways in Computer Science and Nursing. UCAS provides computer programming education with industry certifications, robotics programs, and free tutoring. The school leverages Canvas LMS for coursework management and Aspire for student information, with integrated tools including SafeUT for mental health support, Keys to Success for career guidance, and YouScience for career assessments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early College High School Program Innovative early college high school with STEM emphasis allowing students to earn both a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit in a dual-campus environment. Targeted at academically-prepared students in grades 9-12.
• UVU Concurrent Enrollment Partnership with Utah Valley University allowing students to take college-level classes starting in ninth grade, with seniors spending their final year on UVU campus as full-time college students taking 12+ UVU credits. UCAS pays tuition for eligible students.
• UVU Computer Science Pathway Early college pathway with targeted advising for Data Science, Computer Science Emphases, Full Stack Web, Secure Computing, and Computer Engineering at UVU, for students interested in computing careers.
• Nursing Pathway Nursing pathway where students earning a 3.85 GPA are granted an interview for UVU's nursing RN program, providing a direct path to a nursing career.
• Computer Sciences Programming and Software Development CTE Pathway Career and Technical Education pathway partnered with UVU focusing on programming and software development skills, preparing students for technology careers.
• Web Development CTE Pathway Career and Technical Education pathway partnered with UVU focusing on web development skills for students interested in web and digital careers.
• Engineering Mechatronics CTE Pathway Career and Technical Education pathway partnered with UVU focusing on mechatronics engineering, integrating mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering skills.
• Associate Degree Programs Students can earn their UVU associate degree when they graduate from high school, with UCAS paying for tuition and books for eligible students maintaining the required academic standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of UCAS students graduate with an Associate degree
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and secondary.

• Utah Valley University (UVU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005UCAS maintains a close, long-standing partnership with UVU established at the school's founding in 2005. High school seniors spend their final year on UVU campus attending classes with college students. UCAS pays tuition and fees for UVU on-campus classes for eligible students. UVU is extremely supportive of UCAS and provides counselors, facilities, tutoring labs, and library access. UCAS students are full-time UVU students during senior year, taking 12 or more UVU credits.
• UTA (Utah Transit Authority)minorOthersUCAS provides all students with a free UTA bus pass, enabling transportation to both UCAS campuses and UVU. Students activate passes using their UVU ID cards.
• Mountainland Technical College (MTECH)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCAS students can access MTECH programs for technical education. UCAS will pay for one MTECH program of study for students on limited scholarship status. Students are responsible for program fees.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: BASIS is a network of STEM-focused college-prep charter schools with strong academic outcomes and university partnerships. Like UCAS, BASIS schools emphasize accelerated coursework, high graduation rates, and standardized academic excellence — directly comparable in mission and student outcomes.
• Great Hearts Academies: Great Hearts is a charter management organization operating college-preparatory classical academies with rigorous curricula and high college-readiness outcomes. Comparable to UCAS in charter school status, academic rigor, and selective college preparation focus.
• Bard High School Early College (BHSEC): BHSEC is a network of public early college high schools where students earn both a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit. Highly comparable to UCAS in early college model, dual-credit structure, and public charter/nonprofit status.
• Da Vinci Schools: Da Vinci Schools is a California-based charter organization offering early college and STEM-focused high school pathways with industry-aligned programming. Comparable to UCAS in early college model, STEM emphasis, CTE offerings, and concurrent college enrollment.
• Intech Collegiate High School: Intech is a STEM-focused early college charter high school in Utah serving students in grades 7-12 with concurrent college enrollment. Directly comparable to UCAS as a same-state, same-model Utah early college charter STEM school.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program): KIPP is the largest U.S. charter school network, operating public charter schools with a college-prep mission and emphasis on outcomes for underserved students. Comparable to UCAS in charter school structure, college-readiness focus, and public funding model, but at much larger scale.
• IDEA Public Schools: IDEA is a large charter school network with strong college-prep outcomes, including a high percentage of graduates attending college. Comparable to UCAS in charter status, college-readiness metrics, and STEM pathway offerings, though operating at significantly larger scale across multiple states.
• Harmony Public Schools: Harmony is a Texas-based STEM-focused public charter school system emphasizing college readiness and STEM pathways. Comparable to UCAS in charter status, STEM emphasis, CTE pathways, and college-prep mission.
• National Heritage Academies: National Heritage Academies operates a large network of public charter schools with a college-prep focus and established academic curricula. Comparable to UCAS in charter school model, academic rigor, and public funding reliance.

Others

• Early College High School Initiative: A national initiative (founded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) that supports early college high school design. UCAS is essentially an embodiment of this model, making the Initiative a thematic peer and ecosystem participant for comparison purposes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxs0UnB1TOyOQwgOzKbsLWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ucas.utah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utah-county-academy-of-sciences-ucas-
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucas.utah
• Xx.com/ucas_utah

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Utah County Academy of Science