Chicago Academy For the Arts

What Chicago Academy For the Arts does

The Chicago Academy for the Arts is an independent nonprofit arts high school founded in 1981 by Larry Jordan and headquartered at 1010 West Chicago Avenue in Chicago's West Loop. It serves approximately 125 students per year across grades 9-12 through a co-curricular model that integrates rigorous academics (Humanities, Math/Science/Technology, Social Studies, World Languages) with pre-professional arts training across six departments: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, and Visual Arts. The school maintains a sub-7:1 student-to-teacher ratio with over 50 faculty, an average class size of 15, and draws students from 77 ZIP codes with 53% commuting from outside Chicago. Designated a National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center and ranked #1 arts high school in Illinois by Niche (2026), it has produced alumni including Grammy-nominated songwriter Justin Tranter.

Name

Chicago Academy For the Arts

Legal name

The Chicago Academy for the Arts

Website

https://chicagoacademyforthearts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Chicago Academy for the Arts is an independent nonprofit arts high school in Chicago serving ~125 grades 9-12 students annually through an integrated co-curricular model combining rigorous academics with pre-professional arts training across six disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Arts Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts-Focused Private K–12 Schools (EDAJABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students) (EDAIAIAD)

Keywords

• Private arts high school
• Pre-professional arts training
• Secondary arts education
• College preparatory arts
• Arts conservatory program

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Tuition-based model for high school arts education; need-based tuition assistance available
2. Donations and Annual Fund: Charitable giving from families and alumni supporting tuition assistance and school operations; 100% of donations support tuition assistance
3. Grants: Funding from Illinois Arts Council and other grant-making organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Chicago Academy for the Arts delivers a co-curricular high school education (grades 9-12) that integrates rigorous college-preparatory academics with immersive pre-professional arts training across six disciplines: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, and Visual Arts. Beyond the four-year high school program, the Academy sells standalone Middle School Saturday Classes, Summer Intensives, Private Music Lessons, and a Postgraduate Study program. Operations are supported by tuition, Annual Fund donations, and grants, with over $2 million in need-based tuition assistance distributed annually.

Product overview

The Chicago Academy for the Arts operates as a unified co-curricular educational model combining rigorous academics with immersive, pre-professional arts training. The school offers six core arts departments (Dance, Media Arts, Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre, and Visual Arts) alongside four academic departments (Humanities/English, Math Science & Technology, Social Studies, and World Languages). Supporting programs include Middle School Programs (Saturday Classes, Summer Intensives, Private Music Lessons), Postgraduate Study, and Student Clubs & Productions (including the student-run AIDS Benefit and Black History Month Benefit). The institution uses Canvas LMS (branded 'My Academy') as its learning management platform. The co-curricular model integrates arts and academics in a single school day, preparing students for various paths beyond high school including college, conservatories, and professional arts careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High School Arts Education Program
• Middle School Saturday Classes
• Middle School Summer Intensives
• Private Music Lessons
• Postgraduate Study Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students earn $8 million in college scholarships (Class of 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Student RoomStay (SRS)minorOthersHomestay agency partner providing accommodation options for local and international students who need housing during the school year
• Cornerstone EducationminorOthersHomestay partner specifically for international students from China who need housing and support services
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system powering the 'My Academy' student portal for homework, grades, project deadlines, and teacher communications
• VeracrosscoreTechnology or IntegrationParent portal providing families access to student information, schedules, and school communications
• Illinois Arts CouncilminorOthersGrant funding support; website partially funded by Illinois Arts Council grant

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oakland School for the Arts: Independent charter arts high school in Oakland, CA offering pre-professional training in dance, vocal/instrumental music, theatre, visual arts, and literary arts. Comparable co-curricular model combining rigorous academics with arts specialization.
• Interlochen Arts Academy: Premier boarding high school in Michigan dedicated to interdisciplinary arts training (music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film) alongside college-prep academics. Closest national analog to Chicago Academy due to its pre-professional arts focus and integrated academic curriculum.
• Duke Ellington School of the Arts: Public arts-focused secondary school in Washington, D.C. offering pre-professional training across multiple arts disciplines paired with college-prep academics. Directly comparable in mission and structure to Chicago Academy, differing primarily as a public school versus private nonprofit.
• Boston Arts Academy: Independent public arts high school in Boston serving grades 9-12 with conservatory-style training in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing. Comparable in mission (arts + college prep) and demographic focus (diverse, urban student body), though publicly chartered rather than privately operated.
• Frank Sinatra School of the Arts: Public arts-focused high school in Queens, NY with conservatory programs in dance, instrumental music, vocal music, theatre, visual arts, and film. Similar model to Chicago Academy in offering specialized arts majors paired with full academic curriculum at the high school level.
• Idyllwild Arts Academy: Residential arts high school in California offering pre-professional training in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing. Comparable to Chicago Academy as a full-time arts-focused private secondary school combining rigorous academics with conservatory-style arts training.
• New World School of the Arts: Public arts high school and college in Miami offering conservatory training in dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and film alongside full college-prep academics. Comparable integrated arts-academic mission at the secondary level.
• Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS): Independent middle and high school in New York City offering pre-professional training in dance, instrumental/vocal music, and theatre alongside college-prep academics. Directly comparable co-curricular private arts school structure.
• LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts: Iconic New York City public arts high school ranked among the top performing arts secondary schools nationally. Comparable in academic-artistic integration mission and audition-based admissions model, though serving a much larger student body.

Regional players

• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) High School Programs: Chicago-based institution whose pre-college and continuing studies programs serve area high school-aged artists. Regional competitor for arts-focused secondary and supplementary programming in Chicago.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-academy-for-the-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Academy For the Arts