What Interlochen Arts Academy does

Interlochen Arts Academy is the boarding high school division (grades 9-12) of Interlochen Center for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1928 in Interlochen, Michigan and currently celebrating its centennial. The Academy combines college-preparatory academics with intensive training across seven arts disciplines — music, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, dance, film & new media, and interdisciplinary arts — delivered on a 1,200-acre lakeside campus containing 400+ buildings, facilities, and venues including Corson Auditorium, Kresge Auditorium, Interlochen Bowl, and the Dance Center. It has been named the #1 Best High School for the Arts in America by Niche with A+ ratings for Academics and College Preparation, and draws a student body from more than 40 countries. The institution is led by President Trey Devey and operates without a parent company as an independent public charity.

Interlochen Center for the Arts as a whole operates a portfolio of integrated programs beyond the Academy: a Summer Arts Camp for grades 3-12, Interlochen Online (a web-based arts education platform for children, teens, and adults), the College of Creative Arts (continuing-education workshops and retreats for adults 18+), the Interlochen Arts Festival and Shakespeare Festival (600+ concerts and events annually), Interlochen Public Radio, and Stone Hotel and Cottages for on-campus lodging. The technology stack supporting instruction and distribution includes G Suite for Education (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Classroom) under a partnership with Google, a learning management system for online programming, virtual 360-degree campus tours, and live webcast streaming of performances across major browsers. No APIs, SDKs, or proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.

The business model combines multiple recurring and transactional revenue streams: boarding school tuition, summer camp and online program fees, continuing education tuition, ticket sales (concert tickets priced $14-$17 for standard seats, with premium event variation), donations across monthly sustainer tiers (President's Club $5,000+, W. Clement Stone Society $1,000-$4,999, Evergreen starting at $84/month) and major gifts, on-campus lodging, and merchandise. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, structured around formal admissions cycles (Early Action Nov. 15, Regular Decision Jan. 15), online registration portals (interlochen.my.site.com), a regional box office, and the Interlochen Public Radio broadcast footprint in northern Michigan.

Name

Interlochen Arts Academy

Legal name

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Website

https://interlochen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Interlochen Arts Academy is a nonprofit boarding high school (grades 9-12) within Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, offering college-preparatory academics alongside intensive training in music, theatre, dance, visual arts, film, creative writing, and interdisciplinary arts to a student body representing 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA), Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation) (EDAAAGAO)

Keywords

• Arts boarding school
• Performing arts education
• Residential arts camp
• Online arts programs
• Continuing arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Interlochen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue from boarding school tuition, summer arts camp fees, online program fees, and continuing education/workshop fees for adult learners.
2. Concert and Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for 600+ annual performances including the Interlochen Arts Festival, Shakespeare Festival, and other concerts and theatre productions. Proceeds support student scholarships.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Annual fund donations, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate sponsorships supporting scholarships and institutional operations. The Interlochen Annual Fund and Interlochen Public Radio accept contributions.
4. Lodging and Hospitality: Stone Hotel and Cottages on campus provide accommodation revenue for visitors attending performances and events.
5. Merchandise and Retail: Online store selling Interlochen merchandise, apparel, and memorabilia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Interlochen Arts Academy operates a residential boarding arts high school for grades 9-12 that combines rigorous, college-preparatory academics with intensive artistic training across seven disciplines: creative writing, dance, film & new media, interdisciplinary arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. As part of Interlochen Center for the Arts, it also runs a Summer Arts Camp (grades 3-12), Interlochen Online programs, continuing education for adults through the College of Creative Arts, and produces 600+ annual performances on its 1,200-acre lakeside campus in northern Michigan.

Product overview

Interlochen Center for the Arts operates as a multi-program arts education institution offering a portfolio of distinct programs: Arts Academy (a boarding high school for grades 9-12), Summer Arts Camp (for grades 3-12), Online Arts Programs, and Continuing Education for adults. The organization also produces Concerts & Events (600+ annually) including the Interlochen Arts Festival, maintains Interlochen Public Radio, and provides lodging through Stone Hotel and Cottages. All programs focus on arts education across disciplines including music, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, dance, film, and interdisciplinary arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Interlochen Arts Festival: Summer concert series featuring world-class performances at the lakeside campus
• World Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Interlochen Shakespeare Festival

Products and services

• Arts Academy (Arts Boarding School) A boarding high school for grades 9-12 combining world-class artistic training across seven disciplines with rigorous college-preparatory academics, named #1 Best High School for the Arts in America. Students reside on campus and pursue intensive study alongside a global community from 40+ countries.
• Summer Arts Camp A residential summer arts program for young artists in grades 3-12 offering training in music, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, dance, film, and interdisciplinary arts. Participants connect with peers from around the world while honing their skills under renowned faculty.
• Online Arts Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• #1 Best High School for the Arts in America (A+ for Academics and A+ College Preparation)

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Google (G Suite for Education)coreTechnology or IntegrationInterlochen provides G Suite for Education accounts to students, including access to Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Classroom, and other Google services. Google provides educational technology platform services to support student learning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• School of American Ballet: Official academy of New York City Ballet and a leading pre-professional ballet training school. Comparable specialized performing-arts training mission and target student, focused narrowly on ballet where Interlochen offers broader dance.

Broad incumbents

• Cornish College of the Arts: Small performing and visual arts college in Seattle offering BFA degrees across dance, design, music, theatre, and visual arts. Comparable multi-discipline arts-education brand serving a similar college-bound arts demographic.
• New England Conservatory: Boston-based music conservatory with both college and pre-college programs. Its Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education directly overlap with Interlochen's summer, continuing-ed, and pre-college training offerings.
• Berklee College of Music: Premier post-secondary music and performing arts institution in Boston. Larger and more established, but the primary destination for Interlochen graduates pursuing music, and overlapping summer programming (e.g., Berklee Five-Week) competes with Interlochen Summer Arts Camp.
• Juilliard School: World-leading conservatory for dance, drama, and music in New York City. Top-tier destination school for Interlochen graduates and a benchmark competitor for the most elite young performing artists globally.
• Curtis Institute of Music: Highly selective conservatory in Philadelphia training exceptional young musicians. Comparable artist-development mission and a key feeder/destination pipeline for Interlochen music students.

Regional players

• Tanglewood / Boston Symphony Orchestra Education Programs: Tanglewood Music Center and BSO youth education programs (including a Tanglewood-based youth orchestra) compete with Interlochen's World Youth Symphony Orchestra and summer music programming for elite young orchestral musicians.

Direct peers

• National Music Camp / Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp: Residential summer arts camp in Michigan offering music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and creative writing for K-12 students. Direct competitor for the Summer Arts Camp segment of Interlochen's program mix.
• Idyllwild Arts Academy: Residential boarding arts high school in Idyllwild, California offering grades 9-12 (and a summer program) across music, visual arts, theatre, dance, film, and creative writing. Directly comparable residential arts high school model serving the same boarding-student demographic.
• Walnut Hill School for the Arts: Independent boarding and day arts high school in Natick, Massachusetts serving grades 9-12 across dance, music, theatre, visual art, film, and creative writing. Closest direct competitor for top-tier college-preparatory arts boarding students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/interlochenarts
• Facebookfacebook.com/interlochencenterforthearts
• Instagraminstagram.com/interlochenarts
• TikToktiktok.com/@interlochenarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interlochen-arts-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Interlochen Arts Academy