Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, & Humanities

What Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, & Humanities does

The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities is a public, two-year residential and day high school serving academically gifted high-school juniors and seniors. Founded in 1990 and operated by Ball State University on its campus in Muncie, Indiana, it enrolls roughly 152-170 students per graduating class drawn from 91 Indiana counties. The Academy shares classrooms and athletic programs with Burris Laboratory Schools and grants students access to Ball State University facilities, libraries, and faculty. It does not charge tuition and is funded through Indiana state education appropriations, supplemented by grants (e.g., Lilly Endowment) and alumni donations.

The Academy's core academic program centers on dual-enrollment coursework with Ball State University, Advanced Placement courses, and a two-week intensive May Term of specialized courses, travel, and internships. Approximately 97% of seniors participate in dual credit, averaging 24 college credits per student, and the Academy reports a 78.9% AP exam pass rate. The school also runs structured outreach — AP Summer Institute for educators, School Counselor Workshops, Career Exploration, Youth Enrichment, Summer Camps, and an Online Education Program — extending its curriculum beyond enrolled residential students.

Commercially, the Academy operates as a government-funded public institution with no external shareholders or venture investors. Control rests with Ball State University and Executive Director Dr. Vickie Barton, alongside Director of Academic Affairs Dr. Jeff Smith and Director of Residential and Student Affairs Joe Turner. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the Academy is consistently ranked #1 Best Public High School in Indiana by Niche and #15 nationally, with faculty ranked #8 nationally. Notable student achievements include AP Scholar designations, National Merit recognition, alumni matriculation to 410+ colleges and universities, and a student-designed ThinSat launched on a NASA Northrop Grumman mission to the ISS.

Name

Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, & Humanities

Legal name

The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities

Website

https://academy.bsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Indiana Academy is a public, tuition-free residential and day high school on Ball State University's campus, serving roughly 300-340 high-ability Indiana juniors and seniors with dual-credit, AP, and May Term programming. It is state-funded, has ~57 staff, and operates outreach including APSI, summer camps, and online classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education (Gifted and Residential High School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Residential high school
• Dual credit education
• Advanced placement program
• Gifted student education
• STEM high school

Headquarters

HQ city

Muncie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public high school operated by Ball State University under the Indiana Department of Education, the Academy receives state funding based on enrollment and attendance. The school also accepts federal grants and state allocations for specific programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Indiana Academy is a public two-year residential and day high school for high-ability high school juniors and seniors located on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. It delivers college-level coursework through dual credit (with Ball State University) and Advanced Placement programs, augmented by a two-week May Term of intensive specialized courses, travel, and internships. In addition to its core high school program, the Academy offers outreach services including AP Summer Institute for educators, school counselor workshops, online classes, and youth enrichment/summer camps.

Product overview

The Indiana Academy offers a comprehensive educational program for high-ability high school juniors and seniors, combining dual credit college courses through Ball State University, Advanced Placement preparation, and unique experiences like May Term. The Academy operates outreach programs including AP Summer Institute for educators, School Counselor Workshops, Career Exploration Series, Youth Enrichment Programs, and Summer Camps. Student participation in technology is supported through Technology Student Association competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dual Credit Program College-level courses offered through Ball State University partnership, allowing students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. About 97% of seniors participate, averaging 24 total college credits.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Program College-level AP courses preparing students for AP exams, with a 78.9% passing rate and recognition for 60% of graduates earning 3 or higher on AP exams.
• May Term Two-week intensive program offering specialized courses, travel opportunities, and internships required for graduation.
• Online Education Program Outreach online classes for students not enrolled at the Academy, providing access to educational content remotely.
• AP Summer Institute Professional development workshop for educators offered annually, with six AP training workshops during the first week and nine during the second week.
• School Counselor Workshop Professional development program for school counselors to learn about the Academy and assist students in considering the application process.
• Summer Camps Seasonal camp programs for young learners providing enrichment experiences aligned with the Academy's academic focus.
• Youth Enrichment Programs Educational enrichment opportunities for youth extending the Academy's academic capabilities to younger age groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of graduates are college-ready according to Indiana Commission for Higher Education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, minor and core.

• Near Space LaunchnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2018The Academy collaborated with Near Space Launch on a ThinSat satellite project where students designed, built, tested, and operated a miniature satellite. Near Space Launch donated ThinSat kits and provided technical collaboration. The Academy's ThinSat launched aboard a NASA Northrop Grumman Antares rocket on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
• Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign LanguagesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2018Academy students in French 202 and Japanese classes were accepted to the IU Honors Program in Foreign Languages, allowing them to study abroad in France (St. Brieuc, Brest, Saumur) and Japan (Osaka) during summer sessions.
• St. Afra (Germany)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2017The Academy maintains a close partnership with St. Afra, a German school for academically gifted students. The partnership includes student exchange programs where students from each school attend the other for one semester. Students live in dorms and stay with host families during breaks. Faculty and administrators have visited back and forth for over 5 years to strengthen the relationship.
• Ball State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Indiana Academy is operated by Ball State University as a public high school on its campus in Muncie, Indiana. Students access university facilities, libraries, and can earn dual credit through Ball State courses. The Academy shares facilities with Burris Laboratory Schools.
• Burris Laboratory SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academy shares campus facilities with Burris Laboratory Schools, including classrooms and athletic programs. Academy students participate in athletics through Burris, allowing them to compete in varsity sports under the Burris banner while receiving their academic instruction from Academy faculty.
• College BoardnotableOthersThe Academy is an endorsed AP Summer Institute site and has been one of the longest-running APSI sites in the Midwest region. The school offers extensive AP coursework and is recognized by College Board for AP achievement.
• United Way of Delaware CountyminorOthersThe Academy maintains an ongoing partnership with United Way of Delaware County, with students participating in Day of Action volunteer events and running reading clubs for at-risk elementary students. The Academy has been recognized as providing the most volunteers for multiple consecutive years.
• South View ElementaryminorOthersAcademy students volunteer to help 3rd graders at South View Elementary improve reading abilities. In two months, participating elementary students advanced their reading levels by an average of 9 months through the reading club program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stanford Online High School: Online school for gifted students operated by Stanford University. Comparable focus on academically advanced students and college-level work, but operates virtually rather than as a residential program.

Direct peers

• Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky: Kentucky's state-funded residential high school for high-ability juniors and seniors, hosted on Western Kentucky University's campus. Structurally similar to the Indiana Academy in being a residential state-funded program operated in partnership with a public university.
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: State-funded public residential high school for juniors and seniors in Durham, NC. Highly comparable due to state-funded residential model, focus on STEM and humanities, and statewide recruitment of high-ability students.
• Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS): State-funded residential program at the University of North Texas for high-ability high school students. Similar model combining residential high school with university partnership and dual credit.
• Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics: State-funded residential high school for juniors and seniors in Oklahoma City. Operates with the same state-funded residential STEM model and selective admissions for high-ability in-state students.
• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA): State-funded residential public high school for grades 10-12 in Aurora, Illinois, serving academically gifted students. Closest operational analog because it is a state-funded residential STEM school with a similar enrollment and mission.
• Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science: State-funded public residential high school for high-ability juniors and seniors in Columbus, MS. Comparable residential, statewide, STEM-focused model with similar enrollment size.
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Virginia's flagship public magnet high school for STEM-focused, high-ability students in grades 9-12. Most direct comparable because of similar magnet-school admissions model, science/math emphasis, and nationally top-ranked reputation.
• Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts: State-funded residential high school for high-ability juniors and seniors in Hot Springs, AR. Direct comparable as a state-funded residential STEM/humanities program with selective in-state admissions.
• South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics: State-funded public residential high school for high-ability juniors and seniors in Hartsville, SC. Comparable in being a state-funded residential STEM school with selective in-state admissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndianaAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/theindianaacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/iasmh
• Instagraminstagram.com/indianaacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, & Humanities