What ACADEMY FOR MATH ENGINEERING & SCIENCE (AMES) does

AMES (Academy for Math, Engineering & Science) is a public charter early college high school operating within the Cottonwood High School campus in Salt Lake City, Utah since 2003. It serves approximately 500 students in grades 9-12, drawn through a blind lottery enrollment process with applications open January through February each year. The school's core offering is an exclusive Early College Partnership with the University of Utah, under which 12 U of U professors teach college-level courses on-site, enabling students to earn up to 43 semester hours of transferable U of U credit — equivalent to roughly two years of college — while completing their high school diploma.

The academic program layers CTE Pathways (Programming & Software Development, Information Technology Systems, Engineering) and the Educators Rising teaching-career pathway on top of concurrent-enrollment courses in calculus, chemistry, physics, humanities, statistics, and writing. A school-wide character education curriculum (Respectful Ways), the 8 Keys of Excellence framework, and the SWAGs achievement goals structure non-academic development, and students may also access Cottonwood's athletics and extracurriculars. Technology infrastructure is conventional educational SaaS: Canvas LMS for course management, the Aspire system for enrollment, and Granite Gradebook for shared Cottonwood class grades.

The revenue model is that of a public charter school: per-pupil state funding scaled to enrollment, supplemented by a $210 annual student registration fee, pass-through U of U course fees (e.g., $56 for Calculus, $76 for Chemistry Lab, varying for other courses), PTSO fundraising targeting ~$25 per student, the Smith's Inspiring Donations 0.5% rebate program, and School LAND Trust allocations ($69,758 in 2024-2025; $70,068 planned for 2025-2026). Fee waivers are available for qualifying families. GTM relies on a website (ames-slc.org), active social media channels, a bi-weekly newsletter, and weekly Wednesday morning school tours led by Principal Brett Wilson, funneling prospective families into the lottery application system. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees with parent and community participation through the PTSO and School LAND Trust Council; the school holds no parent company, funding rounds, or outside ownership.

Name

ACADEMY FOR MATH ENGINEERING & SCIENCE (AMES)

Legal name

Academy for Math, Engineering & Science

Website

https://ames-slc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMES is a public charter early college high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, serving approximately 500 students in grades 9-12 through an exclusive University of Utah partnership that lets students earn up to 43 transferable college credits while completing high school.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• Early college high school
• STEM secondary education
• Concurrent enrollment programs
• Public charter school
• College credit courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Utah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school, AMES receives per-pupil state funding based on enrollment. Charter schools thrive with community donations. The PTSO aims to raise approximately $25 per student enrolled to fund activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AMES is a public charter early college high school that integrates high school and college-level coursework through an exclusive partnership with the University of Utah. Students take college courses taught by 12 U of U professors on campus and can earn up to 43 semester hours of U of U credit (equivalent to two years of college) while fulfilling high school graduation requirements. The school supplements academics with CTE Pathways, character education, and 16+ extracurricular clubs.

Product overview

AMES (Academy for Math, Engineering & Science) is a public charter early college high school that offers an integrated educational program combining high school and college-level coursework. The core offering is the Early College Partnership with the University of Utah, where students earn both high school and college credits through courses taught by U of U professors. AMES provides CTE Pathways in Programming & Software Development, Information Technology Systems, and Engineering, along with a comprehensive character education curriculum called Respectful Ways aligned with the 8 Keys of Excellence. Additional programs include concurrent enrollment courses, various clubs (Robotics, TSA, Creative Writing, Literary Magazine), Educators Rising for future educators, and SWAGs (School Wide Achievement Goals) focusing on communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and community engagement. The institution operates within the Cottonwood High School campus and partners with Cottonwood for athletics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early College Partnership Program Core early college high school program in partnership with the University of Utah where 9th-12th grade students can earn both high school diploma credit and up to 43 semester hours of U of U college credit by taking college-level courses taught by U of U professors at AMES. All courses fulfill University of Utah graduation requirements.
• CTE Pathways Career and Technical Education pathways for AMES high school students covering Programming & Software Development, Information Technology Systems, and Engineering, designed to connect high school students to college and career opportunities.
• Concurrent Enrollment Courses University-level courses offered through the U of U Partnership allowing AMES students to earn U of U college credit while in high school. Course offerings include Calculus (1210/1220), Chemistry (1210/1220) with lab, Physics (2210/2220), Humanities (2001/2002), Math 1030, Statistics, and Writing (1010/2010).
• Clubs and Extracurricular Activities Student clubs and extracurricular programs at AMES including Creative Writing, AMES Literary Magazine, Robotics, TSA (Technology Student Association), and access to Cottonwood High School athletic programs. 16+ clubs available.
• Educators Rising Program CTE career pathway program at AMES preparing students for education careers through Teaching as a Profession courses (1, 2, and 3) and student-authored children's books.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can earn up to 43 semester hours of University of Utah credit - equivalent to two years of college
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMES has an exclusive Early College Partnership with the University of Utah. U of U professors teach college-level courses at AMES, and all courses fulfill graduation requirements at the University of Utah. Students can earn up to 43 semester hours of U of U credit while in high school, equivalent to two years of college.
• Cottonwood High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMES is physically located within Cottonwood High School campus. Students can participate in Cottonwood sports and extracurricular activities. As incoming freshmen, students may compete in sports at their boundary school or with Cottonwood, though transferring later may affect eligibility.
• Smith's (Kroger)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAMES participates in Smith's Inspiring Donations program. Community members can link their Smith's reward card to AMES and the company donates 0.5% of eligible spending to the school. Organization number XU372.
• Granite School DistrictcoreOthersAMES follows Granite School District calendar and shares campus with Cottonwood High School. Students access Cottonwood classes and facilities, and use Granite Gradebook for Cottonwood class grades.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: National STEM-focused charter school network with rigorous college-prep curriculum. Most directly comparable to AMES due to similar STEM emphasis, high academic outcomes, and early college readiness orientation, though BASIS operates across multiple states and grade levels.
• Quest Early College High School: Public early college high school in Houston, Texas, where students earn substantial transferable college credit while completing high school. Closest model match to AMES' Early College Partnership concept.
• Magnolia Science Academy: California charter network emphasizing STEM education with college preparatory focus. Similar STEM-centric charter school model targeting high-achieving, college-bound high school students.
• Da Vinci Schools: California-based charter school network offering early college and STEM-focused pathways with industry-linked programs. Comparable to AMES in combining college credit opportunities with CTE-style career pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Uncommon Schools: Multi-state charter network operating college-prep schools with rigorous academic expectations. Comparable charter status, college-prep focus, and non-selective-but-rigorous admissions ethos.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based high-performing charter network with strong college-prep outcomes and STEM focus. Comparable charter model and outcome orientation, though confined to New York City.
• KIPP Public Schools: One of the largest U.S. charter networks with a college-preparatory mission across many regions. Comparable mission (college readiness for underserved students) and charter model, but much larger scale and broader grade span.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter school operator with a strong emphasis on college readiness and 'College For All' mission, including early college exposure. Broader portfolio than AMES but shares the charter + college credit positioning.

Regional players

• Utah Military Academy: Utah-based charter high school serving the Salt Lake City region. Direct geographic peer operating under the same state charter framework as AMES, though with a different educational focus (military-style leadership).
• American Preparatory Schools: Utah-based charter school network with multiple campuses in the Salt Lake City area. Most direct geographic peer to AMES, sharing the same state charter framework, district partnerships, and Salt Lake applicant pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AMESslc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@amesslc8617
• Facebookfacebook.com/AMESslc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/academy-for-math-engineering-&-science-ames-/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/ames_slc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 ACADEMY FOR MATH ENGINEERING & SCIENCE (AMES)