A traditional, classical liberal arts education for all

Hillsdale Academy offers a traditional, classical liberal arts education for all of our students. This includes phonics and cursive in the younger grades, Latin in grades 3-12, and history, literature, mathematics, science, fine arts, and physical education throughout all grade levels.

Older students also have a number of elective options in languages, music, and art. Students in 11th and 12th grade may apply to enroll in courses at Hillsdale College and earn college credit for their work. All seniors complete two capstone projects, one in science and one in the humanities.

Educational Philosophy

Hillsdale Academy develops within its students the intellectual and personal habits and skills upon which responsible, independent, and productive lives are built, in the firm belief that such lives are the basis of a free and just society. The Academy strives to cultivate Christian classical virtue and wisdom and to nurture the child’s humanity—mind, body, and spirit—with a constant view to the potential adult. The time-honored liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy direct student achievement toward mastery of the basics, exploration of the arts and sciences, and understanding of the foundational tenets of our heritage. The curriculum, by purpose and design, is a survey of the best spiritual, intellectual, and cultural traditions of the West.

At the Academy, we believe parents are the primary educators of their children. The staff and faculty partner with parents in a shared commitment to the mission of Hillsdale Academy on behalf of the child. Teachers communicate directly and regularly with parents. The faculty view themselves as stewards of the Christian classical tradition and possess a high view of the content they teach and of their students. They model and lead their students toward intellectual, moral, and civic virtue, preparing students to accept the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society that honors and esteems its Maker. 

The Headmaster, under the authority of Hillsdale College’s president and provost, oversees the implementation of the mission statement of the school. 

In sum, our school has committed to embrace and uphold the following key characteristics:

  1. A curriculum that is content-rich, balanced, and strong across the four disciplines of math, science, literature, and history.
  2. The Western tradition is central in the study of history, literature, philosophy, and the fine arts.
  3. Study of the American literary, moral, philosophical, political, and historical traditions.
  4. Explicit instruction in phonics and grammar.
  5. The study of Latin as a requirement for all students.
  6. An approach to instruction that acknowledges objective standards of truth, goodness, and beauty.
  7. A well-educated and articulate faculty who use traditional, teacher-led methods of instruction.
  8. A commitment to use technology effectively without diminishing the faculty leadership that is crucial to academic achievement.
  9. Service of Grades K-12 so as to provide continuity and a recurrent examination of subjects throughout a student’s career.
  10. A school culture of moral virtue, decorum, respect, discipline, and studiousness among both students and faculty.
  11. A course of study and instruction guided by the immemorial teachings and practices of the Christian faith.
Student in front of a sheet of music.

Faith & Community

As a part of Hillsdale College, the Academy is a Christian institution that recognizes the central role of religious instruction in a liberal arts education. Every morning at the beginning of the school day, Hillsdale Academy students come together as a community for opening ceremony. This ceremony includes the Lord’s Prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and student recitations. We gather again at lunch and offer a corporate prayer before sharing the meal together. Each Wednesday morning the entire student body comes together for a chapel service led by the Academy headmaster and the Hillsdale College chaplain.

As students learn about the nature of the universe and themselves through study of the various disciplines, they inevitably confront deep questions about faith. Our teachers welcome these discussions and embrace their role as spiritual mentors to our students. Together, students and teachers explore how the greatest minds, from St. Augustine to C. S. Lewis, understood Christianity and viewed faith as an essential part of who we are as individuals and as members of the human community. 

The Academy understands that parents play the principal role in spiritual instruction; the Academy’s mission is to partner with parents by providing a faith-supportive environment their children need to grow into their faith. That mission suffuses everything we do at the Academy, from the selection of curriculum to classroom instruction to the standards of behavior we expect from students. 

Students with hands over hearts during the national anthem.
Professor working with students in a science class.

Joining the great conversation

We invite our students into a conversation that is thousands of years old about what kind of place the world is, what kind of beings we are, and how we can live to the fullest of our nature within this world we have been given. These are the questions that guide our study of history, literature, math, science, languages, and fine arts.

2023 SUMMER READING LIST

College Readiness and Placement

At Hillsdale Academy, we equip students to continue their academic journey once they leave our school. In grades K-8, students take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills each spring. For the past 20 years, the Academy has placed consistently in the 97th-99th percentile in national school norms. At the high school level, students’ standardized test scores are significantly above state and national averages.

Since the first graduating class in 2001, 1 out of 6 Academy seniors has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Fifteen percent of seniors have been recognized as National Merit Finalists – an honor that nationwide less than 1% of high school seniors receive.

In 2022 Hillsdale Academy was ranked as the #11 school in the nation on the Classic Learning Test’s list of “2022 Top High Schools” by median CLT score.

Since 2001, Hillsdale Academy graduates have been accepted to over 300 colleges, universities, graduate or professional schools, and military academies. Recent graduates have attended the following:

  • Adrian College
  • Albion College
  • Alma College
  • Aquinas College
  • Ashland University
  • Auburn University
  • Baylor University
  • Bellarmine University
  • Benedictine College
  • Bethel University
  • Biola University
  • Capital University
  • Carthage College
  • Catholic University of America
  • Cedarville University
  • Central Michigan University
  • Centre College
  • Claremont Graduate School
  • Cornell University
  • Drexel University
  • Emory University
  • Franciscan University
  • Gordon-Conwell Seminary
  • Grace College
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Harmel Academy of the Trades
  • Harvard Divinity School
  • Hillsdale College
  • Huntington University
  • Indiana University
  • Jackson College
  • John Marshall Law School
  • Kellogg Community College
  • Maine Media College
  • Marymount University
  • Michigan State University
  • Northern Michigan University
  • Ohio State University
  • Quinnipiac University
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
  • Siena Heights University
  • Spring Arbor University
  • Taylor University
  • Trine University
  • Union University
  • United States Air Force Academy
  • United States Coast Guard Academy
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Dallas
  • University of Detroit-Mercy
  • University of Findlay
  • University of Michigan
  • University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Oklahoma
  • University of Tampa
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Valparaiso University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Washington University-St. Louis
  • Webb Institute
  • Western Michigan University

Since 2001

1/6

1 out of 6 Academy seniors has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation

15%

15% of seniors have been recognized as National Merit Finalists – an honor that nationwide less than 1% of high school seniors receive.

#11

Hillsdale Academy was ranked as the #11 school in the nation on the list of “2022 Top High Schools”

Fine Arts

The fine arts play a central role in a Hillsdale Academy education. Studying visual art, music, and drama helps our students to make sense of the world just as the study of history, literature, math, science, or languages does.

Through studying the fine arts, our students learn to recognize beauty, order, and harmony in the world around them; they gain a deeper respect for the artistry of their Creator; and they learn how to express truth, goodness, and beauty themselves through a variety of artistic media. Through their study of the fine arts, students thus deepen their understanding of what it means to be fully human and become better equipped to live their lives to the fullest.

All Academy students take classes in music and visual art as part of the regular academic program, and we also offer drama, chamber choir, and orchestra. Advanced musicians can participate in the Hillsdale College choir and orchestra programs as well.

Student holding a bust of Michelangelo's David.
Student playing the violin.
Two students drinking tea in class.

Past Performances

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Anything Goes

Fiddler on the Roof

Guys and Dolls

How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Matilda: The Musical

My Fair Lady

Oklahoma!

Peter Pan and Wendy

Pirates of Penzance

Romeo and Juliet

The Crucible

The Music Man

The Sound of Music

The Tempest

Twelfth Night

Student holding a stack of books and a calculator.

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A glimpse into academic life at Hillsdale Academy