Florida Atlantic University High School (FAU High School) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physic ...

, dual-enrollment high school located on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University. It is the only

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

to offer full-time dual-enrollment at a state university to students after completion of 9th grade.

Overview

Founded in 2004 for "students with exceptional academic abilities and strong self-motivation" by University President Frank Brogan, FAU High School operates as an entity under

Florida Atlantic University College of Education The College of Education is one of the ten academic colleges of Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, Florida. The college is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and actively holds teaching partner ...

, the State University System of Florida, and as an independent school district ( FAU Lab Schools) which only hosts Alexander D. Henderson University School and FAU High School. Since its inception, the High School has always earned an "A" or "A+" ranking by the

Florida Department of Education The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) is the state education agency of Florida. It governs public education and manages funding and testing for local educational agencies (school boards). It is headquartered in the Turlington Building (n ...

. Entry to FAU High School as a 9th grader is competitive and consists of a series of standardized tests and interviews. Only a small number of transfer students are accepted into the High School per year. FAU High School's structure is considered unique in the

since 9th grade students undergo an accelerated and rigiorus curriculum to prepare them for collegiate study. After completion of 9th grade, 10th through 12th grade students are directly enrolled, full-time, at Florida Alantic University. With the exception of a few limitations concerning Greek life and NCAA Division 1 sports, FAU High School students share many of the same rights and privileges as regular enrolled full-time students, including the ability to declare a major. A typical graduate of FAU High School earns three years worth of college credits towards a bachelor's degree. Since most students earn more than 60 credits, many also earn

associate's degrees An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The f ...

before graduating high school. As of 2023, over 80 students completed their

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

before graduating from high school.

Research

FAU High School has a robust research program within the School that allows students to conduct research, typically focused on physical and natural sciences. As post-9th grade students are considered full-time students at Florida Atlantic University, they have access and are allowed to conduct

research Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

directly with the University instead of the High School. FAU High School also hosts the University's Cane Institute for Advanced Technologies which studies complex robotics, machinery, and artificial intelligence. As a laboratory school, high school students and their parents or legal guardians sign an agreement upon enrollment that they may be subject to approved research studies regarding student success, behavioral and mental health, and social skills. The

also maintains an active teaching and research partnership where

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

and graduate students in the College of Education are able to conduct

and teach at FAU High School. As part of their research program, FAU High School also maintains partnerships with the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience,

Scripps Research Scripps Research, previously known as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), is a nonprofit American medical research facility that focuses on research and education in the biomedical sciences. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the institu ...

, and

Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is the medical school of Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The college offers the degrees of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy ( ...

. The Schmidt College of Medicine also provides a pipeline for FAU High School students to pursue their

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

following high school graduation.

Sports

Because FAU High School students are prohibited from participating in the university's NCAA Division 1 sports until after high school graduation, FAU High School maintains a separate sports program for their students. Current sports include: * Track and Field * Cross Country * Soccer * Lacrosse * Basketball * Volleyball * Flag Football

Recognition

FAU High School is considered a

National Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

for Excellence and a Green Ribbon School for Sustainability by the

U.S. Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

, a Reference School by

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, and is a member of the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked FAU High School 1st (tied) in the

in its Graduation Rate Rank category and 1st in the

state of Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

in its State Assessment Proficiency Rank category. The School is recognized for producing Forbes 30 under 30 awardees, finalists and seminfinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Competition, and Regeneron Scholars. Many FAU High School graduates stay at Florida Atlantic University to finish their degree. Those who do to choose to leave, typically attend

ivy league The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight school ...

and other top

and graduate institutions. Several students each year graduate FAU High School and directly enroll into medical school or law school.

Accreditation

FAU High School is recognized as a secondary public school by the

. It is also recognized by the State University System of Florida as an entity operating under the

References

{{authority control Public high schools in Florida Educational institutions established in 2004 2004 establishments in Florida Florida Atlantic University