What exactly is a good education? Is it knowledge? Is it character? We believe at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy it is about bringing the power within to do good. It’s about educating the whole person in the timeless principles of Truth, Honor, and Virtue. These are living commitments, not empty words. We are a classical charter school in Utah that helps you build a life and a career on Truth, Honor, and Virtue.

The Need

Today’s world is fraught with challenges that make discernment, morality, and moral courage especially crucial for young people. Parents looking for a college prep school in Utah County are seeking an education that builds strong character in a way that supports ethical decision-making and moral courage. Without the character foundation, the brightest minds can fail.

The Solution: A Classical, Virtue-Based Education

Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy is the leading Utah virtue based education classical school. Our approach to classical, liberal arts education is designed to form the minds and characters of our students. We believe education should lead young people toward the pursuit of virtue. Education should lead our young leaders to character formation and moral excellence, following in the path of our namesake Karl G. Maeser, who said, “The great aim of education is the formation of character.” Our students read the Great Books, study from the original sources, learn via Socratic methods, practice truth, honor, and virtue, and learn to think for themselves. We are a community that cares.

Student Experience

Our unified and small community and a strong Honor Code provide the foundation of a safe, strong, and close community. Students engage in Socratic Seminars where they practice intellectual honesty and respectful dialogue. The Winterim semester offers students a chance to practice service and leadership. As a charter high school in Utah County, our students are treated with respect and seen as leaders in virtue. Students understand that learning to master academic work in the classical sense is inseparable from learning moral virtue and learning how to do the right thing even when it is hard. This is the Maeser student experience.

Community

A strong commitment to character at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy is what makes our school community. Everyone in our community works together to achieve the same goal: to help young people become excellent adults who will positively impact the world around them. Because of this, our school creates a strong community based on mutual respect and intellectual curiosity. Graduates are not only ready for college but also for a life of character. In a world so fractured and polarized, we believe we are the best education near me because our entire culture, both inside and outside of the classroom, is built on strong shared values.

Evidence of Excellence

Our graduates are ready for college and a life of moral leadership. Combining academic rigor with deliberate character development, Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy provides excellent results. We are the No. 1 charter high school in the state of Utah, according to U.S. News & World Report. Our average student SAT score is 1330; our graduation rate is over 95%. However, our students also graduate with the ability to think for themselves; the ability to discern right from wrong; and the academic and spiritual preparedness for college and citizenship. Maeser students graduate and are accepted into top universities, but what sets our students apart is that we help to prepare the minds, hearts and souls of our graduates.

Are you prepared to cultivate character and wisdom?

If you seek a challenging education that will engage your student’s mind, move your student’s heart and form your student’s character, we invite you to learn more about Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy. We welcome you to join us as we build Truth, Honor and Virtue into the very fabric of life and learning at Maeser. Join us at our open house for a sample of life at Maeser.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does “virtue-based education” mean at Maeser? Virtue-based education means that intentional character formation through the acquisition of virtue (honesty, courage, justice, and prudence) is an integral aspect of everything we do at Maeser. In addition to the academic content, students are being formed through the curriculum, in all our relationships, and through our Honor Code into those habits of the heart that produce a good life.
2. How does a classical liberal arts curriculum form character? A classical liberal arts curriculum is centered around the Great Books and primary sources of human thought. We study these great texts as we study the history of humanity. Our curriculum exposes students to the greatest ideas of all time and the most important events that ever happened, including moral and ethical choices facing human beings. Students practice the Socratic method as we learn to engage great questions about truth, beauty, and goodness. This prepares students to think for themselves, understand the viewpoints of others, and act with intellectual humility and integrity.
3. Does Maeser have an “Honor Code,” and how does it work? Maeser does have an Honor Code, and it is an integral part of the academic culture we hope to build. Maeser students, faculty, and administrators have agreed to hold themselves to the principles of truth, honor, and virtue. We believe that a school where all people can trust each other fosters a more productive learning environment.
4. How does Maeser prepare students for leadership? Maeser has a strong focus on character development, thinking, speaking, and writing effectively. Through all of the curriculum at Maeser, including the study of the Great Books and the Socratic method of teaching, our students learn how to think clearly, argue respectfully, and communicate effectively. Students have the opportunity to participate in student government and serve on leadership teams, giving them the practice of working with a team while upholding the virtues of truth, honor, and virtue.
5. How do parents participate in Maeser’s focus on character development? We believe in educating students in community. We work together in partnership with students to provide the right environment for their intellectual growth. The Academy’s Honor Code helps all parents in the community hold themselves to the same set of standards and work together to provide a consistent environment for their children to grow and thrive. We hope that our students’ parents will help foster the same environment of truth, honor, and virtue in the home.