Indian Springs Facts, Mission & Core Values

An Indian Springs Education

At Indian Springs School, we believe in individualizing the educational experience. This allows students to construct their own unique, rigorous curriculum and to learn to explore their passions.

Our graduates may attend the most prestigious colleges around the country and across the world, but our approach to academics means that they discover something even more valuable—how to grow as a scholar, an individual, and a citizen.

Experience Our Campus

Set on 350 idyllic acres, Indian Springs School is a resource as much as a retreat. Our Fertile Minds Learning Garden and top-quality sports facilities help feed the body. Our sustainably designed facilities help feed the mind.

Emphasizing the quality of student life, our environment embodies the values of community, responsibility, and opportunity. Whether you are on campus for the day or make it your home for the year, this is a space for exploration, education, and engagement.

Giving at Indian Springs

Louis “Doc” Armstrong, Springs’ founding director, suggested that our important work is “to bridge the gap between what is and what might be” in the ways we learn, think, act, and participate in the wider world. This work is undergirded and extended by the generosity of all who share our mission.

Every gift makes a difference. Regardless of your age or situation, we have a means of giving to the school that suits your circumstances. Our Advancement staff stands ready to help.

About Indian Springs School

Welcome to Indian Springs School, where some of the brightest students from across Birmingham, throughout the country, and around the world learn by living, exploring, and partnering with accomplished faculty as part of a supportive community. Indian Springs was founded in 1952 with roots in the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey, who inspired our motto of Learning through Living.

Our boarding and day program for grades 8-12 serves 324 students on a 350-acre campus where nature is our inspiration and our laboratory. Students and faculty work together in a model of shared governance, and students discover their passions by participating in academic activities, athletics, performing arts, special interest clubs, and community service. Indian Springs faculty are dedicated to mentoring young people, and nearly all have advanced degrees. Our state-of-the-art classrooms and innovative independent study options enhance excellent teaching that opens doors to new ideas and possibilities.

One of our best-known alums, the author and educator John Green ’95, said that Indian Springs is where “all at once, I became a learner because I found myself in a community of learners.” Indian Springs exists far beyond our campus. It is a passionate community of alumni, parents, and friends that spans the globe and generations. We invite you to imagine how you might be transformed by, and contribute to, our incredible community of learners.

Our Core Values

List of 6 items.

Inclusion

We believe that in order for students to meet their full potential, they must be able to trust that their community accepts them for who they are. We strive always to be a community of inclusion that embraces and promotes diversity of background, belief, and thought.
Infinite Respect

We believe that strong communities are built on mutual respect and an appreciation for all, regardless of differences. As a supportive community of students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends, we seek to foster and demonstrate limitless respect for one another, our campus, ourselves, and our world.
Innovative Thinking

At Indian Springs School, we believe strongly that innovative thinking and creative problem-solving are critical to meeting the challenges of an increasingly global and competitive world. We value the fact that each of our students brings to the school community a unique set of interests, beliefs, abilities, and passions, and we strive through our thoughtful and flexible academic program, varied extracurricular opportunities, and meaningful faculty-student interactions to enable our students to grow as individuals and as independent thinkers.
Integrity

We value personal integrity and seek to develop in our students a sense of moral courage to make honorable choices, both in and out of the classroom. Because the right choice is not always the easy choice, we strive regularly to highlight instructive examples of integrity in thought, word, and deed.
Intellectual Curiosity

We believe that our students have the capacity to solve some of the most challenging problems that our world faces. Before they can find meaningful answers, they must learn to ask meaningful questions. We seek to foster in our students a lifelong love of learning and an appreciation for how much more we have yet to explore.
Involvement

Since the school’s inception in 1952, participatory citizenship has been a cornerstone of our educational philosophy. We believe that each of our students has a personal responsibility to continually shape and improve the school community. Involvement comes in many forms: taking part in student government and other activities, engaging in meaningful discussions in and out of class, collaborating actively with peers on group assignments, and engaging in community-minded efforts that better our campus and our world.

Facts & Figures

List of 7 items.

Enrollment
- Grades (Day and Boarding): 8-12
- Number of Students: 326
- Day Students: 244
- Boarding Students: 82
- States Represented: 9
- Countries Represented: 12
Academics
- Average Class Size: 16
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
- Enrolled in College: 100%
Average SAT Scores, Class of 2022:
- Overall: 1432
- Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 720
- Math: 670
Average ACT Scores, Class of 2022:
- Overall: 31
- English: 31
- Math: 28
- Reading: 31
- Science: 28
AP Information, 2022:
- Students Taking Tests: 190
- Tests Taken: 437
- Scores of 4 or 5: 51%
- Scores of 3 or Better: 76%
- AP Scholars: 28
- AP Scholars with Honor: 23
- AP Scholars with Distinction: 39
National Merit Distinctions, Class of 2022:
- National Merit Scholars: 3
- National Merit Scholars (College-Sponsored): 1
- National Merit Finalists: 8
- National Merit Semifinalists: 8
- National Merit Commended Students: 6
Accreditation
- AdvancED
- NCA CASI
- NWAC
- SACS CASI
Faculty
- Number of Faculty: 39
- Faculty Living on Campus: 22
- Advanced Degrees: 36
- Terminal Degrees: 12
Campus
- Size: 350 acres
- Lake: 12 acres
- Distance to:
Memberships
Tuition
- Day Tuition: $27,300
- Alabama Boarding: $50,400
- Domestic Boarding; $56,500
- International Boarding: $63,200
- Financial Aid Grants Awarded: $1.7 million