Tempe Preparatory Academy
Primary and Secondary EducationArizona, United States51-200 Employees
Tempe Preparatory Academy operates as a tuition-free public charter school for students in grades 6–12 in Tempe, Arizona. It emphasizes a traditional liberal arts approach with small classes and a measured student–teacher ratio, focusing on a rigorous core curriculum designed for college preparation. All high school students follow a common sequence across four years of math, English, social studies, science, and foreign language, and they complete a Senior Thesis along with ten hours of community service each year. Founded in 1996, Tempe Preparatory Academy serves about 440 students and has a diverse student body. It has earned notable recognitions, including being ranked as the top high school in Arizona and fifteenth in the United States by Newsweek in 2016, and by the Arizona Board of Regents in 2016 for having the highest percentage of graduates who advance to college. The academy emphasizes an integrated honors liberal arts curriculum over AP or IB tracks, supporting its mission to educate students for the lifelong pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty.