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Learn
Without Limits

The mark of an extraordinary mind is more than just good grades or high test scores.

Not only do highly curious students learn faster, they learn differently. Freed from the numbing constraints of a one-size-fits-all curriculum, extraordinary learners soar, demanding levels of authenticity, depth, interest and challenge rarely found in conventional schools.

“I have recommended many students to Qualia. The program is designed to allow powerful minds to dive deep into topics they are passionate about. When students are afforded this flexibility to really explore the areas they are curious about, engagement in all of their classes increases.”

SHARON DUNCAN, GIFTED CONSULTANT

At Qualia, we’ve spent nearly two decades honing the perfect approach to educating highly motivated, curious thinkers. Our curriculum is tailor-made to meet their needs in ways other programs can’t, providing genuine intellectual challenge and self-directed exploration, along with the freedom to make sophisticated connections across disciplines.

Harnessing the Power of Why

At Qualia, we believe that our students’ boundless curiosity is their superpower, something to be celebrated, not managed. That’s why we design one-of-a-kind inquiry-based lessons and projects focused on broad questions and big ideas. Qualia students are encouraged to dive deep into their passions and fall in love with the act of learning, in the process becoming the

  • OXFORD-STYLE SEMINARS:
    Small Classes Spark Big Ideas

    Our one-of-a-kind Seminar classes are patterned after Oxford’s famed tutorials, with an average student-teacher ratio of seven to one or less, across all subjects. But small class size is just the beginning. In Seminar, students engage in thoughtful, provocative questioning and learn to work collaboratively to deepen discourse and generate fresh ideas. This Socratic model—foundational to our approach—challenges students to analyze, question, debate, and reimagine, all within the context of a rigorous education that goes beyond other schools’ standards for college preparation and admissions.

  • LEARN AT YOUR OWN LEVEL:
    From Advanced to Off the Charts

    At Qualia, students are encouraged to take classes at the level and pace that’s right for them—whether that be their own grade, a higher one, or collegiate-level study. Approximately half of our middle schoolers take at least one high school class, and our affiliations with Cal Lutheran University and Arizona State University allow both middle and high school students to take college classes for credit—right on the Qualia campus! For advanced learners, we also offer a passion-driven, individualized Honors Colloquium program, an advanced-level STEM program, a senior honors thesis, our 12th-Year/Gap Year Quest Program, and the opportunity to graduate early.

  • SYMPOSIUM:
    Knowledge in Action

    Instead of ending each term with in-one-ear-out-the-other final exams, Qualia students demonstrate mastery and deepen their learning through our twice-yearly Symposium program. Students select topics based on a school-wide philosophical theme, producing substantive, idea-driven academic papers, and transforming them into interactive presentations. In the process, they become skilled researchers, writers, and teachers.

  • PHILOSOPHY:
    An Education for Thinkers

    At Qualia, we teach students to think like philosophers, challenging widely-held beliefs, exposing hidden assumptions, and synthesizing disparate claims and propositions. Curious minds are naturally predisposed to question everything, and the philosophical method provides the tools and vocabulary to channel that curiosity. Our graduates often experience being the proverbial “smartest person in the room,” skilled at leading complex discussions and posing crucial questions in college, graduate school, and beyond.

“As an alumni dad as well as a school founder, I’m proud that Qualia walks the walk when it comes to challenging highly gifted and deeply curious learners. There’s a difference between curiosity whose goal is to vacuum up facts, versus curiosity aimed at grappling with genuinely difficult problems. Qualia was designed to facilitate richly rewarding interaction with ideas, creating learners who respect complexity and seek truly original solutions.”

JIM HAHN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Qualia By The Numbers

100%

of our graduates are accepted at four-year colleges.

95%

of our graduates are admitted to their first-choice colleges.

On average, a Qualia graduating class receives

$600K

of merit-based college aid.

Average size of a Qualia Oxford-Style Seminar

7

students

A SAMPLE OF OUR MATRICULATION LIST:

Boston University • Brown University • California Institute of Technology • California Polytechnic State University • Carnegie Mellon University • Case Western Reserve University • Cornell University • DePaul University • Emerson College • Emory University • Harvey Mudd College • MIT • New York University • Northwestern University • Occidental College • Pitzer College • Rhode Island School of Design • Sarah Lawrence College • Scripps College • UC Berkeley • UC San Diego • University of Chicago • University of Michigan • University of Washington • Vassar College • Wesleyan University

One Size
Does Not Fit All

At Qualia, each student’s academic journey is unique. We work collaboratively with every student to co-create a bespoke educational program guided by individual passions and aptitudes. Students are encouraged to explore their interests to the nth degree, whether they’re obsessed with the ethics of artificial intelligence and machine sentience or the semiotics of visual media. From second-year organic chemistry to culinary arts, we regularly create new classes based on student passions.

“Qualia was awesome. Teachers collaborated with us on our ideas, and I learned so much from working with my fellow students. I was able to explore archaeology by taking Symposium classes, which led me to accept an offer at Vassar College, where I am continuing this pursuit.”

DIEGO, QUALIA CLASS OF 2023

Over our eighteen-year history, we’ve created dozens of challenging and unique courses based on student interests.

Here are just a few:

  • Neuroscience
  • Great Ideas: Utopias, Heterotopias, and More-Than-Human Worlds
  • Pre-Columbian History
  • Video Game Creators’ Workshop
  • Advanced Literary Analysis: Word vs. Image
  • Rube Goldberg Machines
  • Great Ideas: Chaos, Complexity, and Self Organization
  • Documentary Filmmaking
  • 20th Century Political and Intellectual History
  • Organic Chemistry

Sample Block Schedule

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
9:00 A.M.
BLOCK A

Biology

BLOCK D

Theoretical Physics

BLOCK G

World History: 

Contextualizing Contemporary Problems
BLOCK E

Integrated Math II

BLOCK C

Japanese II

10:15 A.M.
BLOCK B

English:

The Classical Tradition
BLOCK E

Integrated Math II

BLOCK B

English:

The Classical Tradition
BLOCK D

Theoretical Physics

BLOCK G

World History: 

Contextualizing Contemporary Problems
11:30 A.M.
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
12:15 P.M.
BLOCK C

Japanese II

BLOCK F

Great Ideas:

The Language Game
FLEX

P.E.

BLOCK F

Great Ideas:

The Language Game
BLOCK A

Biology

1:45 P.M.
ELECTIVE 1

Creative Writing / Zine

ELECTIVE 2

Electronic Music Design

ELECTIVE 1

Creative Writing / Zine

ELECTIVE 2

Electronic Music Design

FLEX

Office Hours

3:00 P.M.

Qualia classes are run on a block schedule, allowing for in-depth conversation and exploration. Each student has a customized schedule that accommodates both grade-level and advanced work, including college courses for credit through our higher education partnerships.

An Intellectual Oasis

Against the backdrop of Calabasas’ rolling green hills, Qualia’s two-acre campus attracts students seeking a community of like-minded peers and mentors. Our families come from all areas of Los Angeles and adjacent communities, from Long Beach to Santa Barbara, drawn to our one-of-a-kind learning environment. Several families have moved to California to take advantage of Qualia’s program.

Our campus, conveniently located close to the 101, is easily accessible from the west side of Los Angeles, as well as the San Gabriel and Conejo Valleys. We also offer a bus daily that departs from West Los Angeles, with a second pickup in Van Nuys.