Upper School FAQs

We have 1,236 students in our JK-12 community, and we have 611 students in Upper School (grades 9-12) with approximately 153 students in each grade level and 16 to 18 students in each classroom.

MICDS has a diverse, welcoming community. Here are some quick facts:

• 43% of our students identify as students of color
• Over 70 zip codes are represented in our student body
• 27% of our students are supported by more than $7.4 million in need-based tuition assistance
• School-wide, new students this year came from over 109 schools in the metro area and around the world

Our community is intentionally diverse. MICDS students practice different faiths, are ideologically and racially diverse, learn differently, and hail from homes around this city and the world. What unites us is a common belief in the call to action of our Mission Statement: to embrace all of the world’s people with compassion, to stand for what is good and right, and to lead lives of purpose and service.

One of the top three reasons current parents love MICDS is our best-in-class faculty. More than 76 percent hold advanced degrees. Faculty teach their passion and expertise, as well as sponsor student activities, and serve as coaches and advisors, getting to know students both in and out of the classroom

Through our advisory program, each Upper School teacher serves as a mentor, confidant, advocate, and connection between home and school for 10-12 students throughout their high school years. Teachers develop deep, trusting relationships with their students and ensure all children are engaging in meaningful academic, social, emotional, and physical growth during their time in the Upper School.

Alumna Lilly Loeb ‘25 shared, “The teachers here are always so focused on our well-being. Whether that takes the form of someone like Mr. B, who is known for his immense love for math but who cares even more for his students. He is so proud of his students and their accomplishments that, over the course of the year, he will take photos from MICDS’ Weekly News and tape the photos up on his classroom’s window, so everyone walking by can see all that we have accomplished that year. Or, there’s someone like Mr. Asher, whose method of showing appreciation for his students is by joking with them. The care our teachers have is also seen through Dr. Hansen. One time, after viewing the daily schedule and seeing I had a time-consuming sports event, asked me if I needed an extension on my paper without me asking her first. It’s the little things that make the lasting impressions, and the teachers here, day after day, have done the little things that count to make this place so welcoming.”

On the first Friday of the new school year, Upper Schoolers attend Club Fest, a fair typically held outside in Hermann Courtyard, where students learn about the numerous activities and community service clubs offered at MICDS. Representatives of each group are available for questions at Club Fest, and students can sign up to be part of any opportunity that sparks their interest. What if you have an idea for a new club? You can create it yourself!

In the 2025-26 school year, there are 90 clubs and activities available. To name a few, students could be part of Student Council, MICDS Investment Group, Aviation Club, Fishing Club, Model UN, Young Entrepreneurs, Black Student Union, Hindu Student Association, Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, Manos Unidas, Robotics Club, Troubadours, Yearbook, Peer Tutors, Screenwriting Club, International Council, and so much more.

MICDS has an athletics requirement in Upper School that requires each student participates in an athletic sport or our Essential Fitness program in two out of three seasons per school year. This requirement fulfills the place of PE in Upper School.

We offer 29 different interscholastic sports in grades 9-12. Student-athletes enjoy state-of-the-art facilities and outstanding coaching—over half of our head coaches are also faculty members. 

Over the last 10 years, our athletic teams have claimed 74 state championships. But winning is just part of the experience for our student-athletes. Our coaches focus on instilling values they’ll carry their entire lives: leadership, empowerment, and teamwork.

Essential Fitness is a program offered at MICDS where students learn how to exercise in a gym. As a part of this program, students are required to exercise three hours per week in the Fitness Center alongside personal trainers with the option of participating in small group workouts.

Our Arts Department faculty, all professional working artists, offer more than 40 studio and performing arts classes in the Upper School. Our drama, choral, band, and orchestra students enjoy three exceptional theaters on campus, while our photography, design, architecture, and studio art students work in well-equipped art studios and can display their work in the Messing Art Gallery.

We use technology as a powerful problem-solving tool. Our teachers recognize that, when used responsibly, technology allows us to answer questions we could not with pen and paper alone. It encourages our teachers and students to differentiate, to create, to use real-world data to test complex models, and ultimately deliver a 21st-century education.

We are a wireless campus. All Upper School students receive a tablet laptop as new students, along with ongoing guidance on how to use this important resource effectively and responsibly, ensuring that they graduate as good digital citizens with the tools and resources they need for success in college and beyond.

At MICDS, college counseling begins in the ninth grade. Through our unique, four-year program, students recognize their strengths and goals—ultimately choosing paths that meet their personal criteria and will provide a challenging environment for them to flourish after high school. It is our philosophy that strong communication among students, parents, and college counselors lies at the heart of a meaningful and successful college application process. 

Our Class of 2025 graduates matriculated to excellent and highly competitive programs at 87 schools in 32 different states as well as Washington, DC, and Rome, Italy. Sixteen student-athletes are continuing their athletic careers at impressive colleges and universities.

MICDS alumni from the past several classes are attending some of the most selective institutions in the country, including Harvard, Stanford, Brown, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, United States Air Force Academy, United States Military Academy, University of California – Berkeley, University of California – Los Angeles, Washington University, and Yale. 

Tuition for grades 7-12 is $37,090 for the 2025-26 school year. Many of the costs associated with attending MICDS are included in tuition, such as lunch, laptop and fees, ACT and SAT prep, after-school snacks, field trips, and summer orientation programs for new students.

We have a significant tuition assistance budget at MICDS. Schoolwide, we award over $7.4 million of need-based tuition assistance each year to families. About 27% of our students receive some amount of financial support. The average award for grades 7-12 this year is $23,500.

Additional costs beyond tuition can range from $300 to $1,500, depending on the student’s grade and interests. Those receiving tuition assistance do receive assistance with costs essential to full participation in the MICDS community.

MICDS has a vibrant and active parent body. Our Parents Association offers all MICDS parents and guardians numerous ways to engage in our community, including through educational speakers, cultural events, book clubs, and volunteer opportunities. Most importantly, we collaborate with our parents through our Parent-School Partnership, a formal commitment between families and the School to embrace the tenets of our Mission Statement as we work together to support the growth of our students.

We currently do not have a busing system at MICDS, but carpooling is a very popular method for pick-up and drop-off within our community. With families from 73 different zip codes in the Greater St. Louis Area, there is almost bound to be another family or many close by you with whom you can collaborate with for transportation. We are also happy to help you connect with families in close proximity to you.

MICDS currently offers four World Languages in the Upper School: Spanish, French, Latin, and Mandarin Chinese. Of those four, Spanish is the only language that is offered at entry level for students.

We welcome 30-35 new ninth graders each year. Our Summer Bridge program for new students includes an orientation to the campus and the MICDS community, a preview of our academic expectations and procedures, and the opportunity to begin building relationships with MICDS teachers and students. In addition, each grade level hosts an orientation for new students to ensure kids are connected and comfortable before diving into their academic work.

We also have an advisory system where students regularly meet throughout the four years of Upper School with their designated group of the same 10-12 students and one faculty member. This group meets weekly and sometimes daily. Advisory is similar to a homeroom, but the group can meet all over campus and engage in a variety of activities and discussions. Faculty advisors and advisory groups move with students through their four years of Upper School, which allows students to develop deep relationships and a very strong sense of community.

Any of our admission events are a perfect time to experience some of what MICDS has to offer and to get some of your additional questions answered. Check out our Admission events here!

As you have more questions, please contact Teron Sutherlin, the Associate Director of Admission – MICDS Upper School. His contact information is below:

• tsutherlin@micds.org
• 314.995.7369

Additionally, our entire Admission team is delighted to help answer any questions. Meet the whole Admission team here.

Best wishes for your search!