University Laboratory High School promotes academic excellence, encourages educational innovation, and develops citizenship for highly motivated, academically talented students.

The school promotes academic excellence by:

• Encouraging a culture of creativity, thinking outside conventional boundaries, and pursuing learning at an intensity beyond the norm.
• Fostering close relationships among students and teachers.
• Empowering students to take ownership of their learning and to pursue accelerated study in areas of interest.
• Employing and supporting knowledgeable teachers who are creative in their instruction.

The school encourages educational innovation by:

• Allowing teachers the freedom and autonomy to design innovative teaching methods and curricula.
• Inviting active student participation in the ongoing development of course content, methods, and activities.
• Exchanging ideas with peer institutions and the wider community.
• Evaluating our programs on a regular basis to embrace our successes and to drive new thinking.

The school fosters good citizenship by:

• Providing a caring and nurturing environment with a deep concern for the total development of the individual.
• Creating opportunities for students to demonstrate the ability to act responsibly in the adult world.
• Supporting a diverse student body that respects individual and cultural differences.

The school supports its vision by engaging in partnerships with parents, the Champaign-Urbana community, the University of Illinois, and the world community.