Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning Photo #5 - Our visual and performing arts program, featuring close mentorship for every level of artist, is a highlight of the Qualia experience.

Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning

As a Los Angeles school serving highly curious, gifted, highly gifted and profoundly gifted students, Qualia is an oasis for truly passionate learners -- a place where brainy word play, clever argumentation, and surprising ideas come together in a milieu that provokes, entertains, and inspires. We attract students with rich internal lives and a deep passion to understand, ranging from irrepressible extroverts to still-waters-run-deep introverts. At Qualia, passionate equals cool.
Our collaborative, flexible teaching methods and exceptionally small classes encourage deep and broad inquiry while embracing students' existing passions and talents, providing a platform for exceptional achievement across multiple academic disciplines.

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: 4-12
  • Enrollment: 40 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $47,535
  • Acceptance rate: 35%
  • Average class size: 5 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades 4-12
Offers Post-Graduate Year
Yes
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Year Founded
2021
Summer School Offered
Yes
Summer Program Details

Student Body

Total Students
40 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Students by Grade
Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
14 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
3:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
50%
Average Class Size
5 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
% on Financial Aid
17%
Acceptance Rate
35%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Maggie Storm

School Notes

  • Qualia`s educational model, honed over fourteen game-changing years, combines passion-driven, student-centered learning with an enticingly rich college preparatory curriculum. Based on 60 years of combined experience in L.A. independent schools, Qualia is the brainchild of veteran educators determined to overturn a current educational paradigm based on a century and a half of failed conventions and half-realized reforms. Our goal is to create a learning environment where high-capacity, high-curiosity kids chart their own course based on a deep, unapologetic fascination with knowledge and ideas. As much an intentional community as a school, Qualia is a model and incubator for a society based on authentic dialogue, joyful inquiry, and meaningful aspirations.
  • Qualia can be compared to an all-day intellectual dinner party a place where brainy word play, clever argumentation, and surprising ideas come together in a milieu that provokes, entertains and inspires. Our collaborative, flexible teaching methods and exceptionally small classes encourage deep and broad inquiry while embracing students' existing passions and talents, providing a platform for exceptional achievement across multiple academic disciplines. We attract students with rich internal lives and a deep passion to understand, ranging from irrepressible extroverts to still-waters-run-deep introverts. In the Qualia school culture, passionate equals cool. Our students learn to practice kindness and open communication while embracing the range of intellectual talent that makes a day at Qualia unforgettable. Qualia students embrace the challenge of meaningful inquiry, excel in the arts of rhetoric and discourse, and appreciate the difference between acquisition of facts and thoughtful analysis. Our students enter higher education as trusted proprietors of their own intellectual growth, ready to discover themselves in a complex world of knowledge and ideas
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning cost?
Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning's tuition is approximately $47,535 for private students.
What is the acceptance rate of Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning?
The acceptance rate of Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning is 35%, which is lower than the national average of 84%. Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning's acceptance rate is ranked among the top private schools in California with low acceptance rates.
Does Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning offer a summer program?
Yes, Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.
What is Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning's ranking?
Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for: Lowest average acceptance rates.
When is the application deadline for Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning?
The application deadline for Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (9 reviews)
5  
Qualia has a very different structure than we were used to, so at first, we were a little skeptical. But I can tell you that their unusual structure works. At Qualia, not only do my kids thrive, but they surpass what we could have ever hoped they could achieve at a school. On their "shadow day," my 3rd graders attended, and participated in, a philosophy class! My 13-year-old takes Theoretical Physics with Seniors! The school is small by design, and its application process is much more thorough than we experienced with any other school. They have worked hard to achieve a carefully curated community and it matters to them that each child will fit into, and succeed, in their unconventional setup. Qualia truly embodies the concept of "meeting children where they are". Their small size allows them to have children switch teachers or classes to ensure the best possible match at all times. We also love how responsive the school is. Communication is timely, friendly, and thorough. If you are looking for a progressive school for your highly curious child, give Qualia a look. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
- Posted by
5  
Qualia has been a godsend for us. Our child has learning disabilities (i.e. dyslexia and dysgraphia), AND also amazing strengths. He's found an inclusive community here in Calabasas that draws from all over Los Angeles/Ventura County. This is truly a progressive, intellectual environment with teachers and administrators who care deeply about the students. Suddenly my child who had such a miserable experience elsewhere LOVES school. He's now curious and excited! If you are uncertain if this is the place for your family, reach out and start a conversation. A neighborhood friend recommended Qualia, but we weren't sure at first. It took us time to learn about the school and get comfortable. We explored many, many options in the area. We are so happy we found Qualia.
- Posted by
5  
We are incredibly grateful we found Qualia. Our son had already started 11th grade in a local public school, and we moved him after meeting with this incredible team. He had experienced the combination of an undetected need for a differing learning style and the impacts of online learning through COVID. (He thrives in an environment of communication & collaboration) It had impacted him greatly. After just a few months at Qualia, not only did his love of life return, but the school also supported his passion for a kitchen garden and showed extreme patience while he navigated out of a traditional spoon-fed model, to one of 100% accountability for understanding himself, articulating when he doesn't know something, and listening to all of the varied opinions which make up the human dynamic.
- Posted by
5  
Qualia has been magic for our son and his gifted brain. He struggled to engage with the stock-standard curriculum at his previous school, but now gets up excited each day. He's able to deep dive into subjects that stimulate his intellectual curiosity. The staff encourages the students to lean into topics that interest them. Further, the peer group is incredibly inclusive and supportive of one another. We are incredibly grateful that a place like Qualia exists.
- Posted by
5  
It's hard to believe a school like Qualia exists. Wish every child could experience something like it. The growth that we've seen in our son since he started is remarkable- he's a different kid. He thanks us often for finding Qualia, and he'll tell anyone who will listen about his time there. His intellectual curiosity is being encouraged/nurtured in ways we could have only dreamt about years ago. And he's found his tribe! He's the happiest he's ever been, and that's saying a lot b/c he just finished middle school (a time that can be fraught with angst/insecurity). We're so unbelievably grateful.
- Posted by
5  
Qualia has been very responsive to our needs. The discussion-based format fits my child well who often needs to reason through and "play" with ideas. Classes are interesting and the teachers are engaging. The ability to meet the needs of inquisitive children is a gem.
- Posted by
5  
This school has been a delight for my son, who started here in 9th grade. It's a unique school that truly individualizes its instruction and caters to the passions of its students. For example, my son was able to take calculus as a freshman, and linear algebra was created as a class for him and other advanced math students. He also was able to take two languages and study philosophy each year plus receive support to take 29 credits of dual enrollment classes at local colleges. The emphasis on analysis and expression means that students become adept at speaking in front of their classmates and defining their viewpoints. The faculty also support emotional and social growth, which means my son has friends across groups and with his teachers, who have been amazing and involved. I'm so impressed with the man he has become during his time there. He's now a senior. It has been a wonderful place for him that I think he will treasure and rely on in different ways throughout his life.
- Posted by
5  
I am so happy I found Qualia. My son was very unhappy in two different middle schools. He was clashing with teachers and not connecting with fellow students. Someone suggested Qualia, so we took at it. At first, I didn't think the focus on philosophy would work for my son. But the way they implement that focus is very attractive to the students, largely because the students help craft the classes. The Idea Lab and Robotics classes have gotten my son interested in school again. He has found a great group of friends here who share his interests and are all very supportive. He is doing very well in his classes. He even wants to spend time on campus over the summer continuing to build a tree house. We are very happy here.
- Posted by
5  
My daughter went from feeling unchallenged, bullied, and unsafe to even exploring her self-advocacy to declaring herself a "model student", being totally accepted, making true friendships, and even designing her own honors classes to help feed her never-ending thirst for information and exploration. I cannot imagine who this kid would be if it weren't for Qualia and the faculty.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • Top Ranked CA School
  • Grades: 4-12
  • Enrollment: 40 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $47,535
  • Acceptance rate: 35%
  • Average class size: 5 students
  • Application Deadline: None / Rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Los Angeles County, CA is $17,006 for elementary schools and $22,776 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Los Angeles County, CA is 84% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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