High Mountain Institute

SEMESTER

Grades 11 & 12

Explore HMI Semester 〉

SUMMER

Grades 9 – 12

Explore HMI Summer 〉

GAP

Post-High School

Explore HMI Gap 〉

When Nature and Minds Meet

Ambitious, motivated students attend the High Mountain Institute to connect with nature, develop as leaders and critical thinkers, and discover learning at its best.

Our school boldly unites rigorous intellectual inquiry, experiential learning, wilderness expeditions, and shared responsibility in a strong community.

At HMI, we integrate the natural world, academics, and residential life. Our classes emphasize the places and communities where we explore. Process-based learning teaches students how to think, not what to think, and conveys a passion for learning. In addition, our wilderness curriculum teaches students backpacking, rock climbing, and backcountry skiing.

HMI students receive mentorship in and out of the classroom, and the skills they learn transfer beyond our programs. Our students realize their potential—as leaders, independent thinkers, and thoughtful citizens.

HMI by the Numbers

9,600

feet above-sea-level campus

4:1

student-to-faculty ratio

13.5

miles to the top of Mt. Elbert

70%

average financial aid tuition award

100%

of campus electricity comes from renewable sources

80%

of students write their college application essay about HMI

6,000

logs burned in cabins over a semester

138

pounds of hash browns eaten per semester

From the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to Patagonia, students come to HMI to explore their environment and challenge themselves.

Located in Leadville, Colorado, and nestled on the edge of the White River National Forest, our 80-acre campus offers an inspirational setting for students to interact with the natural world and engage with their peers and teachers.

At 9,600 feet above sea level, HMI is one of the highest-elevation schools in North America.

Students come to HMI for life-changing experiences during a semester or summer of high school, or in the years immediately following for part of their gap year.

When nature and minds meet, extraordinary academic and personal achievement follows.

Our programs prepare adolescents to take risks, collaborate with peers, communicate with people who hold diverse perspectives, and build trusting relationships. For many of our alumni, the decision to attend an HMI program was the most important educational choice they made during their lifetimes.

The HMI Semester is akin to a college study away program but for high school juniors and seniors. Students spend a full academic semester on our campus in Leadville, Colorado, and return to their home schools invigorated about education, connected to nature, and experienced in leadership.

The HMI Summer Term is a four-week program for 9th – 12th graders based out of our campus in Leadville, Colorado. Students hone their college-level writing or scientific investigation skills and spend extended time backpacking in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. All students leave the Summer Term with the tools to thrive in honors or college-level courses, on sports teams, and as leaders in extracurricular activities.

The HMI Gap Semester unites outdoor adventure, environmental service, and leadership development on an unforgettable journey to some of the world’s most awe-inspiring places. Over 45 to 80 days, students learn technical outdoor adventure skills, engage in environmental studies and conservation projects, and grow as leaders, realizing their full potential to thrive as engaged citizens of the world.

Let's Connect

We love hosting prospective students and families in Leadville, but we know it can be a trek. Check out our Instagram, blogs, and videos to get a better sense of life at HMI.