The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky is the Commonwealth's first two-year residential program for juniors and seniors in high school who have a passion for the STEM fields.  If accepted, students will join The Gatton Academy for their junior and senior years and take all of their coursework at Western Kentucky University.

The vast majority of our students remain enrolled at their sending school.  While your primary enrollment will stay at your sending school, you will live and take classes on WKU's main campus in Bowling Green.

Gatton Academy students earn a minimum of 60 hours of college credit. WKU classes double as high school credit, so our students are amassing these college credits while they finish their high school graduation requirements. All Gatton Academy students receive an Associate Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Interested students can apply during their sophomore year of high school by February 1. Learn how to apply on the Application Instructions page.

Gatton Academy applicants for the Class of 2026 (Sophomores) must

• be a current domiciled resident of the state of Kentucky as stated by the Kentucky Council of Postsecondary Education,
• be a sophomore or have achieved sophomore status (as stated by their sending school) at the time of application (February 1),
• be a junior (as stated by their sending school) at the time of enrollment to The Gatton Academy (August 1 of the same application year),
• complete Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II or their KDE equivalents prior to enrollment,
• score a minimum 22 math on the ACT or score a minimum 540 math on the SAT, and
• submit all required materials no later than February 1, 2024.

Applicants invited to Interview Day will take a Math Placement Exam during their visit. For full admission, students must qualify to be placed in Trigonometry or higher. WKU's prerequisite for Trigonometry placement is:

• A 22 Math-ACT or 540 Math-SAT AND an 18 or higher on the Math Placement Exam, OR
• A 27 Math-ACT or 610 Math-SAT or higher.

Our Class of 2026 Application is available beginning August 1, 2023. Visit the Application Instructions page to begin your application. 

As always, we are only an email away to help!  If you have a question, please let us know at academy@wku.edu.

Each year, The Gatton Academy selects approximately 95 students (half male and half female due to housing availability in our building).  On average, Gatton receives over 350 applications from interested students in the Commonwealth and roughly 150 are offered an opportunity to interview. 

The Commonwealth of Kentucky pays for the tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans for the students to attend. The only items not covered are books (which some school districts will help cover as they continue to receive your SEEK funding), study abroad programs, and travel to and from The Gatton Academy.

All students who are accepted to The Gatton Academy are required to live on campus in Florence Schneider Hall, regardless of what city their family lives in. This building is for Gatton Academy students only. 

Gatton Academy students will earn a diploma from The Gatton Academy upon successful completion of our curriculum.  The vast majority of our students will also earn a diploma from their sending school upon successful completion of our program.

Gatton Academy students also earn an Associate Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies upon graduation.

Yes! Sophomore-level homeschool students in the state of Kentucky can apply to The Gatton Academy. Homeschool applicants can reach out to academy@wku.edu or call 270-745-6565 if they have specific questions about completing the application.