Universal Institute CS

Universal Institute CS, a micro-enrollment combined-grade school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, run under Universal Institute CS, works with 597 students, covering grades K through 9. Enrollment runs roughly 67% leaner than the state mean of about 1,819.

Universal Institute CS sits inside Universal Institute CS, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

On demographics, Universal Institute CS lists that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (93%). The remainder is composed of 5% Hispanic. That is visibly more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 39%.

Looking at school resources, Universal Institute CS reports 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 18.1:1. The state averages around 15.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 94% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Universal Institute CS tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 37.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 28.1%.

In the surrounding community, community-level numbers for Philadelphia County indicate the typical household earns roughly $61,953 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Philadelphia County runs 309 public schools (combined enrollment of about 182,005 students), of which Universal Institute CS is one.

Creative and Performing Arts is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Universal Institute CS. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Universal Institute CS at 8th of 9; the average score across the group is 50.9%.

Universal Institute CS operates from a city-core location. Universal Institute CS operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Universal Institute CS has declined 4%, going from 625 students in 2018 to 597 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.