The world’s most complex challenges, and the next generation of leaders who will solve them, will cross all traditional lines of skills and knowledge.
Polymath University is a 3-year, debt-free undergrad school built from the ground up to empower leaders with the breadth, depth, and integration needed for impact.
Polymath University combines three innovations:
RANGE
Students develop as polymaths by majoring in 3 non-adjacent disciplines. Studies in neuroscience prove that this leads to greater creativity and better problem solving skills.
REAL-WORLD APPRENTICESHIPS
In their 2nd and 3rd years, students work concurrently as apprentices with employer-partners en route to a debt-free, accredited bachelors degree in three years.
HYBRID
Students attend classes remotely in same-city cohorts, with week-long immersive experiences in-person twice a year. PolyU is launching in Chicago before growing to other cities nationwide.
who is a polymath?
A polymath is a problem solver with wide-ranging knowledge. Polymaths have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Polymaths are systems thinkers. They are adept at using what they've learned in other domains to solve complex problems in front of them. They repurpose what is already available. They can synthesize information from many different sources and connect it in new ways. Polymaths read more, and more broadly, and have a broad range of interests. Polymaths are leaders and collaborators.
“Operate in the intersections, the gray spaces where others get uncomfortable. Dare to be different. Embrace your inner polymath.”
Expected application open date, Fall 2025 for the 2026-27 school year.
Learn more about the concept of polymaths that our curriculum builds on through Alternative Universities: Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education, by Dr. David Staley (an advisor to Polymath University); or Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World, by David Epstein.
For partnership or other inquiries, please email here.