College Preparatory School of America (CPSA) started as a dream and became a reality, by the grace of Allah (SWT) and the dedication and hard work of the founder, Dr. Saleem Abdurrahman. Two decades ago, the founders under the leadership of Dr. Saleem Abdurrahman, established CPSA with a vision to provide a quality education in an Islamic environment, to the children of the Muslim community. Initially, CPSA started as a high school with a student population of less than 100. Because of the tremendous success, a decision was made to move to a larger facility and a school was purchased at its current location, 331 W Madison Street in Lombard, Illinois. CPSA expanded to accommodate the Muslim youth of the northwest suburbs of Chicago, from grades pre-school through 12th. The student population has steadily grown since then, with a current enrollment of 420 students.

Quality education has been a mandate of CPSA from the start with a rigorous curriculum. The Elementary program stresses critical and abstract thinking processes in the areas of Arabic, Islamic Studies, English, Math, Science and Social Studies. In addition to the core subjects, Biology, Chemistry, and Physical Science are introduced as part of the integrated science program in Junior High. High School curriculum emphasizes critical reading, research and writing, history and tradition, mathematical and technology skills, as well as scientific understanding.

In order to provide a rich learning experience for the students, more than a dozen Honors level and Advanced Placement courses are offered. Traditionally, our students have performed very well on their standardized tests. Approximately 90% of our elementary and middle school students performed in the top 10 percent nationally on the IOWA test in 2010. Our students consistently score high on their PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams. Each year, a significant number of CPSA students (3% - 7% of the juniors) become eligible to compete for National Merit Scholarship as they score in the top 1% on their PSAT. CPSA Class of 2010 students earned a 17 percentage higher average score than the state average score, and a 41 percentage higher average score than the national average score on the SAT. 40% of this year's seniors earned a score of 28 or higher (top 10% nationally), and 26% earned a score of 30 or higher (top 5% nationally) on their ACT exams.

In the last two decades, CPSA has graduated more than 400 students. 99% of our students earn admission to colleges and universities. Throughout the years, many of our students received admissions to top universities which include Harvard, MIT, Yale, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, IIT, and Loyola to name a few. Additionally, they have been accepted into the GPPA (Medicine and Dental), Medical Scholars Program, Dual Pharmacy, and other Professional and Honors programs, throughout the United States.

CPSA students acquire a significant knowledge base in the Quran and Islamic Studies areas. They learn Quranic Arabic, Sirah, and the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. We are very fortunate to work closely with local Islamic centers to arrange for Quran memorization resulting in dozens of Huffaz.

CPSA is recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and is a member of the Islamic Society of North America, Council of Islamic Schools in North America, and recently became a member of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Currently, CPSA has obtained NCA/AdvancEd candidacy and is in the process of seeking Accreditation.