Is Intrinsic a Chicago Public School?

It is a public charter school authorized by Chicago Public Schools and operated by the Intrinsic Schools network, so it is tuition-free and open to the public but run independently of a traditional attendance zone.

Does the Belmont campus have an attendance boundary?

No. As a charter school it has no geographic attendance boundary. Admission is by a citywide lottery rather than by where you live.

What grades does it serve?

The Belmont campus serves grades 7 through 12, with a seamless middle-to-high-school transition on one campus.

What makes Intrinsic's approach different?

It uses a pod-based blended-learning model, combining adaptive learning technology with expert teaching in large flexible spaces, and has earned top-tier CPS quality ratings every year since opening.

How do I find homes near Intrinsic High School?

The listings on this page are filtered to homes whose MRED listing agent assigned Intrinsic as the high school. Because it is a charter with citywide admission, buyers usually choose the Belmont Cragin and Hermosa area for the neighborhood itself. For alerts on new homes here, text 224-385-8779.

Aerial of the Belmont Cragin and Hermosa area around Intrinsic High School on Chicago's Northwest Side.

Chicago, IL·Intrinsic Schools

Homes in the
Intrinsic Schools district.

An in-demand Northwest Side charter where a personalized, pod-based learning model turns bungalow-belt kids into confident, college-ready graduates.

Homes for sale: 1
Typical list: $529,900
Most expensive: $529,900
Most affordable: $529,900

Browse listings What's my home worth?

Mustangs · 993 students

Active listings

1 home on the market

$529,900

4945 Addison Street

Chicago, IL

4 bd · 3 ba · 3,084 sqft

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Save the search and you will get a text and an email the moment a new listing matches. Most the Intrinsic Schools district homes go under contract in the first week, the buyers who win are the ones who saw it first.

Market snapshot

The Intrinsic Schools area, by the numbers

Live MRED data, refreshed daily. What this market is actually doing right now, sales included, not a portal estimate.

Homes for sale now

Typical list price

$494,450

Avg time on market

24 days

Sold in the last year

Typical sale price · last 90 days

n/a

Living near Intrinsic Schools

The area, not just the school

Living around Intrinsic's Belmont campus puts you in the heart of Chicago's Northwest Side, where the Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, and Belmont Gardens neighborhoods meet. This is classic Bungalow Belt territory, block after block of solid brick Chicago bungalows, Cape Cods, and two-flats, many still owned by the families who raised generations here. It is one of the last corners of the city where a young family can find a well-built single-family home with a real yard and a garage, wrapped in the kind of tight-knit, hardworking community feel that is getting harder to find closer to the lake.

Getting downtown is easy from here. The Kennedy Expressway is a quick hop for drivers, and Metra's Milwaukee District West line, along with a dense web of CTA bus routes, gives commuters a rail option straight into the Loop. When it is time to get outside, neighbors head to Kelvyn Park, Riis Park, Hanson Park, and Kosciuszko Park for ballfields, pools, and open green space. It is an authentic, affordable, transit-friendly slice of Chicago with real staying power.

🏫Founded 2013
The first Intrinsic school, built around a personalized learning model.
🎓Grades 7 to 12
A seamless middle-to-high-school transition on one campus.
🧠Pod-based blended learning
Large flexible spaces combine adaptive technology with expert teaching.
🐎Mustangs
Public charter operated by Intrinsic Schools.
👥About 993 students
Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year.
📍Northwest Side
At 4540 W Belmont Ave near the Hermosa and Belmont Cragin border.

The school

About Intrinsic High School

Intrinsic Schools was founded in 2013 by Melissa Zaikos, a former Chicago Public Schools chief area officer, who launched the network after finding that achievement gaps widened once students reached middle and high school. The first Intrinsic school opened in 2013 and later moved into a purpose-built campus on West Belmont Avenue, quickly becoming one of the most in-demand schools on the city's Northwest Side. Intrinsic is best known for its pod model, large flexible learning spaces that blend technology-enabled adaptive software with expert teaching.

Intrinsic uses a personalized, blended-learning model that combines technology-enabled adaptive instruction with expert teaching to build independent, self-directed learners. Students work in pods and split the day between a humanities block and a STEM block, owning much of their own schedule, and the Belmont campus has earned a top-tier CPS quality rating every year since opening.

District: Intrinsic Schools
Founded: 2013
Principal: Michelle Trojan
Address: 4540 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

Facts on this page sourced from Wikipedia and the District website. Last verified 2026-07-05.

Listings filtered by the school the MRED listing agent assigned. Roughly 7 in 10 active listings have this field populated; the remaining listings will surface once the school-district boundary pipeline ships. School assignment is not a guarantee. Always verify with the district before writing an offer.

The questions buyers actually ask

Intrinsic Schools FAQ

The questions I get most from buyers shopping the Intrinsic Schools district. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.

Is Intrinsic a Chicago Public School?: It is a public charter school authorized by Chicago Public Schools and operated by the Intrinsic Schools network, so it is tuition-free and open to the public but run independently of a traditional attendance zone.
Does the Belmont campus have an attendance boundary?: No. As a charter school it has no geographic attendance boundary. Admission is by a citywide lottery rather than by where you live.
What grades does it serve?: The Belmont campus serves grades 7 through 12, with a seamless middle-to-high-school transition on one campus.
What makes Intrinsic's approach different?: It uses a pod-based blended-learning model, combining adaptive learning technology with expert teaching in large flexible spaces, and has earned top-tier CPS quality ratings every year since opening.
How do I find homes near Intrinsic High School?: The listings on this page are filtered to homes whose MRED listing agent assigned Intrinsic as the high school. Because it is a charter with citywide admission, buyers usually choose the Belmont Cragin and Hermosa area for the neighborhood itself. For alerts on new homes here, text 224-385-8779.

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This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period July 16, 2025 through July 16, 2026. Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

Homes in the Intrinsic Schools district.