The school has a unique curriculum that prepares students for college education and careers in the STEM fields.

A major focus in the courses offered at the Downingtown STEM Academy is inquiry and project-based learning, as well as the growth of 21st-century learning skills.

As of December 11, 2013, the Downingtown STEM Academy was ranked as the top public high school in Pennsylvania, achieving a School Performance Profile score of 101.4, and in 2017 received a 104.0.

[citation needed] In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Downingtown STEM Academy as the number one public high school in the state of Pennsylvania, and number thirty-four in the United States.

In the eleventh and twelfth grades, students take six IB classes and have the opportunity to participate in the IB Diploma Programme to achieve an IB diploma, in addition to their diploma from the Downingtown Area School District.