Opened on September 3, 1975, as a public magnet high school, joining Lane Tech in that designation.

[3] The school is located between the present day University of Illinois Chicago campus and a string of city blocks that were burnt out during the riots following the assassination of Rev.

[7] Admission to Young is granted based on entrance exam performance, standardized test scores, and elementary school grades, and is open to all residents of Chicago, Illinois.

There are many extracurricular programs for the students who attend the Academic Center, including basketball, cross country, track and math team.

[12] The Academic Decathlon team has been the Illinois State Champions for 34 out the last 35 years and finished second place in the nation in 2012.

Junior and Senior year students create a weekly episode for DubTV, the school's official web-series, which is hosted on its website.

The series is a variety show that features scripted and non-scripted segments as well as advertisements for school clubs and events.

Recurring characters include Mr. Beagler, a stuffed animal voiced by a rotating cast of students.

Young competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

[26] Chicago Public Schools received funding for the complex through Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

Stream TV was added in 2006, and includes shows about the school, as well as news clips and internal features.

[29][30] In September 2009, Whitney Young principal Joyce Kenner and Chicago Board of Education President Michael W. Scott were called to testify before a federal grand jury investigating how students were chosen for admission to Chicago's elite public schools.