Andreessen Horowitz Launches Free Tech Academy for High School Graduates
Andreessen Horowitz launches a free, unaccredited San Francisco academy for 50 high school graduates, with elite university pricing planned to start in 2028.
Summary
Andreessen Horowitz is launching The Horowitz Andreessen Academy in San Francisco for high school graduates who have not attended college. As of September 22, 2026, applications are open for an initial one year program serving about 50 students at no tuition. Selection is based on what applicants have built, shipped, or earned. Coursework includes AI Research and Models, The Geometry of Luck, and personal projects, supported by prominent technology mentors. Students must fund housing, although the academy will help locate accommodation and match roommates. The unaccredited program awards no degree or transferable college credits.
The commercial venture has raised $42 million and plans a two year program in 2028. CEO Gagan Biyani said on X that tuition will then approximate an elite private university. Students are promised access to 200 speakers and mentors, including representatives from founding corporate partners Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe. Those companies and dozens more hope to recruit graduates. Combining elements of Y Combinator and Peter Thiel’s Fellowship Program, the academy proposes a middle route between college and dropping out, offering job access, practical technology skills, and startup mentorship as AI constrains entry level hiring.
Positives
- The first one year program will charge no tuition and admit about 50 students.
- Selection based on what applicants have built, shipped, or earned rewards demonstrated ability rather than conventional academic credentials.
- Students will receive access to 200 speakers and mentors from major technology companies.
- Ten founding corporate partners, including Google, NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Stripe, may provide graduates with direct recruiting opportunities.
- Coursework combines AI training, life philosophy, and student directed personal projects.
Risks & concerns
- The academy is unaccredited, so participants receive neither degrees nor transferable college credits.
- Students must pay for San Francisco housing, despite assistance finding accommodation and roommates.
- Tuition for the planned 2028 program will approximate the cost of an elite private university.
- The initial program accommodates only about 50 students, sharply limiting access.
- The model targets an entry level technology job market already constrained by AI.