Career academies differ from traditional academic and vocational education because they prepare high school students for both college and careers. Academics provide broad information about a field such as health care, finance, engineering, media, or natural resources. They weave the themes into academic curricula that qualify students for admission to four-year colleges or universities.

Studies have found that students in career academies perform better in high school and are more likely to continue into post secondary education, compared to similar students in the same schools. After assessing the most extensive, longitudinal study yet on academies by MDRC, William Rasberry, of the Washington Post, succinctly wrote, "The magic, apparently, is in the combination of linking academics to job prospects and the intensive involvement of adults." Several leading organizations of career academies have agreed on a common standard for academies, and use the following parameters when describing a career academy: * a small learning community, comprised of a group of students within the larger high school, who take classes together for at least two years, and are taught by a team of teachers from different disciplines; * a college preparatory curriculum with a career theme, enabling students to see relationships among academic subjects, and their application to a broad field of work; and * partnerships with employers, the community, and local colleges, bring resources from outside the high school to improve student motivation and achievement.