IMG Academy Baseball: Programs, Cost, Coaches and What to Expect
IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida is the most recognized name in residential baseball development in the United States. It is also the most expensive. This profile covers everything a family needs to evaluate whether IMG is the right fit — verified tuition figures, what the program actually provides, placement outcomes, and how it compares to alternatives at lower price points.
Quick Facts
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Bradenton, FL |
| Tier | Tier 1 Residential |
| Grades | 6th through 12th plus post graduate |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Circuit | Independent national schedule |
| Website | imgacademy.com |
What IMG Academy Baseball Is
IMG Academy is a full time residential boarding school where baseball is the primary athletic discipline. Athletes live on the Bradenton campus, attend an accredited college prep school on site, and train year round under a professional coaching staff. The model mirrors an MLB instructional league — daily practice, pitching programs, hitting development, video analysis, and strength and conditioning run as a structured full time operation.
This is not a camp, a lesson studio, or a travel team. Athletes who enroll at IMG replace their home high school entirely. Most live in campus housing for the full school year.
Published Tuition — 2026 to 2027
IMG publishes a full tuition schedule annually. These figures are sourced directly from their official 2026 to 2027 baseball rate card.
| Program | Boarding | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Post Graduate and HS 10th through 12th | $99,900 per year | $79,400 per year |
| HS 9th Grade | $97,900 per year | $77,400 per year |
| Middle School 6th through 8th | $95,900 per year | $75,400 per year |
Additional fees:
- Non refundable enrollment deposit: $10,500 domestic, $12,000 to $13,000 international
- Senior fee: $450
- New student fee: $650
- Medical deposit: $400
Standard shared room and three daily meals are included in the boarding tuition. These inclusions are meaningful — at most other residential academies, housing and meals are separate line items that add significant cost.
Health services on campus are provided by Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, which is a genuine differentiator. Medical care at the level of a major hospital system is built into the program.
What the Tuition Includes
The boarding figure of $95,900 to $99,900 covers:
- On campus shared room accommodation
- Three daily meals in the campus dining facility
- Daily baseball instruction and coaching
- Access to the baseball complex
- Strength and conditioning programming
- Video analysis and skill development sessions
- Accredited on site college prep academic school
- Health services through Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
- Access to IMG campus facilities (performance centers, nutrition services, mental conditioning)
What is not included: personal equipment such as bats, gloves and cleats, competition travel beyond standard campus transportation, personal spending, and the enrollment deposit.
Placement Record
IMG reports the following outcomes for baseball athletes, per their official website:
- 100 or more Division I college placements over five years
- 64 alumni drafted into MLB
- 37 athletes drafted directly from IMG
MaxPreps National Championship titles: 2023 and 2025.
Notable alumni include Elijah Green, selected fifth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals for $6.5 million per MiLB records.
Coaching
IMG's baseball program is led by Dan Simonds, Director of Baseball. Simonds spent eight years as head coach at Miami University (Ohio), bringing more than 14 years of Division I coaching experience to the role — his Miami tenure produced 32 MLB draft picks, 24 All-MAC selections, five MAC Freshmen of the Year, and 17 Academic All-MAC honorees.
Joe Girardi, former New York Yankees manager and Simonds' former teammate in the Cubs organization, publicly endorsed the hire: "I'm excited about Dan… as Director of Baseball at IMG [Academy]. His passion and dedication to the game will be great assets in doing everything to be successful."
IMG has not published a full staff biography sheet for its remaining coaches as of this writing. If specific coaching credentials beyond Simonds are important to your evaluation, request the full staff list from admissions before committing.
Sources: imgacademy.com/people/dan-simonds; Joe Girardi endorsement as reported in IMG Academy coverage.
Who IMG Is Best Suited For
IMG makes the most sense for a specific profile:
A top 100 national prospect whose talent is already established and who needs the highest profile environment to get noticed by the right scouts at the right level. An international athlete whose family is relocating to the US and needs a complete residential solution. A family for whom $99,900 is a manageable expense rather than a financial stretch.
If any of those three conditions do not apply, the alternatives below deserve equal attention.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
For a developing athlete who needs individual attention at close coaching ratios, smaller academies often produce better individual development outcomes at a fraction of the cost. For families where the cost would cause real financial strain, the return on investment does not reliably justify it — Division I commits come from programs at every price point in this directory.
The $10,500 non refundable deposit is the most significant financial risk. If circumstances change after enrollment — injury, family situation, a change of plan — that money is gone.
Alternatives to IMG Academy
| Academy | State | Tier | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combine Academy | NC | Residential | $33,750–$47,750 |
| Elev8 Baseball Academy | FL | Residential | ~$37,500–$39,000 all-in |
| Southeastern Prep Academy | FL | Residential | $18,499–$35,499 |
| P27 Baseball Academy | SC | Residential | $30,000–$40,000 |
| Georgia Premier Academy | GA | Residential | Not published |
| A3 Trojans | FL | Residential option | $19,500 (boarding separate) |
| Eastern Carolina Academy | NC | Year-round | $15,000 |
The Honest Assessment
IMG Academy is the best known, most established, and most expensive residential baseball program in the United States. For the specific profile of athlete it is designed for — an established national prospect in a family that can absorb the cost — it delivers what it promises.
It is not the right choice for every serious baseball player. Division I commitments and professional draft picks come from programs at every price point in this directory. The development outcome depends on the athlete, the coaching fit, and the daily environment — not exclusively on the cost.
All tuition figures sourced from imgacademy.com official 2026 to 2027 baseball rate card. Placement statistics sourced from imgacademy.com. Coaching information verified via imgacademy.com/people/dan-simonds and public IMG Academy coverage of the Dan Simonds hire. Verify all figures directly with IMG Academy before making enrollment decisions.