Info For
Skip to Content
Ivanhoes Garfield

Upland

If you desire to live in a small, rural environment, where the view on life is "Small Town, Big Life", then Upland, IN may be the right place for you. Upland is a small town of about 3,500 people, including Taylor University students, that desires to focus on quality of life and living together in intentional ways.

Please feel free to peruse the newly updated Upland website to gather more information about the town Taylor University calls home.

Churches

For each family, choosing a church home can be one of the most important aspects to a transition to a new community. There are several churches to choose from in our community and neighboring communities. We encourage you to visit several churches as you begin to make your transition and to find one that can help you and your family grow into your faith in ways that are called out in Scripture. Two of the larger churches in our local community are the Upland Community Church and the Upland United Methodist church.

Schools

We recognize that for many families the local school systems are a very important source for connecting their families and seeing their child develop into their potential. The Eastbrook School system is a four-star Public School (see below). There are also local Christian school options that give our students every chance for educational success.

There is also a nearby Christian school in King's Academy and a strong homeschool community in the Upland area. Connections can be made if this is an educational interest for your child and family.

Four Star School Criteria

Created in 1988 by the Department of Education, the Four Star School Award has been in existence for nearly 30 years and signifies a pursuit of academic excellence among both the students and the administration of a school. To receive a Four Star designation, a school must receive an “A” on the state’s A-F accountability system, and have excellent ISTEP+ pass rates. The full set of current criteria are listed below.

  • school must have received an “A” school for the 2016-2017 school year
  • school must have tested at least 95% of students on ISTEP English/Language Arts and Math.
  • 2018 Cohort Combined ECA Pass Percentage (Percent of students who had passed English 10 ECA + Percent of students who had passed Algebra I ECA by end of 10th Grade) must be in the Top 25th Percentile.
  • 2018 Cohort Percent Passing Both ECA (Percent of students who passed both the English 10 ECA and the Algebra I ECA by the end of their 10th Grade) must be in the Top 25% Percentile
  • Grade 10 combined ISTEP Pass Percentage (Pass Percentage of English/Language Arts ISTEP + Pass Percentage of Math ISTEP) must be in Top 25th Percentile for each grade tested.
  • Grade 10 Percent Passing Both ISTEP (Percent of students who passed both the English/Language Arts ISTEP + Math ISTEP) must be in the Top 25th Percentile.

Community

Upland, IN has a wonderful set of annual, established, special weekends that include the Barton Rees Pogue Poetry Festival (April), the Blooms and Berries Festival (June), and the regionally renowned Labor Day Festival (September) that features an amazing Saturday all-town garage sale that is the envy of value-based shoppers, along with a traditional Labor Day parade that may help frame the word "quaint," along with fireworks, and other celebratory events.

When all else fails, you can always find comfort in our state-renowned, local ice cream parlor Ivanhoe’s! See their menu of 100 shakes and sundaes.

Media Recognition

The Town of Upland, IN was blessed to be highlighted by the Muncie PBS station, WIPB, in a series entitled “Now Entering…”. Now Entering Upland premiered in June of 2018 and is available for your enjoyment. This series produces short segments about various areas in our town and has wonderful testimonials about our community. While lengthy, this program features a plethora of local points of interest.

Watch Here