Principia School

What Principia School does

Principia School is an independent, co-educational college-preparatory institution founded in 1898 by Mary Kimball Morgan and currently headquartered on a 360-acre campus in Town and Country, a suburb of Saint Louis, Missouri. The school serves approximately 500+ day students from infancy through grade 12 and offers boarding for grades 8-12, with 28% of students boarding and 17% drawn from 14 foreign countries. The educational platform is grounded in Christian Science principles and built around experiential, place-based, and project-based learning, including two IDEA/SMART Labs for K-12 STEM, the Principa Adventure outdoor program (rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing, orienteering), and Signature Programs such as Senior Projects, Outward Bound Character Trips, the Impact Challenge, and Entrepreneurship Quest. Advanced offerings include 26 AP/college-credit courses, an 8:1 student-teacher ratio, and a 96% college attendance rate; the school is accredited by ISACS and recognized as a US Department of Education Green Ribbon School.

The business model is tuition-driven with five revenue streams: day school tuition (infancy-grade 12), boarding fees (grades 8-12), the Principia Camps 360 summer program, the Acorn infant/toddler program with parenting seminars, and tuition assistance/scholarships (53% of students receive aid). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; only Acorn-level tiers are listed (e.g., $848/yr for Tuesday play-ins, $1,852/yr for play-in plus one Sprouts class, $2,610/yr for play-in plus two Sprouts classes, billed monthly). Go-to-market is a sales-led admissions motion with separate processes per division, on-campus and virtual visits, a Refer-a-Student program, and active social channels (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn). The school is a single legal entity governed by a Board of Trustees with no parent company, subsidiaries, or outside equity; recent leadership changes include Terry Grigsby as Head of School (July 2025) and Barbara Blackwell as Chief Executive.

Name

Principia School

Legal name

Principia School

Website

https://principiaschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Principia School is an independent, co-educational K-12 day and boarding school in Saint Louis, Missouri, founded in 1898 on Christian Science principles, serving ~500+ students from infancy through grade 12 with experiential learning on a 360-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Independent private school
• Boarding school programs
• Early childhood education
• Experiential learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Day School Tuition: Tuition for students from infancy through grade 12 attending as day students
2. Boarding Program: Residential/boarding fees for students in grades 8-12 living on the 360-acre campus
3. Summer Camps (Principia Camps 360): Camp-style summer program offering hands-on experiences for children of various ages on campus
4. Acorn Infant/Toddler Program: Weekly parenting seminars and play-based programs for Christian Science families with children through age 3
5. Tuition Assistance and Scholarships: 53% of Principia students receive financial aid, indicating significant tuition assistance programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Principia School is an independent, coeducational college-preparatory day and boarding school in St. Louis, Missouri, serving students from infancy through grade 12 (boarding for grades 8-12). The school delivers a whole-person education grounded in Christian Science principles, integrating rigorous academics with experiential learning, character development, spiritual growth, and outdoor education across a 360-acre campus.

Product overview

Principia School is an independent co-educational college-prep day and boarding school serving students from infancy through grade 12 (boarding for grades 8-12). The institution offers a unified educational program built on Christian Science principles, with distinct divisions: Early Childhood (Acorn, Early Learning Center, Preschool), Lower School (K-5), Middle School (6-8), Upper School (9-12), and Upper School Boarding. The portfolio includes signature programs (Senior Projects, Impact Challenge, Entrepreneurship), IDEA Labs for STEM, Principia Adventure outdoor education, Principia Camps 360 summer program, and educational travel experiences. The school emphasizes experiential, whole-person education integrating spiritual, intellectual, physical, social, and moral development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Principia Camps 360: A camp-style summer program offering children hands-on experiences in a nurturing environment with activities including outdoor adventures, arts, crafts, science projects, swimming, sports, and outdoor challenges across the 360-acre campus.
• Acorn Infant/Toddler Program
• Principia Adventure
• Signature Programs

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program
• Lower School (K-5)
• Middle School (6-8)
• Upper School (9-12)
• Upper School Boarding Program
• Principia Camps 360
• Acorn Infant/Toddler Program
• Educational Travel

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% college/university attendance rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• PrintLab & AutodeskflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Two tenth-grade CoLab teams from Principia School were named finalists in the international PrintLab & Autodesk Make:able Challenge, turning empathy-driven ideas into technology that serves humanity.
• HOKAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Jean-Luc Diard, co-founder of HOKA, visited Principia School to hear students' business ideas and offer feedback, giving practical entrepreneurial guidance and inspiring students to see their ideas as achievable.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024NAIS visited Principia's campus and featured the school as part of their innovation showcase, recognizing Principia as an inspiring independent school community.
• St. Louis Zoo / Missouri Department of ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Principia School partners with the St. Louis Zoo and Missouri Department of Conservation on the St. Louis Box Turtle Project, a study dedicated to conservation and health of the three-toed box turtle. Principia tracks movement of the native species using the School's 360-acre campus as a testing ground. This is the school's seventh year as a partner.
• The Simunye ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership with The Simunye Project for service trips to South Africa where students help construct homes and engage in community service. Upper School students participate annually in service trips through this partnership.
• International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Principia hosted the first Mediation Tournament for high schoolers in the nation in 2020 in partnership with INADR. The school continues to host annual high school mediation tournaments.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• John Burroughs School: Independent coeducational K-12 day school in Ladue, Missouri, ranked alongside Principia for top college-prep outcomes in the St. Louis region. Closest direct competitor for academic-minded families.
• Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS): Premier independent K-12 day school in Ladue, Missouri (adjacent St. Louis suburb). Direct competitor for College-prep families in the same metro and offers comparable experiential curriculum and outcomes-focused programming.
• North Shore Country Day School: Independent K-12 day school in Winnetka, Illinois with progressive, experiential philosophy. Comparable model to Principia in size, mission, and curricular approach.
• Chadwick School: Independent K-12 day school on a large campus in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. Comparable model with experiential learning, 8:1-style ratios, and signature outdoor programs on a substantial campus.

Regional players

• Thomas Jefferson School: Small independent boarding and day school in St. Louis area focused on grades 7-12. Competes directly with Principia for boarding students in the St. Louis corridor.
• Whitfield School: Independent college-preparatory day school in suburban St. Louis (grades 6-12). Competes for academically focused suburban families in the same metro market.
• The Pembroke Hill School: Independent K-12 day school in Kansas City, Missouri. Comparable college-preparatory independent school model in the same state, competing for similar Midwest families.

Emerging players

• Deerfield Academy: Independent boarding school in Massachusetts with strong experiential and signature programs. Comparable boarding-college-prep model with international student population.
• Lake Forest Academy: Independent college-preparatory boarding and day school in Lake Forest, Illinois. Comparable boarding program with international student mix and signature experiential offerings.

Others

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): Industry association that accredits and represents Principia and its peer institutions. Comparable indirectly as the trade body that has featured Principia and benchmarks independent schools nationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/principiaschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincipiaSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/principia-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/principiaschool
• Xx.com/PrincipiaSchool

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Principia School