Strake Jesuit College Preparatory

What Strake Jesuit College Preparatory does

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory is a private, nonprofit Catholic four-year college preparatory school for young men in grades 9–12, founded in 1960 by Father Michael F. Kennelly, S.J., and located on a 110+ acre campus at 8900 Bellaire Blvd in Houston, Texas. The school serves more than 1,400 students through a 10:1 student-teacher ratio, with 67% of faculty holding advanced degrees, and operates an additional 50-acre Retreat & Leadership Center in Leona, Texas. Its mission centers on Jesuit education tradition, forming students as "Men for Others" who are intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to justice, with formation delivered through the Grad-at-Grad model, daily prayer, retreats, and pastoral ministry. The school fields an academic program that produced 388 AP Scholar Awards in 2024 (a record, up from 264 in 2020) with 85.52% of 1,015 AP students scoring 3 or higher, alongside 20 National Merit Semifinalists and 38 Commended Students in 2025.

The school's core technology infrastructure is Blackbaud's mySchoolApp (mySJ), which handles admissions inquiries, application management, parent communications, grades, and attendance. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition — implied at approximately $29,470 per student per year based on the 50%-tuition Ignatian Scholar Award of $14,735 — supplemented by summer programs (Summer School at $300–$600 per course, Debate Camp at $735, the Higher Achievement Program at $200 per family), Spirit Store merchandise sales, annual giving through the Crusader Fund (covering ~11% of the operating budget), and fundraising auctions. The school administers approximately $5.8–$6.4 million annually in need-based financial aid, with the Ignatian Scholar Award providing merit-based half-tuition scholarships to the top five incoming freshmen.

The school's go-to-market motion is admissions-driven, leveraging feeder Catholic schools (St. Cecilia, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary's League City, St. Laurence), the Higher Achievement Program pipeline for underserved middle school boys, campus tours and shadow programs, open houses, UIL athletic visibility, and a multi-channel digital presence across Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Vimeo, and LinkedIn. Governance is provided by an independent Board of Directors under President Fr. Jeff Johnson, S.J., and Principal Ken Lojo '91, with no parent company, venture capital, or private equity ownership. Recent capital activity includes a $1 million planned gift from Larry Mason '66 and a $600,000 Chandler family gift that funded the new Pastoral Ministry Center, alongside a May 2025 groundbreaking for a new on-campus Jesuit Residence.

Name

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory

Legal name

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory

Website

https://strakejesuit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Strake Jesuit is a private Catholic college preparatory school for young men in grades 9–12, founded in 1960 in Houston, Texas, serving over 1,400 students through Jesuit formation, AP academics, athletics, and 75+ extracurricular programs on a 110-acre campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Jesuit secondary education
• Catholic boys school
• Summer enrichment programs
• College readiness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition payments for the college preparatory program. The school administers approximately $6.4 million annually in need-based financial aid.
2. Summer School Programs: Revenue from summer school courses including full-session courses ($600) and half-session courses ($300). Open to both Jesuit and non-Jesuit students.
3. Debate Camp: Revenue from debate camp registration at $735 per camper, with limited need-based scholarships available.
4. Spirit Store: Retail revenue from branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and memorabilia. The Spirit Store operates both online and on campus.
5. Higher Achievement Program: HAP program asks families for a $200 contribution, which is waived entirely for families with financial obstacles.
6. Crusader Fund / Annual Giving: Annual fund donations covering approximately 11% of the school's annual budget, supporting financial aid, retreats, and faculty programs. Gift levels include Ignatius Club ($25,000+), Stanislaus Club ($10,000-$24,999), Crusader Club ($5,000-$9,999), President's Club ($2,500-$4,999), Magis Club ($1,000-$2,499), and Green & White Club (up to $999).
7. Auctions and Events: Annual auction events and fundraising activities including Christmas Auction and Spring Fling & Raffle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Strake Jesuit is a Catholic, four-year college preparatory school for young men in grades 9-12, providing rigorous college preparation grounded in the Jesuit educational tradition. The school delivers holistic formation through academics, spiritual development, athletics, fine arts, and 75+ extracurricular activities, supplemented by summer programs, debate camps, the Higher Achievement Program for underserved middle school boys, and a Spirit Store for branded merchandise.

Product overview

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory offers a suite of educational programs and services for students and families. The mySJ portal serves as the central digital hub for admissions, registration, and student information. The school operates multiple summer programs including Summer School (credit recovery and enrichment courses), the Higher Achievement Program (HAP - a middle school enrichment initiative for underserved communities), Debate Camp, Athletic Camps, College App Bootcamp, and College Essay Workshops. Additionally, the Spirit Store provides official merchandise. These programs collectively support the school's mission of forming young men as 'Men for Others' through rigorous college preparation and holistic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spirit Store: The official Strake Jesuit spirit store selling apparel and accessories bearing the school logo
• Crusader Fund
• Higher Achievement Program (HAP)
• The Chronicle
• Alumni Service Corps

Products and services

• Summer School

Quantifiable outcome

• 388 AP Scholar Awards in 2024, a record number representing growth from 264 in 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boston College Institute for Advanced Jesuit StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrake Jesuit partners with Boston College's Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies to provide graduate-level courses in Jesuit Studies for faculty and staff formation. In spring 2026, 18 Strake Jesuit adults were taking courses in this program, representing a significant commitment to intellectual and spiritual development of faculty.
• UIL (University Interscholastic League)coreOthersStrake Jesuit participates in UIL athletic competitions and academic events, providing students competitive opportunities in Texas secondary school athletics and academics.
• St. Agnes Catholic SchoolminorOthersStrake Jesuit shares campus facilities and collaborates on certain programs with St. Agnes Catholic School, including the combined Orchestra program (Strake Jesuit/St. Agnes Orchestra) and reference to the St. Agnes Spirit Store.
• Max Finney FoundationminorOthersExternal scholarship foundation named in memory of Max Finney '22 providing scholarships to current Strake Jesuit students demonstrating character, scholarship, and leadership.
• Todd Maddox Memorial Scholarship FundminorOthersEstablished in 2000 to honor Todd Joseph Maddox '99, this scholarship fund recognizes exceptional graduating seniors who demonstrate Christ-like character and servant leadership.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Brophy College Preparatory: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in Phoenix, Arizona. Comparable in scale, Jesuit mission, strong athletics programs, and academic outcomes; serves as a benchmark Jesuit college prep in the western U.S.
• Regis High School: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men in New York City. Among the most selective Catholic high schools nationally; comparable in Jesuit mission, academic excellence, and single-gender positioning.
• St. Ignatius College Preparatory: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school in Chicago, Illinois. Operates as a Jesuit college prep with similar academic rigor, faith formation, and extracurricular structure; comparable in scale and college-readiness outcomes to Strake Jesuit.
• St. Thomas High School: Catholic Basilian college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in Houston, Texas. Directly competes with Strake Jesuit for Catholic families in the Houston market with similar college-prep curriculum and faith-based mission.
• Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in Dallas, Texas. Operates as a fellow member of the Jesuit Schools Network with comparable mission, structure, and Texas market dynamics; the most direct peer on a regional basis.
• Gonzaga College High School: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in Washington, D.C. Comparable in Jesuit mission, academic rigor, and strong extracurricular programs; serves as a peer Jesuit school on the East Coast.
• Loyola High School: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in Los Angeles, California. Similar structure and mission as a fellow Jesuit college prep; comparable scale, college-readiness outcomes, and Jesuit formation model.
• Bellarmine College Preparatory: Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men grades 9-12 in San Jose, California. Among the most prominent Jesuit college prep schools nationally with similar academic rigor, AP programs, and nationally competitive debate program.

Regional players

• The Kinkaid School: Premier private co-educational PK-12 college preparatory school in Houston, Texas. Competes with Strake Jesuit for high-income Houston families seeking elite college-prep education, but offers a co-ed experience rather than single-gender Jesuit formation.
• Episcopal High School: Private co-educational college preparatory school grades 9-12 in Houston, Texas. Competes with Strake Jesuit for Houston families seeking elite college-prep education, with faith-based (Episcopal) tradition rather than Catholic/Jesuit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/strakejesuit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI52vX_4dVjaRvixRL5qMHg
• Facebookfacebook.com/strakejesuit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/strake-jesuit-college-preparatory
• Instagraminstagram.com/strakejesuit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Strake Jesuit College Preparatory