St. Croix Lutheran Academy

What St. Croix Lutheran Academy does

St. Croix Lutheran Academy (SCLA) is a private, nonprofit Christian school serving approximately 500 students in grades 6–12, located on a 30-acre campus at 1200 Oakdale Avenue in West St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1958 and governed by the SCLA Association — a consortium of over 30 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) partner churches across Minnesota and Wisconsin — SCLA delivers a Christ-centered, college-preparatory program with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio, average class size of 20, and more than 60% of faculty holding master's degrees or higher. Academic offerings span a Middle School exploratory program, a High School college-preparatory track with 10 Advanced Placement courses and Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)/dual-credit courses through Bethany Lutheran College and Concordia College Moorhead, plus STEM electives built on the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) curriculum, vocational studies, and an international student program.

The school generates revenue primarily through recurring annual tuition, segmented into Domestic High School ($15,675 for 26–27), Domestic Middle School ($13,300), International Students ($44,200 bundled with residence and enrollment fee), and optional American Room and Board ($8,600). Approximately 120 international students from 15 countries across five continents live in a 152-bed supervised lakeside dormitory and represent a distinct, higher-priced revenue stream that anchors financial aid capacity. Over $1 million in financial aid and scholarships is awarded annually to roughly 60% of families, supplementing tuition and donor-funded endowments.

SCLA's go-to-market combines a direct admissions motion (campus tours, student shadowing, Fall Showcase and Spring Open House events, and personalized enrollment counseling via Nate Kallies as Principal for Enrollment and Engagement) with a church-led referral channel through the WELS/ELS association network. Marketing spans a multilingual website (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese), an interactive 360-degree virtual tour, multi-platform organic social, and a 2025 Niche Best Schools credential. Day-to-day operations are led by Executive Director Brian Shult and Principal Brad Essig, supported by directors across academic, business, mission advancement, communications, admissions (domestic and international), dormitory, and student life functions. The school is dually accredited by MNSAA and Cognia, holds 23 MSHSL sports offerings as part of the Skyline Conference, and reports a 99% graduation rate with 95% of graduates pursuing higher education at an average composite ACT score of 25.

Name

St. Croix Lutheran Academy

Legal name

St. Croix Lutheran Academy

Website

https://stcroixlutheran.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Croix Lutheran Academy is a private, nonprofit WELS/ELS-affiliated Christian school in West St. Paul, Minnesota, serving approximately 500 students in grades 6–12, including about 120 international boarders from 15 countries, with a college-preparatory curriculum, PLTW STEM, 10 AP courses, and supervised dormitory housing.

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

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Private secondary education
• Christian college preparatory
• International boarding school
• Middle school education
• STEM curriculum school

Headquarters

HQ city

West Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Domestic Tuition - High School: Annual tuition for grades 9-12 including enrollment fee and student life fee. 26-27 academic year total of $15,675 including $14,975 tuition, $250 enrollment fee, and $450 student life fee.
2. Domestic Tuition - Middle School: Annual tuition for grades 6-8. 26-27 academic year total of $13,300 including $12,600 tuition.
3. International Student Tuition: Comprehensive tuition for international students including residence fee with meals. 26-27 academic year total of $44,200 including $29,300 tuition, $10,900 residence fee, and $4,000 international enrollment fee.
4. Room and Board: On-campus housing for domestic students including meals. American Room and Board at $8,600 annually with $200 residence down payment.
5. Activity and Program Fees: Additional fees for specific activities including bowling ($75-135), clay target ($350), golf ($250), hockey ($100-440), lacrosse ($600), robotics ($125), supermileage ($125), CTE courses ($200), and STEM courses ($500 one-time).
6. Financial Aid: Over $1 million in financial aid and scholarships awarded annually to approximately 60% of families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Croix Lutheran Academy is a private, nonprofit Christian school serving grades 6-12 on a 30-acre campus in West St. Paul, Minnesota. The school delivers a college-preparatory education integrating Christ-centered spiritual formation, STEM instruction via Project Lead The Way curriculum, Advanced Placement courses, PSEO/dual-credit college options, and supervised on-campus housing for international and long-distance students. It also operates summer youth camps for grades K-8 and 23 MSHSL athletic programs.

Product overview

St. Croix Lutheran Academy (SCLA) offers a unified Christian college-preparatory educational service spanning grades 6-12, structured as a core Middle School and High School program with integrated add-on modules. The institution provides comprehensive academic offerings including STEM courses using Project Lead The Way curriculum, 10 AP courses, PSEO/dual-credit college courses through partnerships with Bethany Lutheran College and Concordia College, and vocational studies in woodworking, culinary arts, and child development. Beyond academics, the institution offers co-curricular programs through MSHSL athletics, fine arts (choral, instrumental, drama, visual arts), and student leadership opportunities. Additional services include a 152-bed on-campus dormitory for international and long-distance students, summer youth camps, and an interactive 360-degree virtual campus tour for prospective families. The academic structure is designed to prepare students for college, career, and ministry with a Christ-centered worldview, supported by career guidance counseling utilizing Naviance college planning software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% graduation rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) churchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLA is governed by the SCLA association, a group of partner churches affiliated with WELS. These churches provide theological oversight, student referrals, and community support. SCLA follows WELS statement of faith and doctrine.
• Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) churchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner churches affiliated with ELS participate in SCLA association governance. Heritage Lutheran Church (ELS) specifically listed among association members.
• 30+ Association Churches and SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 30 churches and schools in the association network across Minnesota and Wisconsin refer students to SCLA. Includes churches in Bloomington, North St. Paul, Hugo, Cottage Grove, West St. Paul, Eagan, St. Paul, Hudson WI, Prior Lake, River Falls WI, Burnsville, South St. Paul, Apple Valley, Woodville WI, Minneapolis, Shoreview, Lakeville, Sauk Rapids, Stillwater, Woodbury, St. Paul Park, Hastings, Cannon Falls, Prescott WI, and Red Wing. Association discount available for member families.
• Bethany Lutheran CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLA offers online college-credit courses through Bethany Lutheran College as part of dual-credit offerings.
• Concordia College MoorheadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLA offers online college-credit courses through Concordia College Moorhead as part of dual-credit offerings.
• Christian Family SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site partnership providing mental health counseling services to students alongside SCLA pastoral staff.
• Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLA participates in MSHSL athletics and activities as a member of the Skyline Conference, offering 23 sports offerings.
• Skyline ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCLA is a member of the Skyline Conference for MSHSL athletic competition.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Minnehaha Academy: Minnehaha Academy is a private Christian K-12 school in Minneapolis, MN serving a comparable Twin Cities metro market with similar college-prep mission and tuition-based economics, making it a direct peer for SCLA on geography, type, and price point.
• Concordia Academy: Concordia Academy is an LCMS-affiliated Lutheran high school in Roseville, MN serving grades 9-12 in the Twin Cities metro. Same Lutheran denominational model, similar college-prep mission, and adjacent geographic market make it a direct peer.
• Academy of Holy Angels: Academy of Holy Angels is a Catholic college-preparatory high school in Richfield, MN serving the Twin Cities metro. Comparable faith-based K-12 college-prep positioning and price tier, making it a direct peer for SCLA on mission and market.
• Luther High School: Luther High School is a WELS-affiliated Lutheran high school in Milwaukee, WI. Same WELS denominational affiliation, same college-prep high school model, and overlapping church-referral pipeline make it the most directly comparable peer institutionally.
• Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School: Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School is a WELS-affiliated Lutheran high school in Mankato, MN. Same WELS denominational mission and college-prep scope as SCLA, making it a directly comparable Lutheran high school peer within the same state.
• Lakeside Lutheran High School: Lakeside Lutheran High School is a WELS-affiliated Lutheran high school in Lake Mills, WI. Same WELS denominational identity, governance via association churches, and college-prep model make it a direct institutional peer to SCLA.

Broad incumbents

• The Blake School: The Blake School is a large, established elite private K-12 school in Minneapolis, MN. It competes for the same Twin Cities private-school family cohort but at a materially higher price point and broader scope, making it a broad incumbent peer for the upper-tier of SCLA's addressable market.
• Shattuck-Saint Mary's School: Shattuck-Saint Mary's is a residential private boarding school in Faribault, MN. Comparable boarding model and international student recruitment strategy make it a relevant peer for SCLA's international boarding program component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stcroixlutheran
• YouTubeyoutube.com/stcroixlutheran
• Facebookfacebook.com/stcroixlutheran
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saint-croix-lutheran-high-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/stcroixlutheran

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 St. Croix Lutheran Academy