What John Burroughs School does

John Burroughs School is a nonprofit, coeducational, non-sectarian college-preparatory day school founded in 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri. It serves approximately 660 students in grades 7-12 drawn from 59 ZIP codes, supported by 123 faculty (108 full-time, 15 part-time) averaging 24 years of teaching experience, with 79% holding advanced degrees. The school runs a 50+ acre main campus plus a 40-acre wilderness facility called Drey Land (leased for $1/year since 1969 from alumnus Leo Drey '34), where students collect longitudinal ecological data across programs in 7th grade orientation, 9th grade biology, and senior outdoor education.

Core academic delivery uses Canvas LMS and Google Suite, supplemented by Extempore for foreign language practice, SMART boards, and dedicated labs for computer science, industrial technology, and engineering. The curricular model spans humanities, STEM, fine arts (including a 350+ piece permanent collection), athletics (34 upper school and 19 middle school offerings), college counseling, and academic support for students with diagnosed learning disabilities. Supporting summer programs — Burr Oak Camp, Bomber Sports Camp, Aim High St. Louis (on campus since 1991), and Summer Days — extend campus utilization across ages 5-18 and into community outreach.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition, set at $37,950 for the 2025-2026 academic year, with approximately $1,000 in additional books/fees/gear. The Annual Fund contributed more than $3 million in 2024-2025 (covering almost 10% of operating expenses), and endowment income provides a further ~10% of annual operating revenue against a disclosed operating budget of $31,779,000. Tuition assistance totals $4.5M and supports 25% of students, with means-tested coverage of 75-100% for families earning under $80,000. The institution reports a 100% college matriculation rate, 64 state team/individual championships from 2015-2025, and 7,190 living alumni (40% local, 30% Annual Fund participants).

Name

John Burroughs School

Legal name

John Burroughs School

Website

https://jburroughs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

John Burroughs School, founded in 1923, is a nonprofit, coeducational, college-preparatory day school in St. Louis serving 660 students in grades 7-12 across a 50+ acre campus and 40-acre Drey Land wilderness camp, funded by $37,950 tuition, Annual Fund giving, and endowment income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue source. Tuition for 2025-2026 school year is $37,950. Books, athletic gear, and fees are approximately $1,000 each year.
2. Annual Fund and Endowment: Annual Fund covers almost 10% of operating expenses. In 2024-2025, more than $3 million was contributed. Endowment income provides approximately 10% of annual operating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

John Burroughs School is a coeducational, non-sectarian, college-preparatory day school serving grades 7-12 with a liberal arts curriculum that balances academics, arts, athletics, and community service. It operates on a 50+ acre campus in St. Louis, Missouri, and a 40-acre wilderness camp (Drey Land) in the Ozarks used for outdoor education programs. Tuition for the 2025-2026 school year is $37,950, with additional summer programs (Burr Oak Camp, Bomber Sports Camp) and community programs (Aim High St. Louis, Summer Days) offered separately.

Product overview

John Burroughs School is a coeducational, college-preparatory day school for grades 7-12 offering a unified liberal arts education model. The core academic program balances academics with arts, athletics, and activities. Supporting programs include Fine Arts, Athletics (34 upper school/19 middle school sports), College Counseling, Academic Support, and Summer Programs (Burr Oak Camp, Bomber Sports Camp). The school also operates Drey Land, a 40-acre wilderness camp in the Ozarks for outdoor education. The academic program uses Canvas LMS and Google Suite for technology-enhanced learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• John Burroughs School Core Academic Program College-preparatory liberal arts education for grades 7-12 with a broad curriculum covering humanities, STEM, arts, athletics, global awareness, and service. Primary entry points are grades 7 and 9, with applications for grades 10 and 11 considered as openings permit. Tuition is $37,950 for the 2025-2026 school year, and 25% of students receive tuition assistance.
• Burr Oak Camp Day camp for children ages 5-12 offering immersive activities including swimming instruction, art, music, STEM, and physical activities on the John Burroughs School campus. Registration is managed through the CampBrain system.
• Bomber Sports Camp One-week sports camp for children entering grades 2-6 featuring multiple sports, team-building games, and activities. Directed by Matt Buha and staffed by boys' and girls' sports coordinators.
• Drey Land Wilderness Camp 40-acre wilderness camp in the Ozarks, leased for $1 annually since 1969 and used for seventh grade orientation, ninth grade biology field study, and senior programs. Students have collected longitudinal ecological data over 40+ years.
• Aim High St. Louis Tuition-free academic enrichment program for promising middle schoolers from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, hosted on the Burroughs campus. Students, alumni, and faculty staff the program.
• Summer Days Two-week tuition-free summer camp for children from the Youth & Family Center in downtown St. Louis. JBS students in grades 10-12 volunteer as counselors, coordinated by Margaret Clark.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college matriculation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Aim High St. LouisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Tuition-free academic enrichment program for promising middle schoolers from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Burroughs has hosted Aim High on its campus since 1991, with students, alumni, and faculty staffing the program.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)minorOthersMembership organization supporting independent schools. Burroughs participates as member school.
• Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)minorOthersRegional accreditation and membership organization for independent schools in the central United States.
• Independent Schools of St. Louis (ISSL)minorOthersLocal consortium of St. Louis-area independent schools.
• The Equity ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA think tank of public and private educational leaders sharing strategic solutions for equity and inclusion. Burroughs collaborates on equity initiatives through the Community & Equity Leadership Center.
• Burr Oak CampminorOthersDay camp for children ages 5-12 operated on Burroughs campus during summer. Uses CampBrain registration system.
• Summer Days CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-week tuition-free summer camp for children from Youth & Family Center in downtown St. Louis. JBS students in grades 10-12 volunteer as counselors.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Crossroads College Preparatory School: Independent college-prep school in St. Louis serving grades 5-12. Smaller enrollment than JBS but competes in the same private college-prep market with strong college outcomes.
• De Smet Jesuit High School: Catholic Jesuit college-prep high school for boys in Creve Coeur, St. Louis. Competes with JBS for college-bound families seeking faith-based or liberal arts secondary education.
• St. Louis University High School: Jesuit college-prep high school for boys in St. Louis city. Overlaps with JBS on selective admissions, rigorous academics, and strong college placement within the same metro.
• Principia School: Independent K-12 college-prep school in the St. Louis suburb of Town & Country. Compares on independent college-prep mission and local feeder overlap with JBS, with a Christian Science background.
• Westminster Christian Academy: Private Christian college-prep school serving grades 7-12 across two campuses in the St. Louis metro. Direct competitor for tuition-paying, college-bound families in west county St. Louis.
• MICDS (Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School): Coeducational JK-12 independent college-prep day school in the St. Louis metro, the most direct competitor for college-preparatory families. Overlaps on mission, tuition tier, and feeder geography with JBS.
• Whitfield School: Independent college-prep day school (grades 6-12) located in Weldon Spring, just west of St. Louis. Competes head-to-head with JBS for the same pool of college-bound families in west St. Louis County.

Regional players

• The Pembroke Hill School: Independent K-12 college-prep day school in Kansas City, MO. Comparable Midwest private day school with similar tuition tier, athletics breadth, and college-prep mission.
• Rockhurst High School: Catholic Jesuit college-prep high school for boys in Kansas City, MO. Regional comparator for Midwest Jesuit independent college-prep offerings, similar in athletics profile and college outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• The Kinkaid School: Independent K-12 college-prep day school in Houston, TX. Larger-scale peer institution with established endowment, broad programming, and similar selective college-prep positioning outside the St. Louis market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeinstagram.com/jbs_world
• Facebookfacebook.com/20074600378
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/john-burroughs-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/jbs1923_official
• Xx.com/JBSchool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 John Burroughs School