St. Anselm’s Abbey School

What St. Anselm’s Abbey School does

St. Anselm's Abbey School is a private, nonprofit, independent Catholic boys school serving approximately 221 students in Forms A-VI (Grades 6-12) on a 40-acre wooded campus in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C. Founded in 1942 by Benedictine monks, the school operates as a subsidiary corporation of the Benedictine Foundation at Washington and shares its campus with the St. Anselm's Abbey monastery, where Benedictine monks serve as teachers, chaplains, coaches, and mentors. The institution delivers a classical liberal arts curriculum through a Middle School (Forms A-II) and Upper School (Forms III-VI) academic program featuring 28 AP courses, classical and modern languages (Latin, French, Spanish, Arabic), and college-preparatory coursework, supported by a 6:1 student-teacher ratio and 75% of faculty holding advanced degrees.

The school's revenue model is built primarily on tuition ($39,500 for Middle School and $41,500 for Upper School in the 2026-2027 academic year), supplemented by an Annual Fund, a multi-year capital campaign for the Benedictine Learning Center, summer program fees (Abbey Adventures), and commuter transportation services ($175-$1,700 annually). Approximately 48% of students receive need-based financial aid, with over $1.4 million awarded annually. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of NAIS, NCEA, AISGW, and AIMS, achieving AP Platinum Status and the AP Access Award from the College Board in 2024.

Distribution is conducted via a traditional admissions funnel — open houses, Panther for a Day shadow visits, campus tours, and an online application portal — with international student recruitment handled in partnership with the Cambridge Network International Student Program. Operationally, the school runs on standard independent-school platforms (Blackbaud myschoolapp for administration, Naviance for college counseling, Smart Tuition for billing, Magnus Health for medical records, and SSS by NAIS for financial aid applications). The institution competes on outcomes — 100% college acceptance rate, average SAT of 1397, 120 average community service hours per graduate, 81 league championships since 1996 — and on its 80+ year Benedictine educational heritage in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Name

St. Anselm’s Abbey School

Legal name

St. Anselm's Abbey School, Inc.

Website

https://saintanselms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Short description

St. Anselm's Abbey School is an independent Catholic, Benedictine boys school serving 221 students in Grades 6-12 on a 40-acre Washington, D.C. campus, delivering classical liberal arts and 28 AP courses with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio and 100% college acceptance.

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)

akta.pro secondary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Catholic boys education
• Benedictine secondary school
• College preparatory program
• Private day school
• Liberal arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees for students in grades 6-12. Tuition ranges from $39,500 to $41,500 depending on grade level (Middle School vs Upper School).
2. Annual Fund and Donations: Annual fund campaign supporting operational budget gap between tuition and actual costs. Includes current-year scholarships and overall school budget support.
3. Capital Campaign - Benedictine Learning Center: Capital campaign for new Benedictine Learning Center building with naming opportunities ranging from $500 (bricks) to $1,000,000 (Chapel).
4. Summer Program Fees: Abbey Adventures summer program generating revenue through academic and sports camps, including aftercare services.
5. Transportation Services: Morning commuter shuttles from Bethesda/NW DC ($1,400/year), Northern Virginia ($1,700/year), and Fort Totten Metro shuttle ($175/year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Anselm's Abbey School is a college-preparatory day school for young men in grades 6 through 12 that teaches the rigorous academic disciplines of the Western tradition with Benedictine moderation, generosity, and warmth. The school delivers separate Middle School and Upper School academic programs, an Abbey Adventures summer program, an international student program, college counseling, and community service and extracurricular life on a single Washington, D.C. campus at 4500 South Dakota Avenue NE. Tuition-based enrollment is the core sellable offering, supported by financial aid and admissions visits.

Product overview

St. Anselm's Abbey School is an independent Catholic, Benedictine school for boys in grades 6-12 (Forms A-VI), located in Northeast Washington, DC. The institution offers a unified classical liberal arts educational program built around Benedictine values, with the academic core consisting of Middle School (Forms A-II) and Upper School (Forms III-VI) programs featuring 28 AP courses, classical and modern languages, and college-preparatory curriculum. Beyond academics, the school provides a portfolio of co-curricular programs including the Priory Players theater program, Abbey Adventures summer program, 24-sport athletic program, House System for character development, and required community service. A major capital initiative is the Benedictine Learning Center, currently under construction to provide state-of-the-art learning facilities. The school leverages technology platforms including Blackbaud myschoolapp for administration, Naviance for college counseling, and Smart Tuition for payment management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Abbey Adventures Summer Program: Summer program offering academic and sports camps for students entering grades 4 and up
• Priory Players
• Benedictine Learning Center
• Priory Press

Products and services

• Middle School Academic Program (Grades 6-8) Tuition-based, full-time college-preparatory day program for boys in grades 6 through 8, taught in the rigorous academic disciplines of the Western tradition with Benedictine moderation. Located on the 4500 South Dakota Avenue NE campus in Washington, D.C. and led by the Head of Middle School. Prepares students for entry into the Upper School at St. Anselm's and for downstream college-preparatory work.
• Upper School Academic Program (Grades 9-12) Tuition-based, full-time college-preparatory day program for young men in grades 9 through 12, taught in the rigorous academic disciplines of the Western tradition with Benedictine moderation. Includes AP coursework, college counseling support, and preparation for college admission. Located on the same Washington, D.C. campus and led by the Head of Upper School.
• Abbey Adventures Summer Program A separately priced summer program offering held on the St. Anselm's campus, open to boys. Functions as both a standalone summer experience and a feeder for full-year international student enrollment.
• International Student Program Tuition-based enrollment program that admits international students into the St. Anselm's Middle or Upper School academic program, typically arranged via accredited study-abroad and placement partners, providing English-language U.S. college-preparatory education and college counseling.
• College Counseling Services Structured college counseling delivered to Upper School students and families, supporting college list development, applications, and matriculation, and using platforms such as Naviance and FrontRunner TTS together with an internal Interview Planner application.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average SAT score of 1397 for Class of 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge Network International Student ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cambridge Network for international student recruitment from China, Korea, and Vietnam. Cambridge Network handles application processing, homestay placement, and ongoing support for international students attending St. Anselm's.
• Fleet TransportationminorOthersTransportation partner providing dedicated morning commuter shuttles from key neighborhoods in Maryland and Virginia.
• School and Student Services (SSS)coreTechnology or IntegrationService of the National Association of Independent Schools used for financial aid applications. SSS applies consistent formula to estimate family contribution for education expenses. St. Anselm's code is 6316.
• Abbey Adventures Summer ProgramminorOthersCo-ed summer camp program for rising 4th graders through high school students, led by experienced Abbey teachers and coaches.
• Monastery of St. Anselm's AbbeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school shares a 40-acre campus with the Benedictine monks of St. Anselm's Abbey. Monks serve as teachers, coaches, chaplains, and mentors. The monastery home to 9 Benedictine monks is part of the campus.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Maret School: Co-ed independent K-12 school in NW Washington DC, competing for the same progressive, well-educated DC family demographic with comparable AP and college placement.
• Sidwell Friends School: DC's most prominent co-ed Quaker independent school, drawing from the same elite DC family market but with a much larger enrollment and broader co-ed program offering an alternative for Benedictine families.

Direct peers

• The Heights School: All-boys Catholic classical liberal arts school in Potomac, MD, with a similar Great Books/Humanities-driven curriculum and comparable Benedictine-style formation emphasis.
• Georgetown Preparatory School: All-boys Jesuit Catholic secondary school in North Bethesda, MD, the single most direct competitor to St. Anselm's in the DC-area all-boys Catholic market, with overlapping Benedictine/Jesuit formation and similar tuition band.
• Gonzaga College High School: All-boys Jesuit Catholic high school in Washington DC, drawing from the same DC-area families and offering overlapping AP, athletics, and college-prep programming.
• St. Albans School: All-boys Episcopal day school in NW Washington DC drawing from the same high-income DC family pool with comparable AP offerings, athletics, and college placement.
• Landon School: Independent all-boys day school in Bethesda, MD competing for the same Upper Northwest DC and Maryland families with comparable athletic, arts, and college counseling programs.

Regional players

• Bishop O'Connell High School: Catholic co-ed high school in Arlington, VA drawing from Northern Virginia Catholic families who might otherwise consider St. Anselm's, with overlapping AP and athletic programs.
• Paul VI Catholic High School: Catholic co-ed college preparatory high school in Fairfax, VA serving similar Virginia-side Catholic families with comparable AP offerings and tuition band.
• Archbishop Spalding High School: Catholic co-ed high school in Severn, MD serving similar Catholic families in the greater DMV (Maryland) market with overlapping AP, athletics, and faith formation programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/saintanselms
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxi2CTTrExvz6qN1QozK1LA
• Facebookfacebook.com/saintanselms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/stanselmsabbeyschool/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/saintanselms

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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. Anselm’s Abbey School