Sage Hill School

What Sage Hill School does

Sage Hill School is an independent, nonprofit, co-educational college preparatory day school located at 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, Orange County, California. Founded in 2000, the school has historically served students in grades 9-12 and is expanding in August 2026 to a 7-12 model, becoming the first independent school in Orange County to span that grade range. The institution currently enrolls approximately 700 students and operates with a 101-250 person staff, governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Head of School Patricia Merz.

The school's core academic product is a seminar-style, discussion-based college preparatory curriculum, complemented by an extensive extracurricular portfolio. Core programmatic offerings include Lightning Athletics (22 interscholastic sports across 54 teams), Performing & Visual Arts, College Counseling (36:1 counselor-to-student ratio, 14-student average upper school class size), and the Sage Center — an integrated set of programs bundling Service Learning, Spring at Sage (10 annual global travel destinations), the Sage Hill Internship Program (SHIP), and a Speaker Series. Additional programs include the Johnson Family Library, Academic Teams & Clubs, and Summer at Sage (Camp Sage, Lightning Athletics Academy, Enrichment Workshops, Credit Classes).

Sage Hill generates revenue primarily through recurring annual tuition for grades 7-12, supplemented by ancillary fees and summer program revenue. Tuition operates on a flexible, need-based model with 17% of students receiving financial assistance; specific tuition amounts are not publicly disclosed. Additional funding sources include an Annual Fund, capital campaign contributions (including a Middle School Campaign tied to the new facility), financial assistance endowments, and alumni and parent giving. The school's go-to-market relies on direct admissions processes (inquiry forms, campus tours, admission events), an active social media presence, organic website content, and alumni and parent referral networks within the Orange County region. Notable recent achievements include the school's first CIF Boys' Volleyball State Championship in May 2025 and its first state Junior Classical League championship in Latin I in 2026.

Name

Sage Hill School

Legal name

Sage Hill School

Website

https://sagehillschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sage Hill School is an independent, nonprofit co-educational college preparatory day school in Newport Coast, California, serving approximately 700 students. Founded in 2000 for grades 9-12, it is expanding to grades 7-12 in August 2026, offering a seminar-based curriculum, 22 interscholastic sports, college counseling, and global travel and internship programs to Orange County families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Education

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Private secondary education
• Independent day school
• Middle school education
• High school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Coast

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition payments for grades 7-12 college preparatory education. The school also generates revenue through summer programs (Camp Sage, Lightning Athletics Academy, Enrichment Workshops, Credit Classes) and ancillary fees.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sage Hill School is an independent co-educational college-preparatory day school located in Newport Coast, California, serving approximately 700 students in grades 7–12 with an average class size of 14. The school delivers a rigorous college-preparatory academic program, comprehensive college counseling, athletics, and visual and performing arts, supported by a values-driven community and need-based financial assistance for about 17% of enrolled students.

Product overview

Sage Hill School is a private college preparatory independent day school for grades 7-12. The school offers a unified educational program combining academic excellence with extensive extracurricular opportunities. Core programs include Middle School (grades 7-8, new as of August 2026) and Upper School (grades 9-12), complemented by Lightning Athletics (22 sports, 54 teams), Performing & Visual Arts, College Counseling, Sage Center (offering Service Learning, Spring at Sage travel program, SHIP internship program, and Speaker Series), Summer at Sage camps, and Academic Teams & Clubs. The school serves approximately 700 students with an average class size of 14 and a 36:1 student-to-counselor ratio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Preparatory Academic Program (Grades 7–12) Rigorous college-preparatory curriculum covering humanities, mathematics, sciences, and world languages for students in grades 7–12, delivered in small sections (average class size 14) to enable individualized instruction and prepare graduates for selective colleges and universities.
• College Counseling Program Comprehensive college counseling service that guides students and families through the college search, application, and selection process, supporting 100% college placement for graduating classes through individualized advising.
• Athletics Program Competitive athletics program offering multiple team sports for students across grade levels, with emphasis on physical fitness, skill development, teamwork, and school spirit.
• Visual and Performing Arts Program Year-long and elective arts curriculum in visual arts, theater, music, and dance, designed for students of all skill levels and culminating in performances, exhibitions, and showcases.
• Service Learning and Community Engagement Required and elective service learning opportunities that integrate students into the broader Orange County community, reinforcing the school's values-driven mission and character education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate implied through comprehensive college counseling program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. Margaret's Episcopal School: Independent PK-12 college preparatory school in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County. Direct competitor in the same geography and market segment, with comparable tuition, athletics, and college counseling programs; competing head-to-head for Orange County families.
• Polytechnic School: Independent K-12 college preparatory day school in Pasadena serving greater Los Angeles. Closest comparable in scale, curriculum model, athletic breadth, and college counseling depth; benchmarks on tuition pricing and brand reputation.
• Flintridge Prep School: Independent 7-12 college preparatory school in La Cañada Flintridge, California. Nearly identical grade range model (7-12), small class sizes, and seminar-style curriculum make it a structurally close peer for benchmarking admissions and outcomes.
• Windward School: Independent 7-12 college preparatory school in Los Angeles. Direct model peer with similar small class sizes, college counseling ratios, and broad interscholastic athletics programs; competes in the same SoCal private school market.
• Campbell Hall School: Independent K-12 college preparatory school in Studio City, Los Angeles. Comparable in scale, Episcopal-affiliated governance, and breadth of programs including arts, athletics, and college counseling.
• Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences: Independent K-12 school in Santa Monica known for progressive curriculum and seminar-style discussion. Comparable in pedagogy, small class sizes, and college preparatory mission targeting the same affluent coastal LA/OC family demographic.
• Brentwood School: Independent K-12 college preparatory school on Los Angeles' Westside. Direct peer in scale (1,000+ students), breadth of athletics and arts programs, and college counseling sophistication; competes for the same coastal LA/OC high-income families.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard-Westlake School: Large, elite independent 7-12 school with two campuses in LA. Larger scale and deeper brand heritage, but operates with similar college-prep mission, athletics, and arts programs; represents the upper bound of competitive positioning in the SoCal private school market.

Regional players

• Marlborough School: Independent 7-12 girls' school in Los Angeles. Comparable in scale and college-prep depth but single-gender; serves as a partial competitor for families in the same geography and income bracket.
• Crean Lutheran High School: Private faith-based 9-12 college preparatory school in Irvine, Orange County. Competes in the same regional market but at lower tuition positioning; relevant for benchmarking middle-income private school alternatives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sagehillstories
• Facebookfacebook.com/sagehillschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sage-hill-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/sagehill
• Xx.com/sagehillschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sage Hill School