What Ursuline Academy does

Ursuline Academy is a private Catholic college-preparatory school for young women, sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters and headquartered on a single campus at 341 South Sappington Road in Kirkwood, a suburb of Saint Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1848, it operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Federal Tax ID 43-1653427) and, in the 2024-2025 school year, educated nearly 400 students, with 52% receiving academic scholarships and financial aid awards and 100% continuing their education post-graduation. The school reports that 92% of its teachers hold advanced degrees, anchors its curriculum in a "Serviam (I will serve)" ethos inspired by St. Angela Merici, and offers academic, athletic, arts, counseling, and global education programs structured around a house system.

The operating model blends recurring tuition with philanthropic development. Tuition and fees cover approximately 80% of the cost of educating a student; the remaining "tuition gap" is funded through an annual fund (The Ursuline Fund), a tiered Annual Partnership Sponsorship Program (Premier $15,000 down to Friend $1,500), planned giving via the Heritage Society, and recurring events including the UA Soirée Dinner Auction, UA Golf Classic, UA Trivia Night, and an Alumnae Garden Party. Distribution is a direct, sales-led admissions process with campus visits, shadow days for 7th and 8th graders, and a transfer/international student pathway targeting families in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The technology backbone is limited to standard K-12 operations tooling, with Infinite Campus for student information management, and no proprietary platform, app, or API surface disclosed. Community outreach runs through the school's website, social channels (5,900+ reach), and a 7,000+ community email list, supplemented by an active alumnae network of more than 6,800 members. Merchandise is sold through the on-campus and online Bear Den Spirit Shop, and productized extensions include Ursuline Academy Summer Camps. The institution maintains a Strategic Plan and is governed by a Board of Trustees under President Peggy Slater.

Name

Ursuline Academy

Legal name

Ursuline Academy

Website

https://ursulinestl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ursuline Academy is a private Catholic college-preparatory school for young women in Kirkwood, Missouri, founded in 1848 and sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters. It educates nearly 400 students in grades 9-12 through tuition supported by The Ursuline Fund and annual fundraising events.

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

Single-Sex (Boys/Girls) Private Schools (EDAJABAK)

Keywords

• Private catholic education
• College preparatory school
• Girls secondary education
• Faith-based learning
• Independent school tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue source from student tuition, though tuition and fees only cover approximately 80% of the cost of educating a student, requiring philanthropic support to cover the remaining 'tuition gap'.
2. The Ursuline Fund (Annual Giving): Annual fundraising campaign supporting the school's greatest and most immediate needs each year.
3. UA Soirée Dinner Auction: Annual dinner auction as the largest fundraising event of the school year, raising funds through sponsorships, ticket sales, live/silent auctions, and raffles.
4. UA Golf Classic: Annual golf tournament fundraiser with registration fees, sponsorships, and on-course games proceeds supporting athletics program.
5. Planned Giving and Stock Donations: Long-term planned gifts including bequests, charitable gift annuities, remainder trusts, and appreciated securities donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ursuline Academy provides a private Catholic college-preparatory education for young women in grades 9-12, delivered through a single campus in Kirkwood, Saint Louis, Missouri. Its core offering is supplemented by summer camp programs, a school-branded spirit shop, and a development program of annual giving, corporate sponsorships, and signature fundraising events that close the gap between tuition revenue and the full cost of education.

Product overview

Ursuline Academy is a private, all-girls Catholic high school offering a comprehensive educational program. The school's operations include retail merchandise through the Bear Den/Spirit Shop, major annual fundraising events (UA Soirée Dinner Auction, UA Golf Classic, UA Trivia Night, Alumnae Garden Party, and Career Day), annual giving through The Ursuline Fund, and planned giving via the Heritage Society. Special commemorative events include the 175th Anniversary Celebration and organized Alumnae Class Reunions. Summer camps provide enrichment programs. The Annual Partnership Program offers corporate sponsorship opportunities at multiple giving levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ursuline Academy Summer Camps Summer camp programs offering academic, athletic, and enrichment activities for students during the summer months, hosted on the Ursuline campus.
• Bear Den / Spirit Shop On-campus and online merchandise store selling Ursuline Academy-branded apparel, drinkware, blankets, decals, magnets, and other spirit items, with shipping and curbside pickup options.
• UA Soirée Annual Dinner Auction Annual fundraising dinner auction event featuring live and silent auctions, raffles, and fund-a-need initiatives; the largest fundraising event of the school year supporting the school's greatest needs.
• UA Golf Classic Annual golf tournament fundraising event hosted at Tapawingo National Golf Club, with registration fees, sponsorships, and on-course game proceeds directly benefiting student athletes and the athletics program.
• UA Trivia Night Annual trivia night fundraising event bringing together the Ursuline community for competitive team trivia with food, drinks, and prizes.
• Annual Partnership Program Corporate sponsorship program allowing community members and businesses to support Ursuline's three largest fundraising events (Auction, Golf Classic, Trivia Night) and The Ursuline Fund through annual donations at tiered giving levels ranging from $1,500 to $15,000.
• Heritage Society Planned Giving Planned giving program recognizing donors who have included Ursuline Academy in their long-term philanthropic planning through wills, trusts, charitable gift annuities, and beneficiary designations.
• The Ursuline Fund (Annual Giving) Annual fundraising campaign assisting with the school's greatest and most immediate needs each year and bridging the tuition gap left by the approximately 20% of education costs not covered by tuition and fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students continue their education after graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered premier, minor, core and event.

• WeinhardtpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerWeinhardt is listed as a Premier Sponsor for 2025-2026 Annual Partners program, supporting Ursuline Academy's fundraising events and annual giving program.
• Flooring RehabminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a Friend Sponsor in the 2025-2026 Annual Partners program.
• Smith MasonryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a Friend Sponsor in the 2025-2026 Annual Partners program.
• Andres RoofingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a Friend Sponsor in the 2025-2026 Annual Partners program.
• Tapawingo National Golf ClubcoreOthersHost venue for the 26th Annual UA Golf Classic scheduled for May 3, 2027. Located at 13001 Gary Player Dr, Saint Louis, MO 63127.
• Raymond JameseventGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor for the 2026 Alumnae Garden Party, providing logo placement on website and event materials.
• HB CateringeventGTM or Marketing PartnerSignature Drink Sponsor for the 2026 Alumnae Garden Party.
• AEGeventGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor for the 2026 UA Soirée Dinner Auction.
• Urban ChestnuteventGTM or Marketing PartnerBar Sponsor for the 2026 UA Soirée Dinner Auction.
• Grey Eagle (Anheuser Busch & Tallos)eventGTM or Marketing PartnerBar Sponsor for the 2026 UA Soirée Dinner Auction.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• John Burroughs School: Independent, non-Catholic private K-12 college-prep school in St. Louis; comparable tuition, college placement rates, and family demographic, with broader (coed) appeal.
• Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS): Elite non-Catholic private preK-12 school in St. Louis; competing for the same affluent families seeking college-prep outcomes, though coeducational and not faith-based.

Direct peers

• Incarnate Word Academy: All-girls Catholic college-prep high school in St. Louis with a similar faith-rooted mission; competes for the same Catholic all-girls market segment in the metro.
• St. Joseph's Academy: All-girls Catholic college-prep high school in St. Louis metro (Frontenac), with comparable tuition, college-prep outcomes, and 150+ year history. Direct enrollment competitor.
• Academy of the Sacred Heart (St. Charles, MO): Independent Catholic all-girls school in the St. Louis metro area with a college-prep curriculum and single-sex heritage analogous to Ursuline's mission and target family.
• Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School: Independent Catholic school (Sacred Heart network) in St. Louis serving young women in upper school; similar faith-based college-prep model and overlapping alumnae/prospective family base.
• Visitation Academy: All-girls Catholic K-8 school in St. Louis, sharing the Ursuline/Salesian heritage and serving as a feeder source as well as a co-located model. Comparable single-sex Catholic education in the same metro.
• Nerinx Hall High School: All-girls Catholic college-prep high school in Webster Groves (St. Louis metro), sponsored by the Sisters of Loretto. Same single-sex Catholic model and direct competition for prospective students.
• Cor Jesu Academy: All-girls Catholic college-preparatory high school in St. Louis, MO serving a similar single-sex Catholic mission and competing for the same families in the St. Louis metro. Most direct comparable in geography and model.

Regional players

• Convent of the Sacred Heart (Greenwich, CT): Independent Catholic all-girls college-prep school in Greenwich, CT; shares the faith-based single-sex mission and college-prep model but operates in a different geography as a model benchmark rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UrsulineSTLAuction
• Instagraminstagram.com/ursulineacademyauction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ursuline-academy-of-dallas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Ursuline Academy