What Providence Catholic does

Providence Catholic High School is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory Augustinian Catholic high school operating on a 75-acre main campus at 1800 West Lincoln Highway in New Lenox, Illinois, with auxiliary South and West campuses. Founded in 1918 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Diocese of Joliet, it is led by President Fr. John Merkelis, O.S.A. and Principal Mr. Paul Houston. The school's core product is a four-year college-preparatory academic program with honors and Advanced Placement courses, anchored by a required four-year theology curriculum, the Celtic Learning Center for academic support, and the INCubator entrepreneurship program. Its athletics program is a defining asset, holding 33 IHSA state championships and 64 state trophies - the most of any private high school in Illinois - across football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, soccer, dance, and track and field, supported by Bishop Kaffer Stadium, Matt Senffner Field, and multiple training facilities.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: tuition payments, an Annual Fund, the mandatory Harvest Drive fundraiser ($400 per student minimum / $600 per family), tiered donor societies ranging from $100 to $10,000+, planned giving through the Providence Legacy Society, a physical Spirit Shop, summer camps serving approximately 2,000 youth annually, athletics season passes, GoFan ticketing, and matching-gift corporate partnerships. Go-to-market is sales-led through an admissions department targeting families within a 30-mile radius across 70+ feeder schools via open houses, shadow days, placement exams, junior high nights, and community events; marketing is amplified across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and earned media.

The school's technology infrastructure is conventional for the K-12 sector - Blackbaud school management, GoFan athletics ticketing, a BYOD device program, and standard digital communications - with no disclosed AI, proprietary platform, or differentiated technology layer. The customer base is highly distributed across individual tuition-paying families, summer camp participants, and a 10,000+ alumni donor network, with no concentrated enterprise or anchor accounts.

Name

Providence Catholic

Legal name

Providence Catholic High School

Website

https://providencecatholic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Providence Catholic High School is a co-educational, college-preparatory Augustinian Catholic high school founded in 1918 on a 75-acre campus in New Lenox, Illinois, serving students from over 70 feeder schools within a 30-mile radius and recognized as the most athletically successful private high school in Illinois with 33 state championships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Catholic Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Catholic secondary education
• Augustinian high school
• Private high school Illinois
• Youth summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

New Lenox

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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 Payments: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments by families for student enrollment
2. Annual Fund: Annual giving program that bridges the gap between tuition payments and operating costs
3. Harvest Drive: Annual mandatory fundraising event requiring $400 per student minimum ($600 for families), generating vital income for the school's operating budget
4. Summer Camps: Youth summer athletic and adventure camps serving approximately 2,000 students annually
5. Spirit Shop: Merchandise sales of spirit wear and apparel to students, families, and alumni
6. Planned Giving and Endowments: Bequests, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, and retirement plan beneficiary designations through the Providence Legacy Society
7. Stock and In-Kind Donations: Gifts of appreciated stock and in-kind contributions from donors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Providence Catholic High School delivers a four-year college-preparatory Catholic secondary education on a 75-acre New Lenox, Illinois campus, integrating a rigorous academic curriculum (with honors and Advanced Placement options), a required four-year Theology program grounded in Augustinian values, extensive IHSA athletics, fine arts, and a Celtic Learning Center for academic support. The school also operates PCHS Summer Camps serving approximately 2,000 youth annually and offers an INCubator entrepreneurship program, with supplemental revenue and engagement generated through the Harvest Drive fundraiser, Annual Fund giving societies, Spirit Shop merchandise, and alumni programming.

Product overview

Providence Catholic High School is a co-educational, college preparatory Augustinian high school offering a comprehensive four-year academic program with honors and Advanced Placement courses. The school's product portfolio includes the core College Preparatory Academic Program, the Celtic Learning Center for academic support, Fine Arts programming, and extensive Athletics programs with 33 state championships. The school also operates PCHS Summer Camps serving nearly 2,000 students annually, and the INCubator Entrepreneurship Program for business education. All programs are grounded in Augustinian values of Truth, Unity, and Love, with a four-year Theology curriculum required for graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Preparatory Academic Program Four-year college-preparatory course of study for high school students, integrating honors and Advanced Placement courses, academic supports via the Celtic Learning Center, and a required four-year Theology curriculum grounded in Augustinian values. Designed for incoming 9th-grade students and families seeking a rigorous Catholic secondary education.
• PCHS Summer Camps Youth summer athletic and adventure camps for elementary and junior high students designed to teach teamwork, build athletic skills, and provide summer programming. Nearly 2,000 students are served annually.
• Celtic Learning Center Academic support and learning resource program providing additional preparation for students who need reinforcement to master the college-preparatory curriculum. Available to currently enrolled Providence Catholic students.
• Athletics Programs Comprehensive IHSA athletic program offering multiple sports including football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, soccer, dance, and track and field; supported by Bishop Kaffer Stadium, Matt Senffner Field, and extensive on-campus athletic facilities. Includes Girls Wrestling, launching for the 2026-27 school year under Head Coach Donny Reynolds.
• Fine Arts Department Comprehensive fine arts programming including band, choir, theater, visual arts, and performing arts for enrolled high school students, with showcase events such as Evening With the Arts.
• INCubator Entrepreneurship Program Entrepreneurship education program providing enrolled Providence Catholic students with hands-on experience in developing and pitching business ideas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $45 million in combined scholarship value earned by most recent graduating class, with average accepted scholarship of approximately $20,000
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Matching Gift CompaniesminorOthersVarious employers match employee charitable donations to Providence Catholic including RSM US, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Southwest Airlines, Arthur Gallagher Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Axis Capital, Goldman Sachs, Ingredion, and Huron Consulting Group
• Oak OrthopedicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam physicians providing medical care for Providence Catholic student-athletes
• Illinois High School Association (IHSA)coreOthersMember organization governing high school athletics - all teams compete under IHSA rules and tournaments
• Chicago Catholic League (CCL)coreOthersAthletic conference for boys' teams
• Girls' Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC)coreOthersAthletic conference for girls' teams

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Loyola Academy: Jesuit Catholic college-prep high school in Wilmette, IL. Larger, more established Catholic college-prep brand in the Chicago market; sets the benchmark for academic and athletic outcomes in the segment PCHS competes in.

Direct peers

• Fenwick High School: Catholic college-prep high school in Oak Park, IL. Comparable Augustinian/Dominican heritage, athletics, and college-prep curriculum competing for high-achieving Chicago-area Catholic families.
• St. Ignatius College Prep: Jesuit Catholic college-prep high school in Chicago. One of the most prominent Catholic college-prep institutions in Illinois; benchmarks PCHS on academic outcomes, athletics, and college placement.
• Montini Catholic High School: Co-ed Catholic college-prep high school in Lombard, IL. Competes for similar Chicago-area Catholic families with comparable faith-based athletics and college-prep academic programming.
• Joliet Catholic Academy: Co-ed Catholic college-prep high school in Joliet, IL, drawing from the same southwest Chicagoland feeder market as Providence Catholic. Most direct competitor for families within the 30-mile New Lenox catchment.
• Marian Catholic High School: Co-ed Catholic college-prep high school in Chicago Heights, IL. Direct suburban-Chicago peer to Providence Catholic in size, mission, and athletic profile within the same Chicagoland Catholic market.
• Marist High School: Augustinian-affiliated Catholic college-prep high school in Chicago, IL. Shares Augustinian heritage, college-prep curriculum, and athletic-program profile with Providence Catholic, competing for the same archetype of Catholic families.
• DePaul College Prep: Catholic co-ed college-prep high school in Chicago, IL. Comparable Viniard/Catholic college-prep programming and Chicagoland feeder market overlap with Providence Catholic.
• Carmel Catholic High School: Co-ed Catholic college-prep high school in Mundelein, IL, north of Providence Catholic's catchment. Comparable faith-based curriculum, athletic programs, and college-prep positioning for Chicago-area Catholic families.
• Benet Academy: Catholic college-prep high school in Lisle, IL. Competes with Providence Catholic for Chicago-area Catholic college-prep families; strong STEM and athletic profile matching PCHS's positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PCHS_Celtics
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSAREUGeffldY2ipSBTG7fg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Providence.Catholic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/providence-catholic-high-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/pchs_celtics

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 Providence Catholic