College Preparatory School of America

What College Preparatory School of America does

College Preparatory School of America (CPSA) is a private, nonprofit K-12 Islamic educational institution located in Lombard, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Founded in 1989 by Dr. Salim Abdul-Rahman and relocated to its permanent Lombard campus in 1991, the school serves students from preschool through 12th grade through a selective admissions process that includes grade-level testing. CPSA integrates a rigorous STEM-focused academic curriculum with Islamic teachings, Quran, Arabic, and character development, positioning itself as the premier Islamic school in the nation and the most challenging high school in Illinois according to The Washington Post.

The school's core offering is its unified K-12 educational program, supported by specialized departments including Math & Science, Quran/Arabic/Islamic Studies, Social Studies, Computers, Art, and P.E. Technology infrastructure is built on standard third-party platforms—Plus Portals for parent/student portals, Rediker for forms, Google Forms for lunch ordering, and Zelle for payments—rather than proprietary systems. The school supplements academics with over 35-40 student clubs, an interscholastic athletics program (basketball, volleyball, soccer), college and career guidance services, student wellbeing programs, and a daily hot lunch program operated by Halal Express. The school holds a 100% college acceptance rate with admits at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and other top universities, a 20% Ivy League acceptance rate over ten years, and 120 full scholarship recipients in the same period.

CPSA generates revenue primarily through annual tuition charged to families across all grade levels, supplemented by registration fees, resource fees, voluntary donations via an annual fundraiser, and a financial aid program. The school is governed by a Board of Directors of up to seventeen volunteer members serving three-year terms. Distribution occurs through direct enrollment with selective admissions testing, campus tours, community outreach events, and an active social media presence on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Customer acquisition targets families across North America regardless of faith or background, with the school explicitly marketing itself nationally. The institution holds accreditation from Cognia, recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education, and memberships in IHSA and the College Board.

Name

College Preparatory School of America

Legal name

College Preparatory School of America

Website

https://cpsaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

College Preparatory School of America is a nonprofit K-12 Islamic private school in Lombard, Illinois, offering preschool through 12th grade education that combines rigorous STEM-focused academics with Islamic teachings, serving tuition-paying families primarily from the Chicago metropolitan area with national recruitment reach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• K-12 private education
• Islamic school programs
• College preparatory curriculum
• STEM academic programs
• Faith-based education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lombard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: CPSA generates revenue primarily through tuition charged to families for students enrolled in preschool through 12th grade. Additional revenue streams include registration fees, resource fees, and voluntary donations through their annual fundraiser. The school also offers financial aid programs including a Financial Assistance Program and Financial Hardship Discount to support families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

College Preparatory School of America operates a private, faith-based preschool-through-12th-grade educational program that combines a rigorous STEM-focused academic curriculum with Islamic teachings, Arabic, and Quran instruction. The school charges tuition and fees for enrollment, supplements academics with 35+ student clubs and a competitive athletics program, and delivers personalized college and career guidance supporting a 100% college acceptance track record. A separate daily hot lunch program and optional student wellbeing services round out the family-paid offerings.

Product overview

College Preparatory School of America (CPSA) is a K-12 Islamic educational institution offering a unified academic program combining rigorous STEM-focused curriculum with Islamic values and character development. The institution operates as a single integrated educational platform with multiple departments (Math & Science, Quran/Arabic/Islamic Studies, Social Studies, Art, Computers, PE) that function as specialized modules within the core K-12 program. The school supplements academics with extensive extracurricular offerings including athletics (basketball, volleyball, soccer), over 35 student clubs (robotics, debate, mock trial, NHS/NJHS), college/career guidance, and student wellbeing services. All components work together under the school's mission to prepare students for college acceptance and leadership roles while maintaining Islamic principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Education Program (Preschool through 12th Grade) Comprehensive private K-12 educational program combining rigorous STEM-focused academics with Islamic teachings, Arabic, and Quran instruction for students from preschool through 12th grade. Delivered on the Lombard, IL campus with selective admissions and entrance testing, supporting a stated 100% college acceptance track record and a 100% graduation rate.
• Athletics Program Competitive school athletics program offering HS Boys Basketball, HS Girls Basketball, HS Girls Volleyball, HS Boys Soccer, junior high teams, and Elementary Basketball, led by Athletics Director Hamza Bhatti. Includes participation in IHSA-sanctioned competitions, with program accomplishments including a Metro Prep Conference title (2023-24) and a first IHSA Regional victory (2024-25).
• Student Clubs and Organizations More than 35 extracurricular student organizations including Robotics (MS and HS), Debate, Speech, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, Science Fair, Math Club, Book Clubs, Chess Club, Environmental Club, MIST, Pre-Health Society, and various student councils. Designed to develop leadership, teamwork, and confidence alongside the academic program.
• College and Career Guidance Comprehensive guidance program supporting scholarship search, college applications, and career planning for CPSA students. Includes scholarship resources and college placement support contributing to a 100% college acceptance rate with placements at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Princeton.
• Student Wellbeing Services Student support services including a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program for grades K-8 led by school counselors, addressing social-emotional development alongside academic and religious instruction.
• Daily Hot Lunch Program Optional daily hot lunch service provided by Zabiha-certified vendor Halal Express, with weekly menu choices ordered by parents through Google Forms and paid directly via Zelle. Operates as a separate paid add-on to tuition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college acceptance rate with students admitted to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and other top universities
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Halal ExpressminorOthersHalal Express provides CPSA's daily hot lunch program. They are Zabiha certified and prepare a range of weekly food choices for students and staff. Parents submit lunch selections via Google Forms and make payments directly to the vendor through Zelle.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Al-Noor Academy: Private Islamic K-12 school emphasizing academic excellence alongside Islamic values. Similar in mission, college-prep focus, and faith-integrated STEM curriculum.
• Islamic Foundation School: Midwest-based Islamic private school offering K-12 education with Islamic studies integrated into college-prep academics. Comparable regional peer with similar demographic focus.
• Minaret Academy: Islamic K-12 college-prep school serving Muslim-American families with rigorous academics and religious instruction. Direct peer in product offering and target market.
• IQRA Academy: Islamic private school network offering college-preparatory curriculum with Quran and Arabic instruction. Comparable in faith-based academic model and family demographic.
• Universal Academy: A private Islamic K-12 school in the Midwest integrating faith-based education with rigorous college-prep academics. Closest comparable in mission, curriculum structure, and target demographic.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of STEM-focused college-prep schools known for academic rigor and high college placement rates. Comparable in college-prep intensity and STEM emphasis, though not faith-based.

Regional players

• North Shore Country Day School: Independent private K-12 school in the Chicago suburbs with strong college-prep curriculum. Comparable as a private college-prep institution serving Chicago-area families.
• University Liggett School: Independent PK-12 college-preparatory school with rigorous STEM focus. Comparable in independent-school model, college-prep outcomes, and Midwest private-school positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cpsathunder4720
• Facebookfacebook.com/cpsaschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/cpsaschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/college-preparatory-school-of-america

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 College Preparatory School of America