DOMINICAN ACADEMY

What DOMINICAN ACADEMY does

Dominican Academy is a private, nonprofit Catholic college-preparatory high school for young women, founded in 1897 by the Dominican Sisters and currently housed in a 1921 historic mansion (the former Friedsam residence) at 44 East 68th Street on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The school serves approximately 230 students drawn from the NYC, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area, and is positioned as the only all-honors Catholic high school for girls in New York State. Academic programming consists exclusively of Honors and AP coursework (13+ AP courses, 9:1 student-teacher ratio, 85% of faculty holding advanced degrees), supplemented by 30+ clubs, 9 varsity sports, performing arts, four-year service learning with 50+ partner organizations, and global exchange programs to China, Spain, and France. The institution has been twice recognized as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and holds NYSAIS and MSA-CESS accreditation.

The school's revenue model is tuition-driven, with annual tuition of $24,800 for 2026-27 and $750 in mandatory annual fees, generating roughly $5.7M in tuition against a stated true cost of approximately $28,000 per student. The gap is bridged through the Annual Fund for Excellence, an annual spring auction, and planned giving programs. Supplemental revenue comes from fee-based summer programs (Summer Connection Camp at $950/week, Scholars Academy at $750/week, both capped at 20 participants), private event rentals of the historic mansion (weddings, cocktail soirees, rooftop receptions), and private foundation/scholarship support. Admissions are selective, requiring top-quintile standardized test scores (TACHS, HSPT, or ISEE) and a B/B+ academic average, with the admissions funnel driven by feeder relationships with Catholic elementary schools, Open Houses, TACHS test-prep partnerships with Elite Test Prep, and a multi-channel digital presence.

The technology stack is standard educational infrastructure rather than a source of differentiation: Google Classroom for learning management and teacher-student communication, Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud provided to all students, Turnitin for plagiarism detection, New York Times All-Access digital subscription, plus RenWeb for admissions processing, FACTS Family Portal for tuition management, and SCOIR for college guidance. Governance was restructured in September 2025 when sponsorship transferred from the Dominican Sisters of Peace to Dominican Veritas Ministries (DVM), a nonprofit foundation created to sustain Catholic and Dominican identity across sponsored schools. Leadership is provided by President Dr. Alexandria M. Egler and Principal Dr. Leslie Poole Petit, with Brendan Doyle as Vice President of Finance.

Name

DOMINICAN ACADEMY

Legal name

Dominican Academy

Website

https://dominicanacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Dominican Academy is a private, nonprofit Catholic college-preparatory high school for girls, located in a historic Manhattan mansion and serving approximately 230 students with an exclusively all-honors and AP curriculum, global exchange programs, and selective admissions. Founded 1897.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. For 2026-27, tuition is $24,800 per year. With approximately 230 students, this generates approximately $5.7 million annually.
2. Fees: Annual fees of $750 cover textbooks, Culture Series, laboratory fees, student activities, technology, retreats, newspaper, yearbook, and Parents' Association dues. Freshman registration fee is $325 one-time.
3. Summer Programs: Revenue from Summer Connection Camp ($950) and Scholars Academy ($750) for middle school students, generating supplemental income while serving as enrollment pipeline.
4. Private Event Rentals: The historic mansion is available for private events including cocktail soirees, rooftop receptions, and elegant Manhattan weddings, generating additional revenue for the school.
5. Development and Donations: Annual Fund for Excellence, Spring Auction & Benefit events, and planned giving programs support scholarships and operational costs. The school raises money to bridge the gap between tuition ($24,800) and actual cost (nearly $28,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Dominican Academy is a private Catholic, college-preparatory high school for girls in grades 9-12 offering an all-honors and AP-level curriculum on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The school enrolls approximately 230 students with a 9:1 student-teacher ratio, complemented by 13+ AP courses, 30+ clubs, 9 varsity sports, and global exchange programs in China, Spain, and France. 100% of graduates attend four-year colleges, earning an average of $23-25 million annually in merit scholarships.

Product overview

Dominican Academy is the only all-honors Catholic high school for girls in New York State, located in a historic mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The institution offers a unified college-preparatory academic program with all courses at Honors or AP level, complemented by a comprehensive set of co-curricular programs including Summer Connection Camp, Scholars Academy, TACHS Prep, and Global Exchange Programs (Ricci-Guangqi Young Scholars Program to China, Madrid Exchange, and Paris Exchange). The school provides technology resources including Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Google Classroom, and New York Times access to support student learning. Key operational systems include RenWeb for admissions, FACTS for tuition management, and SCOIR for college guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of graduates attend four-year colleges and universities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dominican Veritas Ministries (DVM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDVM was formed to ensure the Catholic and Dominican identity of sponsored schools, continuing the legacy established by Dominican Sisters. DVM guides and supports Dominican Academy's mission with faithfulness, care, and collaboration. On September 26, 2025, Dominican Academy celebrated the transfer of sponsorship from the Dominican Sisters of Peace to DVM.
• Dominican Sisters of PeaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevious longtime sponsors of Dominican Academy for 15 years. Strived to live a life of peace-making through ministries, prayer, and way of life. Transferred sponsorship to Dominican Veritas Ministries in September 2025.
• Regis High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for global exchange programs including the Ricci-Guangqi Young Scholars Program (China), Madrid Exchange, and Paris Exchange. Also partners for the annual Walkathon (dating back to 1987) and Regis Social Justice Seminar.
• Nanjing Foreign Language School (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Ricci-Guangqi Young Scholars Program. Chinese students visit NYC and stay with Dominican Academy students' families. D.A. students travel to China for homestay experience and cultural immersion.
• Colegio Nuestra Señora del Recuerdo (Madrid, Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit co-educational secondary school partnership for two-week exchange program. Spanish students visit NYC and stay with D.A. students' families. D.A. students travel to Madrid in June with host families and cultural activities.
• Saint Louis de Gonzague (Paris, France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesuit secondary school in Paris partnership for two-week exchange program. French students visit NYC for homestay. D.A. students experience Paris including Musée d'Orsay, Versailles, and Monet's garden in Giverny.
• Flynn O'Hara UniformsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily-owned uniform supplier. All students required to wear uniforms purchased through Flynn O'Hara, available online or in-store.
• Church of St. Vincent FerrerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerD.A. community gathers regularly for Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, including the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit.
• Elite Test Prep (Phil Gillen)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Phil Gillen of Elite Test Prep to offer TACHS/HSPT/ISEE prep courses for 15+ years. Helps students prepare for high school entrance exams.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Regis High School: All-scholarship Jesuit Catholic boys' school on the Upper East Side. Direct peer in elite Catholic NYC college-prep market and an existing Dominican Academy partner (Ricci-Guangqi, Walkathon, social justice seminar).
• Marymount School of New York: Independent Catholic girls' school serving grades N–12 on the Upper East Side. Direct peer in Catholic, all-girls, NYC college-prep segment with comparable tuition and selective admissions.
• Xavier High School: Jesuit Catholic boys' college-prep high school in Chelsea, Manhattan. Direct peer in elite NYC Catholic college-prep market with similar tuition and outcomes profile.
• Convent of the Sacred Heart: Independent Catholic girls' college-preparatory school on Manhattan's Upper East Side, serving grades K–12. Closest direct peer given shared Catholic mission, all-girls model, elite NYC location, and similar college-prep outcomes.
• Loyola School: Jesuit Catholic coeducational college-prep high school on the Upper East Side. Direct peer in NYC Jesuit/Catholic college-prep market serving similar family demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Chapin School: Elite NYC private girls' school (K–12) on the Upper East Side. Comparable in academic profile and family demographics, but non-Catholic and operates as a broader private incumbent.
• Nightingale-Bamford School: Elite NYC private girls' school (K–12) on the Upper East Side. Comparable in tuition, selectivity, and college placement, but non-Catholic.
• Spence School: Elite NYC private girls' school (K–12) serving Upper East Side families. Comparable in selectivity and outcomes but non-sectarian.
• Brearley School: Elite NYC private girls' school (K–12) on the Upper East Side. Comparable in selectivity, college outcomes, and tuition tier, but non-Catholic and broader in governance model.

Regional players

• Ursuline School: Catholic girls' college-preparatory school in New Rochelle, NY. Comparable in Catholic all-girls model and college-prep curriculum, but serves Westchester rather than Manhattan.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2zDRTr_TvL6yAVs-K3etRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/dominicanacademy1
• Instagraminstagram.com/dominicanacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/dominican-academy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 DOMINICAN ACADEMY