What West Catholic High School does

West Catholic High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory secondary school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1962 and operated under the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The school serves high-school-age students primarily from West Michigan Catholic parishes, supplemented by an international cohort drawn from more than 11 countries, and delivers a faith-integrated curriculum structured around a four-House student culture system, 85%+ athletic participation, and a partner-school exchange program in Perugia, Italy. Academically, the school was recognized with the AP School Honor Roll Gold distinction in 2025, and operates an explicit college-preparatory program supported by a reported $1.5M+ in need-based financial aid covering 46% of enrolled students. Its revenue model is a hybrid of tuition (Parish Rate $12,300; Non-Parish Rate $13,235), auxiliary fees (transportation $470-$650), private fundraising through a multi-year Building Tomorrow Capital Campaign ($4.6M raised toward a $5M goal from 62 lead donors), and contributions supporting financial aid. Operationally, the school runs on a standard education-software stack — Infinite Campus for student information, Blackbaud for fundraising and CRM, FinalSite for web presence, and FinalForms for registration — and employs approximately 77 staff. Customer acquisition is driven by parish referrals, a structured referral incentive program ($100 visit credit, $500 enrollment credit), and selective international recruitment, with customer concentration weighted toward Diocese of Grand Rapids households.

Name

West Catholic High School

Legal name

West Catholic High School

Website

https://grwestcatholic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

West Catholic High School is a private, Diocese-operated Catholic college-preparatory school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1962, serving West Michigan families and an international student body through a faith-integrated curriculum, four-House culture system, and AP-tracked academics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. Parish Rate: $12,300 (after $935 parish support); Non-Parish Rate: $13,235. Additional transportation fees of $470 one-way or $650 round-trip.
2. Donations and Capital Campaigns: Building Tomorrow Capital Campaign with $5 million goal ($4.6 million raised). Falcon Annual Fund for tuition assistance. Multiple endowed scholarship funds. Planned giving program.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual events including All A's Classic fundraiser, Falcon Awards Night, Celebrate West Auction. All A's Classic has student-body goal of $90,000.
4. Sponsorship Revenue: Event sponsorships at multiple levels: Title Sponsor $5,000, Gold Sponsor $2,000-$2,500, Silver Sponsor $1,000-$1,250, Bronze Sponsor $500.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West Catholic High School provides college-preparatory Catholic secondary education to students in the Grand Rapids, Michigan region. Core offerings include rigorous academics with an AP program (Gold AP School Honor Roll 2025), faith formation, an International Program for F-1 visa students from 11+ countries, an Italian Exchange Program with partner schools in Perugia, a four-House student mentorship system, and a comprehensive athletics program with 20+ sports.

Product overview

West Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary education institution offering a comprehensive educational program with multiple distinct offerings. The school operates its main website as an informational portal, supplemented by specialized fundraising programs including the Building Tomorrow Capital Campaign and Legacy Funds scholarship endowment. Academic programs include an International Program with students from 11 countries and a biennial Italian Exchange Program with schools in Perugia. The school provides a House System for student development, an Athletics Program with 20+ sports, and Performing Arts including Band, Choir, and Theatre. Additional services include Academic Support Services with curriculum modifications, a Strength and Performance Training program, the Falcon Family Tuition Plan providing need-based financial aid meeting 100% of demonstrated need, and annual events including Falcon Awards Night and the All A's Classic fundraiser. The institution's online presence includes a companion giving platform through the Diocese of Grand Rapids for donations and event registration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• West Catholic High School Education (Catholic Secondary Education) College-preparatory Catholic high school education for grades 9-12 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, integrating rigorous academics (including AP coursework recognized with 2025 College Board Gold AP School Honor Roll), faith formation, and extracurricular programming for families in the Diocese of Grand Rapids and beyond.
• International Program Program welcoming F-1 visa international students from 11+ countries including Spain, Germany, China, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Austria, Brazil, France, and Taiwan; provides individualized academic support, ESL services, host family placement, and US university application assistance.
• Italian Exchange Program Biennial student exchange program with partner schools IIS Giordano Bruno and Liceo Pieralli in Perugia, Italy (Grand Rapids' sister city). West Catholic students host Italian peers in fall and travel to Perugia in spring, earning 1 graduation credit.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive athletics program featuring 20+ sports including Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball, Swimming, Basketball, Bowling, Cheer, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Skiing, Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, Lacrosse, Rugby, plus club programs for Equestrian, Esports, Sailing, and Cheer. More than 85% of students participate.
• Performing Arts Program Fine arts programming including 100+ member marching band (MSBOA festival honors since 1998; performed for Pope Benedict XVI), Choir, and Theatre (annual play and spring musical performed at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center).
• Academic Support Services Support services for exceptional learners including curriculum modifications, Certificate of Completion option, and Sidekick peer tutoring program providing accommodations for students with moderate to severe disabilities to access rigorous curriculum.
• Strength and Performance Training Year-round strength and conditioning program for student-athletes focusing on injury prevention, multi-plane movement, speed and power development, and team-first approach; free program offered to all students.
• Falcon Family Tuition Plan Comprehensive financial aid program meeting 100% of demonstrated need through need-based grants, endowed scholarships, parish support, and Bishop's Scholarship Fund; offered over $1.5 million in need-based aid for 2025-2026 with average aid package of $7,359.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of demonstrated financial need met through Falcon Family Tuition Plan
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IIS Giordano BrunocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Perugia, Italy (sister city of Grand Rapids). IIS Giordano Bruno was founded in 1941 with educational excellence in linguistics, applied sciences, chemistry/biotech, and fashion. Students partner with Italian peers during exchange program.
• Liceo PierallicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Perugia, Italy. Aims to integrate Italian high school traditions with research and culture, preparing students for a global society. Students partner with Italian peers during exchange program.
• Aquinas CollegeminorOthersWest Catholic Theatre Program performs at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center for play and musical productions.
• Various Area Schools and FacilitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative athletic arrangements: Grandville High School (girls lacrosse), Griff's Ice House (hockey), Meadows Golf Course (boys golf), Mines Golf Course (girls golf), Richmond Park (cross country), Clique Lanes (bowling).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marian High School: Catholic college-preparatory high school in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Comparable Catholic secondary school with similar AP programs, college placement focus, and donor-funded financial aid model.
• Powers Catholic High School: Catholic high school in Flint, MI with similar college-preparatory curriculum and athletic programs. Comparable diocesan-affiliated secondary school in Michigan.
• Grand Rapids Christian Schools: Private Christian K–12 school in Grand Rapids serving families seeking values-based education. Competes with West Catholic for tuition-paying faith-oriented families in the same metro area.
• Detroit Catholic Central High School: Catholic college-prep high school in Novi, MI with strong athletics tradition and robust development program. Comparable in mission, scale, and college outcomes focus to West Catholic.
• Catholic Central High School: Catholic high school located in Grand Rapids, MI, also part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids secondary school system. Directly competes with West Catholic for the same pool of Catholic families in Kent and Ottawa counties.
• Brother Rice High School: Catholic college-prep high school in Bloomfield Hills, MI operated by the Christian Brothers. Comparable size, mission, and athletics-heavy culture to West Catholic, competing for statewide Catholic families.
• Mercy High School: Catholic all-girls college-preparatory high school in Farmington Hills, MI. Comparable Catholic secondary institution with similar AP curriculum, college placement reputation, and need-based financial aid programs.

Regional players

• East Grand Rapids High School: Highly-ranked public high school in the East Grand Rapids district. Represents a strong public-school alternative for premium-tuition families in the same West Michigan region.
• Forest Hills Central High School: Public high school in the Forest Hills district serving affluent Grand Rapids suburbs. Competes for college-bound families in the same geographic catchment area.

Others

• Blackbaud: Vendor providing financial aid management software used by West Catholic. Not a competitor, but a key technology partner supporting admissions and donor operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GRWestCatholic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GRWCatholic
• Facebookfacebook.com/GRWestCatholic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/grwestcatholic
• Instagraminstagram.com/grwestcatholic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 West Catholic High School