Kolbe Cathedral High School

What Kolbe Cathedral High School does

Kolbe Cathedral High School is a four-year private Catholic college preparatory school located at 33 Calhoun Place in Bridgeport, Connecticut, founded in 1976 from the merger of Kolbe Boys' High School and Cathedral Girls' High School. It enrolls approximately 325 students drawn primarily from a diverse, multicultural, and largely underserved population in Bridgeport (45% Black, 43% Hispanic, 12% Asian/White), with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio, a 4x4 block schedule of 80-minute classes, and a faculty averaging 13 years of Catholic-school teaching experience. The school is dually accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Connecticut Department of Education and reports a 100% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate. Core academic and programmatic offerings include Honors and AP coursework, the Bridge to Success Internship Program placing students with 51 corporate partners across healthcare, law, finance, and other sectors, championship athletics, and Catholic faith formation.

The school generates revenue primarily through tuition, set at $12,500 annually for domestic students and $15,000 for international students for the 2026-2027 academic year. Pricing is positioned as the lowest private high school tuition in Connecticut, augmented by a portfolio of scholarships (Maximilian Kolbe up to 12 full tuitions annually, O'Malley up to 80% for first-responder families, Shepherds Inc. sponsorships, and the Deeley Foundation) and a $4.5 million endowment targeted to grow to $10M by 2026 and $25M by 2031 with a 5% annual spending policy. Operating technology is limited to PlusPortals, a third-party cloud-based Student Information System, with no proprietary AI or data platform disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on open houses for grades 7-8, monthly entrance exams, rolling acceptance, alumni referrals, and recurring donor events (Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series and Kolbe Cathedral Cup golf tournament).

The organization operates under the oversight of the Diocese of Bridgeport but, since May 2019, has been financially and academically governed by an independent Board of Directors. It is led by Principal Camille Figluizzi with a management team including an Assistant Principal, Dean of Students, Athletic Director, Director of Development, Business Manager, dedicated grade-level counselors, and a Bridge to Success Work Study Coordinator. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026 and opened the Louis V. Gerstner III Center for Students and Families in November 2024 to expand classroom, arts, and fitness capacity.

Name

Kolbe Cathedral High School

Legal name

Kolbe Cathedral High School

Website

https://kolbecaths.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kolbe Cathedral High School is a four-year private Catholic college preparatory school in Bridgeport, CT, serving approximately 325 diverse students with a 13:1 teacher ratio, 100% college acceptance, and the lowest private high school tuition in Connecticut at $12,500 annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgeport, Connecticut

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue source from tuition payments. Tuition for 2026-2027 is $12,500 annually. Payment options include 10-month schedule beginning July, whole sum payment, or two semi-annual payments.
2. Scholarships: Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 awarded based on academic performance, financial need, or both. Includes Maximilian Kolbe Scholarship (up to 12 full tuitions annually), Mary Alice and Thomas O'Malley Scholarship (up to 80% tuition for children of first responders), and various memorial scholarships.
3. Annual Harvest Fund: Annual fundraising initiative providing flexible-use resources for educational mission. Proceeds go to student tuition assistance and facility maintenance. Giving levels from $10 to $20,000+.
4. Endowment Fund: Current endowment of $4.5 million. Goal to grow to $10 million by 2026 and $25 million by 2031. Spends approximately 5% annually for scholarships, program enhancements, faculty development, and building improvements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kolbe Cathedral High School is a four-year Catholic college preparatory school serving approximately 325 students in grades 9-12 in Bridgeport, CT. The school delivers a rigorous college-prep curriculum with Honors and Advanced Placement courses, faith formation, championship athletics, college guidance, and the Bridge to Success Internship Program placing students with 51 corporate partners across multiple industries.

Product overview

Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School is a four-year Catholic college preparatory high school serving approximately 325 students in Bridgeport, CT. The institution offers a comprehensive educational program including college preparatory curriculum with Honors and Advanced Placement programs, the Bridge to Success Internship Program connecting students with corporate mentors across various sectors, athletic programs (basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball, bowling, track, cheerleading), college guidance services, financial aid and scholarship programs, the Louis V. Gerstner III Center for Students and Families featuring the Student Success Center, and various fundraising initiatives including the Kolbe Conversations celebrity breakfast series and annual golf tournament.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic College Preparatory Education
• Bridge to Success Internship Program
• Championship Athletic Program
• College Guidance and Counseling
• Tuition Assistance and Scholarship Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Bridge to Success Internship Program Corporate PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023106 students have interned at 51 different corporations and organizations across healthcare, law, manufacturing, higher education, hospitality/travel, finance, real estate/construction, and nonprofit sectors primarily in the Greenwich to New Haven corridor. 80% corporate mentor retention rate with positive workplace culture impact reported. Partners include Schweiger Dermatology Group, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey Law Firm, Rizzo Companies, and Titan Advisors.
• Diocese of BridgeportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding and oversight body. In May 2019, Diocese delegated all financial and academic governance to independent Kolbe Cathedral Board of Directors. Bishop Frank J. Caggiano supports school initiatives and attends events.
• Kolbe Cathedral Alumni AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni network providing ongoing support, donations, reunion coordination, and community building. Alumni serve on Board of Governors and provide testimonials for recruitment.
• St. Joseph Parenting CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at Kolbe campus, provides parenting support services including free parenting groups in English and Spanish, one-on-one case management, and referrals for Bridgeport community families.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacred Heart Academy: Sacred Heart Academy is a Catholic college-preparatory school for young women in Hamden, Connecticut. It is comparable through its Catholic values, college-readiness orientation, private tuition model, extracurricular programming, and Connecticut catchment.
• Lauralton Hall: Lauralton Hall is a Catholic college-preparatory school for young women in Milford, Connecticut. Its proximity, faith-based mission, rigorous secondary curriculum, and family-funded model make it a relevant local peer despite its single-sex format.
• Fairfield College Preparatory School: Fairfield College Preparatory School is a Jesuit secondary school in Fairfield, Connecticut. It serves the same regional market with a closely aligned college-preparatory curriculum, small-school environment, extracurricular activities, and private tuition structure.
• Trinity Catholic High School: Trinity Catholic High School is a Catholic college-preparatory school in Stamford, Connecticut. Its location, faith-based secondary education, college counseling, extracurricular programs, and private-school revenue model make it highly comparable.
• Holy Cross High School: Holy Cross High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in Waterbury, Connecticut. It offers a directly comparable combination of secondary education, Catholic formation, athletics, college preparation, and family-funded enrollment.
• Northwest Catholic High School: Northwest Catholic High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in West Hartford, Connecticut. It competes for similar students through a comparable private-school combination of rigorous academics, faith formation, athletics, and college guidance.
• Immaculate High School: Immaculate High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in Danbury, Connecticut. Its faith-based curriculum, extracurricular activities, college counseling, and private tuition model make it a close regional operating peer.
• East Catholic High School: East Catholic High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory institution in Manchester, Connecticut. It has a similar school size, faith-based mission, college-preparatory curriculum, athletics, and direct family enrollment model.
• St. Joseph High School: St. Joseph High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in Trumbull, Connecticut. It serves a similar Connecticut student and family base with comparable academic, athletic, spiritual, and admissions offerings.
• Notre Dame High School: Notre Dame High School is a co-educational Catholic college-preparatory school in West Haven, Connecticut. It closely matches Kolbe Cathedral's faith-based curriculum, college-readiness focus, extracurricular model, and tuition-funded private-school operations in the same state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KolbeCougars
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeUcoNQ3ykD2jTomFTLiyWw
• Facebookfacebook.com/kolbecougars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/kolbe-cathedral-high-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/kolbecougars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Kolbe Cathedral High School