Saint Bede Academy

What Saint Bede Academy does

Saint Bede Academy is a private Catholic co-educational secondary school located in Peru, Illinois, operating continuously since its dedication on October 12, 1891. It serves students in grades 9-12 through two distinct programs: a day-student program drawing from the Illinois Valley region, and a boarding program that includes international students recruited from countries including China, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico. The institution is owned and operated by the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Bede Abbey and is governed by Principal Dr. David Lawrence with chaplaincy from Fr. Dominic Garramone, OSB. Academic offerings span college preparatory coursework, AP classes, dual credit through Illinois Valley Community College, and STEM-focused facilities centered on the Perino Science Center.

The business model combines recurring tuition — day student tuition and boarding tuition processed through the FACTS Tuition Management system — with substantial philanthropic revenue streams including the Saint Bede Annual Fund, the long-running annual auction (in its 43rd year, raising over $215,000 in 2026 for a Kitchen Modernization project), St. Benedict's Day fundraising (exceeding $286,000 in 2026 with 100% student participation), and deferred planned giving vehicles such as bequests and charitable remainder trusts. The school operates a traditional admissions go-to-market: outreach to local families via shadow days, 8th-grade visitation programs, college information nights, and an online application flow powered by RenWeb; international students are recruited through a dedicated boarding section on the website and direct outreach.

Operationally, the institution runs on a lean staff of approximately 43 employees supported by a six-person management and development team. Underlying technology is conventional education-sector SaaS: RenWeb for admissions, FACTS for tuition, TeacherEase for grade management, and Microsoft 365 for productivity. The school's competitive position rests on its 135-year brand, Benedictine Catholic identity, small-class environment, and the international boarding community, rather than on any technology differentiation.

Name

Saint Bede Academy

Legal name

Saint Bede Academy

Website

https://st-bede.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saint Bede Academy is a private Catholic co-educational high school in Peru, Illinois, serving grades 9-12 through day and boarding programs for local and international students, operated by the Benedictine order since 1891.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Peru

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Student Tuition: Tuition fees charged to local day students in grades 9-12
2. Boarding Tuition: Tuition and boarding fees for residential/international students including dormitory accommodations and meals
3. Annual Fund and Donations: Saint Bede Annual Fund and general donations supporting tuition offset and school programs; 2025 St. Benedict's Day fundraising exceeded $286,000 with 100% student participation
4. Auction Events: 43rd Annual St. Bede Auction raised over $215,000 for Kitchen Modernization project; major annual fundraising event
5. Planned Giving: Deferred giving vehicles including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance beneficiary designations, and retirement account designations to support long-term mission

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saint Bede Academy is a Catholic co-educational high school located in Peru, Illinois, serving students in grades 9-12. The academy delivers college preparatory academics, including AP classes and dual credit through Illinois Valley Community College, alongside spiritual formation in the Benedictine tradition. It operates both a day student program for local Illinois Valley families and residential boarding programs that serve domestic and international students from countries such as China, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico.

Product overview

Saint Bede Academy is a Catholic co-educational high school located in Peru, Illinois, serving students in grades 9-12. The academy offers a traditional day student program as well as boarding programs for domestic and international students. Academic offerings include college preparatory courses, AP classes, dual credit opportunities through Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC), and specialized programs in science (Perino Science Center). The institution provides comprehensive educational services encompassing academics, athletics, spiritual development, student life activities, and college preparation guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Student Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% student participation in annual St. Benedict's Day fundraising
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hawk Auto GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 January 2026Partnership with Hawk Auto Group (including Hawk Chevrolet Mercedes-Benz Nissan of Peru, Hawk Volkswagen of Joliet, and Hawk Auto locations) to fight food insecurity through a food drive during Lenten season. Hawk Auto matched donations at $5 per 5 food items with goal of 1,000 items. All donations divided between Hall Township Food Pantry and Illinois Valley Food Pantry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Subiaco Academy: Benedictine Catholic college-prep boarding school for boys in Subiaco, Arkansas — same Order of Saint Benedict governance, boarding-and-day model, and small-school operating profile as Saint Bede.
• Marmion Academy: Catholic, Benedictine, college-preparatory boarding and day school for boys in Aurora, Illinois — operated by the same Benedictine tradition as Saint Bede and serving a comparable Midwest Catholic secondary market with similar day/boarding economics.
• Saint Mary's Ryken High School: Catholic, co-educational college-preparatory boarding and day school in Leonardtown, Maryland — same Catholic secondary boarding model and tuition/donation revenue mix as Saint Bede.
• Portsmouth Abbey School: Benedictine Catholic co-educational boarding school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island — same monastic order affiliation, boarding-focused college-prep model, and Benedictine charism as Saint Bede.
• Saint John's Preparatory School: Benedictine, Catholic, co-educational college-prep boarding and day school in Collegeville, Minnesota — sharing Benedictine sponsorship, college-prep mission, boarding program, and STEM emphasis that directly mirror Saint Bede's structure.

Broad incumbents

• Bellarmine College Preparatory: Large Jesuit Catholic college-prep school in San Jose, California — comparable Catholic college-prep identity and rigorous academic profile, though significantly larger scale and Jesuit rather than Benedictine tradition.

Regional players

• Benet Academy: Catholic college-preparatory school in Lisle, Illinois — same Illinois Catholic secondary market as Saint Bede with comparable college-prep mission, though Benedictine sponsorship and day-only structure differ.
• Culver Academies: Midwest private college-prep boarding school in Culver, Indiana — comparable residential college-prep model and Midwest boarding market positioning, though secular (not Catholic/Benedictine).

Emerging players

• Mount Saint Joseph High School: Catholic college-preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland — similar Catholic identity, college-prep mission, and small-to-mid-size operating scale, though day-only rather than boarding.

Others

• Belmont Abbey College: Benedictine Catholic institution in Belmont, North Carolina — same Benedictine sponsorship model and Catholic higher-ed/secondary identity ecosystem that supports Saint Bede's monastic and alumni networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/saint-bede-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Saint Bede Academy