St. Bernard Prep School

What St. Bernard Prep School does

St. Bernard Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school founded in 1891 by Benedictine Monks of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, and chartered by the State of Alabama in 1893. The school serves approximately 127 students across grades 7-12 through both day and boarding programs (5-day and 7-day options), with a 900-acre campus that includes a Benedictine monastery, supervised dormitories, and over 13 miles of nature trails. International students are drawn from at least 19 countries, and the school operates a dedicated international admissions track alongside domestic rolling admissions managed by a Director of Admissions.

The school's product portfolio centers on a college preparatory curriculum featuring Advanced Placement courses across sciences, mathematics, computer science, arts, literature, and history, plus dual enrollment through a partnership with Wallace State Community College. Supporting programs include ACT test preparation (three dedicated school days per semester via Henson Test Prep), STEM-certified math and biology instruction, fine arts (band, jazz, choir, theatre, visual arts, digital media), an AHSAA-member athletics program, and Catholic formation with weekly Mass and daily prayer. A 2024-launched homeschool part-time program expanded the addressable market beyond traditional boarding and day families.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition subscriptions across multiple tiers: $8,350 (day middle school), $13,000 (day high school), $28,650-$38,300 (domestic boarding by grade and day configuration), and $55,000 (international). Secondary revenue streams include an optional $1,700 bus service, fees processed through FACTS/RenWeb tuition management, and fundraising via Annual Appeal, Summer Appeal, and the Clairvaux Society planned-giving program processed through Blackbaud. Over $500,000 in financial aid is awarded annually, supplemented by two Scholarship Granting Organizations and Alabama's CHOOSE Act Education Savings Account program.

Name

St. Bernard Prep School

Legal name

St. Bernard Preparatory School

Website

https://stbernardprep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Bernard Preparatory School is a private Roman Catholic, co-educational college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1891 by Benedictine Monks in Cullman, Alabama, serving approximately 127 students in grades 7-12 with tuition ranging from $8,350 to $55,000 annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Catholic Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Catholic boarding school
• Secondary education
• K-12 private school
• Benedictine education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cullman

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. Tuition - Day Students: Annual tuition for domestic day students: Middle School $8,350, High School $13,000
2. Tuition - Boarding Students: Annual tuition for domestic boarding students: 5-Day Boarding ranges from $28,650-$33,300; 7-Day Boarding ranges from $33,650-$38,300 depending on grade level
3. Tuition - International Students: Annual tuition for international students: $55,000
4. Tuition - Homeschool Part-Time: Part-time homeschool tuition: Middle School $1,200/year, High School $3,000/year
5. Donations and Appeals: Annual Appeal and Summer Appeal campaigns; Clairvaux Society planned giving program; donations support campus restoration and operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St. Bernard Prep School is a Catholic, Benedictine college-preparatory boarding and day school serving students in grades 7-12 on a 900-acre campus in Cullman, Alabama. The school delivers a liberal arts and math/science curriculum with AP and dual-enrollment courses, an ACT test-preparation program, and residential life organized around supervised boys' and girls' dormitories. Faith formation, athletics, fine arts, and college counseling are integrated into the tuition-based program and the school reports a 100% college acceptance rate.

Product overview

St. Bernard Preparatory School is a Roman Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school founded in 1891 by Benedictine monks, serving grades 7-12 as both a boarding and day school. The core product is the college prep educational program featuring Advanced Placement (AP) courses and Dual Enrollment partnerships with Wallace State Community College. Supporting modules include the ACT Test Prep Program (partnered with Henson Test Prep), Fine Arts (Band, Jazz, Choir, Theatre, Visual Arts, Digital Media), Athletics (AHSAA member), and Clubs & Activities. The school integrates with FACTS/RenWeb for student information management and grade tracking via the Family Portal. Additional services include Financial Aid & Scholarships, International Admissions, Homeschool Admissions, Catholic Formation, Development Programs, and auxiliary tools like the School Calendar, Transcript Request, Tuition Payment Portal, and Free Will Creation. The 900-acre campus includes boarding facilities with 5-day and 7-day options, supervised dorms, and extensive nature trails.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College-Preparatory Day Program (Grades 7-12)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of class of 2024 accepted to four-year universities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wallace State Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual enrollment partnership allowing high school students to earn college credit. Students enrolled in dual enrollment courses receive college credit from Wallace State in Hanceville, Alabama. Credits transfer to other colleges and universities accepting transfer credit.
• Henson Test PrepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT preparation partnership providing three full school days of intensive test prep. Henson Test Prep provides proven methodologies and professional instructors with academic accolades for standardized test preparation.
• FACTS ManagementcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System (SIS) managing grades, attendance, and tuition payments. FACTS Family Portal allows families and students to check grades and receive school updates. District code: sbp-al
• Scholarships for Kids (SGO)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScholarship Granting Organization (SGO) working with SBP to provide tuition assistance to qualifying families through Alabama's Education Savings Account program.
• C2 ScholarshipsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScholarship Granting Organization (SGO) providing tuition discounts and financial assistance options for enrolled students.
• My Catholic WillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree online will-creation tool partnership providing estate planning resources to alumni and friends. St. Bernard receives visibility as a beneficiary option while offering free service to community.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Westminster School: Highly selective non-sectarian boarding college-prep school in Simsbury, Connecticut, with comparable scale and elite college placement. Overlaps with St. Bernard in boarding college-prep market and selective university admits, but is secular and significantly larger.

Direct peers

• Benedictine College Preparatory: Catholic Benedictine boys' college-prep school in Richmond, Virginia, with boarding program. Comparable Benedictine identity, college-prep focus, and boarding offerings targeting similar domestic and international family segments.
• Saint Louis Priory School: Benedictine Catholic college-prep school for boys in St. Louis, Missouri, with boarding program. Direct peer sharing Benedictine monastic tradition, college-prep mission, and boarding structure analogous to St. Bernard Prep.
• Subiaco Academy: Benedictine Catholic boarding school for boys in Subiaco, Arkansas, operated by the monks of Subiaco Abbey. Comparable as a small, faith-based Benedictine boarding college-prep school with similar rural setting and monastic governance.
• Don Bosco Preparatory High School: Catholic Salesian college-prep school in Ramsey, New Jersey, offering day and boarding programs. Comparable as a Catholic boarding college-prep school with strong college placement track record and international student recruitment.
• Saint John's Preparatory School: Benedictine college-prep boarding and day school in Collegeville, Minnesota, serving grades 6-12 on the Saint John's Abbey grounds. Direct peer sharing Benedictine heritage, boarding program, Catholic formation, and college-prep mission comparable to St. Bernard Prep.
• Xavier High School: Catholic Jesuit college-prep school for boys in New York City. Comparable as a selective Catholic college-prep school with elite college placement outcomes, though Jesuit rather than Benedictine in tradition.
• Portsmouth Abbey School: Co-ed Benedictine Catholic boarding school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, grades 9-12. Direct peer in Catholic Benedictine boarding college-prep market with comparable monastic heritage, college placement outcomes, and tuition structure.

Regional players

• Randolph School: Independent non-sectarian college-prep day school in Huntsville, Alabama, grades K-12. Comparable Alabama private college-prep school competing for similar domestic day families in the same regional feeder market as St. Bernard.
• Indian Springs School: Non-sectarian boarding and day college-prep school near Birmingham, Alabama, grades 9-12. Regional peer competing for the same Alabama and Southeast college-prep families, but secular rather than Catholic and without the monastic identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/252357098173626
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/st.-bernard-prep-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 St. Bernard Prep School