The Ellis School
The Ellis School is a 110-year-old nonprofit, independent all-girls school in Pittsburgh, PA, serving students from Pre-K through grade 12 across three divisions, funded primarily by tuition, annual giving, and endowment income.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1916
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Ellis School does
The Ellis School, founded in 1916 and headquartered at 6425 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a private, nonprofit, independent all-girls school serving students from Pre-K through grade 12 across three divisions (Lower School, Middle School, Upper School). It is the only independent all-girls school in the Pittsburgh region. The school delivers a college preparatory curriculum with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 1:1 student-to-device ratio, and 62% of faculty holding master's degrees; computer science instruction begins in grade 3 using Scratch in Google's CS First environment, MakeCode with Hummingbird Robotics Kits, and Dash robots, while upper-school biology is taught through an ongoing partnership with the University of Pittsburgh's EvolvingSTEM program for evolutionary microbiology experimentation.
The business model combines tuition (the primary revenue stream), the annual Ellis Fund (which raised a record $740,448 in 2024-2025, with 93% parent support and 92% faculty/staff participation), endowment income (approximately 20% of the annual budget), and auxiliary revenue from summer camps, after-school/extended-day programs, and facility rentals to external organizations. Tuition assistance supports 46% of enrolled families, and the school participates in Pennsylvania's EITC and OSTC tax credit programs. Go-to-market is sales-led through a dedicated enrollment management function, inquiry forms on the website, campus tours, admission events, and a 3,000+ alumnae referral network, with marketing distributed across the school website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, the Ellis Magazine, and email.
In 2025, the Board of Trustees appointed Gary J. Niels as Interim Head of School for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2025, while launching the Ellis 110 anniversary campaign to reimagine outdoor campus spaces. The Class of 2025 sent 35 graduates to 30 different colleges across the US, France, and New Zealand, sustaining a 100% four-year college matriculation track record with an average of 8.3 college offers per senior. The school also operates The Academies at the Ellis School as a specialized academic sub-brand and runs a MyEllis parent/student portal powered by Blackbaud.
The Ellis School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Ellis School
- Legal name
- The Ellis School
- Website
- https://theellisschool.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1916
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Ellis School is a 110-year-old nonprofit, independent all-girls school in Pittsburgh, PA, serving students from Pre-K through grade 12 across three divisions, funded primarily by tuition, annual giving, and endowment income.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Ellis School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Ellis School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition Revenue: The primary revenue stream is tuition charged to enrolled students. The school serves students from Pre-k through grade 12. Financial aid (tuition assistance) is available, with 46% of families receiving support.
- Annual Fundraising (Ellis Fund): The Ellis Fund is the school's annual fund supporting current operating expenses and bridging the gap between tuition and true cost of education. Recent year raised $740,448. Almost 20% of annual budget comes from endowment income.
- After-school Programs and Summer Camps: Revenue from extended day programming, enrichment programs, music lessons, athletics camps, and summer camp programs open to both Ellis and non-Ellis families.
- Facility Rentals: Athletic facilities and campus spaces are rented to external organizations during times when not in use by Ellis students. Renters must carry liability insurance with minimum $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate coverage.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Lower School Before & After Care - 5 days per week, full year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Lower School Before & After Care - Term pricing |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Middle School Fall/Winter/Spring Trimester |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
The Ellis School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Ellis School is an independent, nonprofit, all-girls college preparatory school serving students from Pre-K through Grade 12 across three divisions (Lower, Middle, Upper School). It delivers tuition-funded academic instruction, computer science and STEM programming, theater arts, athletics, college counseling, and supplemental offerings such as summer camps, extended-day care, enrichment classes, and facility rentals to external groups.
Product overview
The Ellis School is the only all-girls independent school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serving students from Pre-K through grade 12. The school offers a comprehensive college preparatory education comprising Lower School (Pre-K to grade 4), Middle School (grades 5-8), and Upper School (grades 9-12) divisions. Educational programs include core academic curricula with technology/computer science integration starting in grade 3, Theater Arts (curriculum-based in Lower School, extracurricular from grade 5), Athletics (150+ participants), and Sustainability Education. Auxiliary programs include Summer Camps (Changemakers, Coed Kid, Athletics), After-school Programs (Before/After-Care, Enrichment, Music Lessons), and a MyEllis online portal. The school maintains a 1:1 student-to-device ratio and 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 62% of faculty holding master's degrees. All graduates pursue higher education at four-year institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Academies at the Ellis School: A signature program or initiative at The Ellis School focused on specialized academic offerings.
- Ellis 110
Products and services
- Lower School Curriculum (Pre-K to Grade 4) Educational program for Lower School students (Pre-K through Grade 4) with theater arts integrated into daily curriculum; each grade performs its own play throughout the year.
- Middle School Curriculum (Grades 5-8) Middle School program for grades 5-8 featuring required Creative Coding and computer science progression, with theater arts offered as an extracurricular activity.
- Upper School Curriculum (Grades 9-12) College preparatory curriculum for grades 9-12 with a required computer science course, multiple theater performance opportunities, college counseling, and leadership programming.
- Summer Camp Programs Summer programs including Changemakers Camps (interdisciplinary projects for girls), Coed Kid Camps (imaginative play-based), and Athletics Camps, open to Ellis and non-Ellis families.
- After-school Programs After-school programs including Before & After-Care with homework support, Enrichment Programs in arts/STEM/athletics/wellness, and Private Music Lessons in piano, guitar, strings, voice, and winds.
- College Counseling College counseling services with dedicated Director of College Counseling, supporting students through college search, application, and enrollment. Class of 2025 earned 8.3 average offers of admission.
- Theater Arts Program Theater arts program that transitions from curriculum-based in Lower School to extracurricular activity in grade 5, including annual plays, musicals, and theater electives.
- Athletics Program Athletics program with 150+ students participating, including field hockey and offerings for grades 3-4 through Upper School, with associated facility rentals.
- Sustainability Education Environmental leadership program integrating sustainability across curriculum through interdisciplinary coursework, leadership opportunities, project-based learning, and campus eco-conscious practices.
- Athletic and Campus Facility Rentals Athletic facilities and campus spaces rented to external organizations during non-school hours; renters must carry liability insurance with minimum $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate coverage.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of graduates pursue higher education at a four-year college or university
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Ellis School
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Ellis School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Ellis School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EvolvingSTEM (University of Pittsburgh)coreEllis has partnered with EvolvingSTEM since the organization was formed at Pitt about seven years ago. The program implements evolutionary microbiology experimentation in high school biology labs. Using bacteria as a model, students can see how populations evolve under controlled conditions over approximately one week. Upper School Biology Teacher Kassandra Wadsworth leads the partnership at Ellis, and alumna Sarah Ali '23 assists as part of her ongoing involvement with the program.
- University of Pittsburgh Medical School (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Lab)coreEllis alumna Sarah Ali '23 worked with Dr. Abigail Matela, EvolvingSTEM Director of Educational Outreach and Research, conducting experiments including DNA extraction, bacterial colony counting, agar plate pouring, and lab equipment cleaning. The research lab designs experiments used by Ellis biology students.
- Three Rivers Rowing AssociationminorEllis student Reese McGeary volunteered as a coach for Learn to Row sessions at Three Rivers Rowing Association, fostering community connections and promoting wellness through rowing.
- Dickinson CollegeminorFrancesca LaRoche '24 enrolled at Dickinson College, where she serves as an Eco-Rep for the Center for Sustainability Education and participates in campus sustainability initiatives and jazz band.
- WQED Film AcademyminorEllis student Maryam Sadullaeva created a documentary series through WQED Film Academy to give young people a platform to share their experiences.
- Tree PittsburghminorEllis student Julia O'Brien created stepping stones from recycled concrete to improve access to a Tree Pittsburgh site near Negley Run Boulevard.
- Carnegie Library of PittsburghminorEllis student Hannah Buck visited Carnegie Library to gather community input on climate concerns for her climate anxiety project toolkit.
- Audubon Society of Western PennsylvaniaminorPartnership for experiential learning, with Ellis student Maddie Potoka teaching biodiversity lessons at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve.
- Contemporary CraftminorEllis student Annouk Yoo-Polzin designed an interactive questionnaire for Contemporary Craft's Community Day using prototyping and laser cutting methods.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Ellis School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Sewickley Academy: Independent co-ed school in Sewickley, Pennsylvania (greater Pittsburgh), serving Pre-K through grade 12. Comparable Pittsburgh-area independent school competing for the same family demographic.
- Winchester Thurston School: Independent co-ed school in Pittsburgh serving grades Pre-K through 12. Direct regional competitor in the Pittsburgh college-prep market and the prior institution of incoming Interim Head Gary J. Niels.
- Shady Side Academy: Independent co-ed Pre-K through grade 12 school with multiple campuses in the Pittsburgh region. Direct local competitor for college-prep families and a frequent destination for faculty departing Ellis.
Direct peers
- Miss Porter's School: Independent college preparatory all-girls school in Farmington, Connecticut, grades 9-12. Directly comparable as a legacy single-gender institution with strong college placement outcomes and similar alumnae-driven community.
- The Baldwin School: Independent all-girls school in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, serving Pre-K through grade 12. Closest geographic and structural analog: single-gender college-prep school in the Philadelphia metro with similar three-division structure.
- The Bryn Mawr School: Independent all-girls school in Baltimore, Maryland, serving grades K-12. Comparable as a non-parochial, all-girls college-prep institution with similar programming across Lower, Middle, and Upper divisions.
- The Madeira School: Independent all-girls college preparatory school in McLean, Virginia, serving grades 9-12 with a co-ed boarding component. Highly comparable as a single-gender, college-prep institution with a STEM focus and strong alumnae network.
- National Cathedral School: Independent all-girls school in Washington, D.C., serving grades 4-12. Comparable single-gender college-prep model with strong STEM curriculum and similar college-counseling intensity.
- Garrison Forest School: Independent all-girls school with co-ed portions in Owings Mills, Maryland, serving grades K-12. Comparable single-gender college-prep institution with similar athletics and arts emphasis.
- Spence School: Independent all-girls school in New York City, grades K-12. Closely comparable college-prep single-gender model with strong emphasis on leadership development and differentiated academic programming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Ellis School social profiles
Digital presenceThe Ellis School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Ellis School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
The Ellis School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Ellis School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Ellis School
What does The Ellis School do?
The Ellis School is an independent, nonprofit, all-girls college preparatory school serving students from Pre-K through Grade 12 across three divisions (Lower, Middle, Upper School). It delivers tuition-funded academic instruction, computer science and STEM programming, theater arts, athletics, college counseling, and supplemental offerings such as summer camps, extended-day care, enrichment classes, and facility rentals to external groups.
Is The Ellis School a public or private company?
The Ellis School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Ellis School founded?
The Ellis School was founded in 1916. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Ellis School based?
The Ellis School is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Ellis School make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition Revenue is the primary driver. The others are annual Fundraising (Ellis Fund), after-school Programs and Summer Camps and facility Rentals.
Who are The Ellis School's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Sewickley Academy, Winchester Thurston School and Shady Side Academy. Direct peers are Miss Porter's School, The Baldwin School, The Bryn Mawr School, The Madeira School, National Cathedral School, Garrison Forest School and Spence School.
Does The Ellis School have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Ellis School.