Willows Academy

What Willows Academy does

Willows Academy is a private, nonprofit Catholic college preparatory school for girls in grades 6-12, founded in 1974 and headquartered on a single campus at 1015 Rose Avenue in Des Plaines, Illinois. It is guided by Catholic Church teaching and the spirituality of Opus Dei, with a full-time chaplain, daily Mass, and monthly confession as part of the daily rhythm. The school employs approximately 46 faculty and staff led by Head of School Katie Stangel (Class of 1987 alumna), supported by a Board of Directors and an executive team spanning academic affairs, finance and operations, development, admissions, athletics, college counseling, and alumni engagement.

The core product is a Great Books-centered liberal arts curriculum delivered in small classes (average 20 students, 10:1 student-teacher ratio in middle school) with honors and AP course access, a personalized one-on-one faculty mentoring program, and a no-cut athletics policy across eight competitive teams. The school is intentionally not a one-to-one technology institution; cell phones are kept off during the day, and the technology stack consists of off-the-shelf SaaS — the Blackbaud-powered WillowsWeb learning management and tuition management platform. Supporting offerings include Summer at Willows (Adventure Camp and sport-specific Athletic Camps) and a separate International Student Program with dedicated admissions, host-family matching, and visa (I-20) support.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual tuition — $18,150 for grades 9-12 and $12,775 for grades 6-8, plus a $1,850 comprehensive fee — supplemented by the International Student Program ($21,000 HS / $16,000 MS plus $14,000 homestay), bus service fees, an Annual Fund donor drive, the Holiday Prelude benefit dinner (sponsorships up to $25,000), spirit shop merchandise, and the Spirit Shop pop-ups. The go-to-market motion is event-driven: open houses, shadow days, personalized admissions tours, and "Experience the Difference" parent presentations feed a multi-step funnel culminating in Blackbaud-processed enrollment, with 60% of students receiving some form of scholarship or financial aid.

Name

Willows Academy

Legal name

Willows Academy

Website

https://willowsacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Willows Academy is a nonprofit Catholic all-girls college preparatory school for grades 6-12 in Des Plaines, Illinois, delivering a Great Books liberal arts curriculum with personalized mentoring, no-cut athletics, and AP courses, funded by tuition, scholarships, donations, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Plaines

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 Revenue: Primary revenue source from tuition payments. Tuition for grades 9-12 is $18,150/year; grades 6-8 is $12,775/year. Additional comprehensive fee of $1,850/year covers textbooks, athletics, extracurriculars, clubs, technology, and student activities.
2. Annual Fund Donations: Annual fund drives supplement tuition revenue to cover the costs of educating students. The school relies on donor generosity to keep a Willows education affordable for families.
3. Holiday Prelude Benefit Dinner: Annual flagship fundraising event featuring cocktails, silent auction, live auction, dinner, and paddle raise. Sponsorship levels range from $3,000 (Sapphire) to $25,000 (Willows Legacy).
4. International Student Program: International student tuition of $21,000/year (high school) or $16,000/year (middle school), plus homestay fees of $14,000/year. Additional fees include comprehensive fee ($1,850), field trip fee ($1,500), and international student processing.
5. Bus Service Fees: Morning bus route from North (Lambs Farm) at $900/semester per student. Shuttle services from Northridge Prep and Embers Academy are free. Des Plaines shuttle is also provided.
6. Spirit Shop: Online spirit shop and pop-up spirit shops sell Willows branded merchandise and spirit wear. Athletic department hosts seasonal spirit shops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Willows Academy is a private Catholic all-girls college preparatory school in Des Plaines, Illinois, serving approximately 230 students across grades 6 through 12. It delivers a liberal arts curriculum grounded in the Catholic faith tradition, with the stated goal of preparing students for college. The school employs roughly 46 staff members to support instruction, faith formation, and student life.

Product overview

Willows Academy is a single-institution educational offering, not a multi-product platform. The core product is its liberal-arts college preparatory program for all-girls grades 6-12. Supporting offerings include a Summer Camps program (Adventure Camp and Athletic Camps) and the WillowsWeb learning management system for student academic tracking. The institution does not offer separate software products or modules for external customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program (Grades 6–8) A Catholic liberal arts college preparatory program for approximately 100 girls in grades 6–8, building the academic foundation and faith formation needed to transition into high school.
• High School Program (Grades 9–12) A Catholic liberal arts college preparatory program for approximately 130 girls in grades 9–12, with coursework designed to prepare students for admission to and success in selective colleges.
• Catholic Faith Formation / Campus Ministry An integrated faith formation component woven into the school's academic and student life programs, reflecting its Catholic identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average ACT score of 28
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SchoolbellesminorOthersSchoolbelles is the official uniform provider for Willows Academy (school code S3004). They offer custom measuring and durable uniform products including the required Willows blazer, navy vest, cardigan, and uniform skirts. The store is located at 7246 West Foster in Chicago.
• Marla's LunchminorOthersMarla's Lunch partners with national and local restaurants to deliver fresh hot lunches daily to Willows students. Parents order ahead through the Boonli platform. This is a convenience service for families, not a formal partnership with revenue sharing.
• Blackbaud Financial Aid ManagementcoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackbaud provides the financial aid application and tuition management platform used by Willows Academy. Families use Blackbaud to apply for need-based scholarships and manage tuition payments through the WillowsWeb portal.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart: Independent Catholic, all-girls college preparatory school in Lake Forest, Illinois, serving grades 9–12. Closest geographic and mission-aligned peer to Willows, with overlapping target families in Chicago's North Shore.
• Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School: Catholic, all-girls college preparatory high school on Chicago's south side. Directly comparable in single-sex Catholic identity, liberal arts curriculum, and Chicagoland catchment.
• Regina Dominican High School: Catholic college preparatory school for young women in Wilmette, Illinois. Overlaps directly with Willows in faith-based, all-girls, college-prep positioning within the Chicago suburbs.
• Nazareth Academy: Catholic, all-girls college preparatory high school in La Grange Park, Illinois. Comparable Catholic single-gender identity, AP/honors curriculum, and Chicago-area market.
• Trinity High School: Catholic all-girls college preparatory school in River Forest, Illinois. Comparable single-sex Catholic model, athletics program, and suburban Chicago student base.
• St. Scholastica Academy: Benedictine Catholic all-girls college preparatory high school in Chicago (Woodlawn). Comparable faith-based, single-gender, college-prep identity with strong athletics and tradition.

Broad incumbents

• Benet Academy: Catholic, Benedictine college preparatory school (co-ed) in Lisle, Illinois. Comparable Catholic college-prep positioning and Chicagoland feeder but co-educational and larger scale.
• Fenwick High School: Catholic, Dominican college preparatory school (co-ed) in Oak Park, Illinois. Comparable Catholic identity, rigorous college-prep academics, and Chicago-area market, but co-ed and broader reach.
• Loyola Academy: Catholic, Jesuit college preparatory school (co-ed) in Wilmette, Illinois. Overlaps with Willows on Catholic college-prep identity and Chicago North Shore market, but is larger and co-ed.

Regional players

• Northridge Preparatory School: Catholic, classical liberal arts college preparatory school for boys in grades 6–12 in Niles, Illinois. Directly comparable grade band and liberal-arts/classical curriculum; complementary gender peer that shares bus transportation with Willows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/willowsacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-willows-academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/willowsacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Willows Academy