What Schaeffer Academy Inc does

Schaeffer Academy Inc is an independent, non-profit classical Christian K-12 school located on a 37-acre campus at 2700 Schaeffer Lane NE in Rochester, Minnesota. Founded in 1993 by a group of Rochester families seeking a Christian and classical educational alternative, the school offers a full K-12 curriculum built on the Trivium methodology (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) and integrated with a Christ-centered worldview. It holds accreditation from the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) and institutional membership in the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and is the only ACCS-accredited Classical Christian school in Rochester. Academic offerings include full liberal arts coursework (math, science, foreign language, English, history, theology, art, music), AP courses, PSEO dual enrollment with Rochester Community & Technical College, and a senior internship program with mentorship placements at Mayo Clinic. Extracurricular programming spans MSHSL-member interscholastic athletics (Southeast Conference), performing arts (drama, band, choir, strings), competitive math teams, and Lego Robotics.

Schaeffer Academy serves families in Rochester and southeast Minnesota, with a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:10 and an average class size of 22. Its revenue model is a hybrid of tuition and donor support: the school charges $11,245 per student per year for grades K-12 ($6,080 for half-day Kindergarten) plus ancillary fees for Before & After School Care, while supplementing operating budgets through annual fundraising campaigns — primarily Minnesota's Give to the Max Day — with annual donation goals of $237,000-$275,000. As an independent institution not supported by any church, denomination, or outside agency, Schaeffer operates with a small administrative team (11-50 employees) under Head of School Keith Phillips, with two Associate Headmasters overseeing the Lower School and the Middle/Upper School.

The school distributes its services through a direct-to-consumer admissions funnel: prospective families schedule campus tours (via phone 507-286-1050 or online booking), submit applications through RenWeb, and participate in admissions interviews. Marketing relies heavily on word-of-mouth via parent testimonials on the school's Blog Leonis, an email newsletter, community outreach through partner churches (Trinity Presbyterian PCA, True Life Lutheran Brethren, Calvary Evangelical Free, Autumn Ridge), and the school's positioning as Rochester's only accredited classical Christian option. Student outcomes cited include 367+ graduates (as of May 2022, 22nd class) accepted at more than 150 post-secondary institutions, with 59% of 11th and 12th graders in 2019 taking AP courses.

Name

Schaeffer Academy Inc

Legal name

Schaeffer Academy

Website

https://schaefferacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schaeffer Academy Inc is an independent non-profit K-12 classical Christian school in Rochester, Minnesota delivering a Trivium-based Christ-centered liberal arts curriculum to families in southeast Minnesota, funded primarily through tuition and donor contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Classical Christian Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Education K–12 Schools (EDAJABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC), Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Classical Christian education
• K-12 private schooling
• Liberal arts curriculum
• College preparatory programs
• Before after school care

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue stream. Families pay tuition for K-12 enrollment. For 2026-2027: $11,245 per year for grades K-12, $6,080 for half-day Kindergarten. Additional revenue from Before & After School Care (drop-in at $6/hr, contracted at $5/hr) and application fees.
2. Donor Support / Charitable Contributions: As an independent school not supported by any church, denomination, or outside agency, Schaeffer Academy relies heavily on donor support. Annual fundraising goals have ranged from $237,000 to $275,000 per fiscal year. Major annual campaign is Give to the Max Day (Minnesota's statewide giving day). Also receives donations through direct mail appeals, fellowship dinners, and Grandparent/Spring Concert events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schaeffer Academy is a private K-12 school in Rochester, Minnesota delivering a Christ-centered classical education grounded in the Trivium methodology (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) across the liberal arts. The school charges annual tuition ($11,245 per year for grades K-12; $6,080 for half-day Kindergarten) and bundles in before/after school care, interscholastic athletics, performing arts, math/robotics teams, electives, and PSEO dual-enrollment options. Revenue is supplemented by recurring donor fundraising rather than a church or denominational sponsor.

Product overview

Schaeffer Academy is a classical Christian K-12 school offering a unified educational program built on Christ-centered classical methodology using the Trivium approach (grammar, logic, rhetoric). The core product is its K-12 classical Christian education supplemented by Before & After School Care, Electives & PSEO for upper grades, and a variety of extracurricular programs including Math Teams, Robotics, Performing Arts (Drama, Band, Choir, Strings), and Interscholastic Athletics. The school also provides a Financial Aid Program to support tuition affordability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Classical Christian Education Core program: Christ-centered classical K-12 education for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, integrating the Trivium (Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric) methodology with a biblical worldview across math, science, foreign language, English, history, theology, art, and music. Target customers are parents in Rochester and southeast Minnesota seeking an alternative to public schooling.
• Before & After School Care Supervised before- and after-school care for enrolled Schaeffer Academy students, including recreation, games, arts and crafts, reading, devotionals, snack time, and homework assistance; available at $6/hr drop-in or $5/hr contracted, with a $40 family registration fee.
• Electives & PSEO Program Upper-school elective offerings for grades 7-12 including Yearbook, Studio Art, Senior Internships (including Mayo Clinic mentorships), Independent Study, AP Physics II, and Post-Secondary Education Option (PSEO) dual enrollment for college credit at RCTC and other partner colleges.
• Math Teams & Robotics Competitive math extracurriculars (Math Masters, Math Counts, Math League) plus Lego Robotics teams for middle and high school students, supplementing the core math/science curriculum.
• Performing Arts Programs Performing arts programming (Drama, Band, Choir, Strings) starting in fourth grade, with multiple ensemble performances per year and participation in MSHSL competitions.
• Interscholastic Athletics MSHSL-member interscholastic athletics program competing in the Southeast Conference, with sports including volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, and cooperative boys hockey with Lourdes High School.
• Financial Aid Program Need-based tuition assistance program that typically brings a family's total tuition burden down to 10-15% of adjusted gross income when their tuition exceeds that range, supporting broader enrollment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59% of 11th and 12th graders took AP courses (2019)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS)coreOthersSchaeffer Academy is accredited by ACCS and listed in their find-a-school directory as an accredited classical Christian school in Rochester, MN. ACCS provides accreditation standards and institutional support for classical Christian education.
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)minorOthersInstitutional member of ACSI, a global association for Christian schools. Membership supports curriculum standards and professional development.
• Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchaeffer Academy is a member of MSHSL, the governing body for high school athletics and activities in Minnesota. The school participates in the Southeast Conference and competes in sports including volleyball, soccer, cross country, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, and co-op boys hockey with Lourdes High School. MSHSL membership enables official competition and league standings.
• Southeast Conference (MSHSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic conference within MSHSL. Schaeffer Academy competes in the Southeast Conference for all its MSHSL sports. Provides regional competitive structure and scheduling.
• Rochester Community & Technical College (RCTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Post Secondary Education Option (PSEO), Schaeffer Academy upperclassmen may enroll in college courses at RCTC or other colleges to earn elective credit. RCTC provides the college-level courses that complement Schaeffer's on-campus AP offerings.
• Mayo Clinic (Mentorship Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchaeffer Academy senior internship program offers students the opportunity to apply for Mayo Clinic mentorships in various departments. Mayo Clinic provides professional mentorship and workplace experience for qualifying senior students.
• Four Daughters VineyardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerServed as a venue for a fellowship and fundraising dinner event (April), one of several fundraising channels for donor support. Partnership for fundraising events.
• Lourdes High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchaeffer Academy participates in a co-op arrangement with Lourdes High School for boys hockey. Students from both schools combine to form a single competitive team under MSHSL rules.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chesterton Academy: Network of classical Christian high schools founded in Hopkins, MN, using a similar integrated humanities-and-classical curriculum. Directly comparable in pedagogy, target family, and tuition-supported nonprofit structure.
• Westminster Academy: Classical Christian K-12 school in Fort Lauderdale, FL, accredited by ACCS. Closest national-level peer in terms of classical methodology, ACCS accreditation status, and Christ-centered college-prep identity.
• Trinity Classical Academy: Classical Christian K-12 school in the western U.S. Comparable in scale, classical curriculum, parent-pay tuition model, and small-school ACCS-style positioning.
• Veritas Academy: ACCS-accredited classical Christian K-12 school. Directly comparable on classical curriculum, Christian worldview integration, college-prep outcomes, and small-scale nonprofit operating model.
• Covenant Classical School: Classical Christian K-12 school in Fort Worth, TX, using the Trivium methodology. Comparable in pedagogical approach, Christ-centered integration across subjects, and tuition-supported independent governance.

Emerging players

• Classical Conversations: National classical-education community/program serving homeschool and co-op families using the same classical methodology. Represents an adjacent classical-education competitor and an alternative path for families seeking classical instruction outside a brick-and-mortar school.

Regional players

• Hope Academy: Classical Christian K-12 school in Minneapolis, MN. Closest direct regional peer — similar classical methodology, Christian worldview integration, and tuition-supported nonprofit model in the same Minnesota market.
• Lourdes High School: Catholic co-op partner of Schaeffer Academy for boys hockey in the same Rochester, MN market. Competes for the same local private-school families and serves a similar college-prep segment, though with Catholic rather than classical-Protestant identity.
• Providence Academy: Independent Catholic classical K-12 school in Plymouth, MN. Operates in the same Minnesota private K-12 market with a similar classical liberal-arts emphasis and Christ-centered identity, competing for the same metro-area families.
• Rochester Arts & Sciences Academy (or comparable local public/charter): Public K-12 option in the same Rochester, MN catchment. While not a tuition-charging peer, it is the principal alternative Schaeffer families evaluate when choosing a Christ-centered classical education over secular public schooling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SchaefferAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schaeffer-academy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Schaeffer Academy Inc