Saint John’s Prep Students Graduate Ready to Succeed In College

As a preparatory school, our main goal is to ensure your student is fully prepared to succeed in college, no matter where in the world they attend. Saint John’s Prep is masterfully situated to provide the academic, athletic, artistic and social education your student needs to excel in the post-secondary world.

Learn more about our academic standards here, and read what one of our great parents has to say about their student’s time here:

Karen Backes, parent

“As a college admission professional I know how important high school preparation is in determining the success of students in college. My daughter was the best prepared for college because of attending Saint John’s Prep. She hit the ground running and is continuing on the foundation the Prep School set for her.”

Advanced, IB & College Courses

Saint John’s Prep offers a number of advanced courses for students to accelerate their learning leading up to college. One option is to take actual college courses right next door at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict! Another option is through our International Baccalaureate (IB) program. As one of only two schools in Minnesota outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul offering the IB program for high school aged students.

The IB Diploma Programme is an optional two-year program of rigorous study during a student’s junior and senior years. Students study in six academic areas: language, second language, mathematics, science, individuals and society and the arts.

Outside of these amazing programs, we do our best to help students prepare themselves for the ACT and SAT, and it is reflected in our consistently higher average score as compared to both the Minnesota high school average and national high school average. In 2017, our average ACT score was 28.3. For the SAT, our scores are consistently higher than the Minnesota and national averages. In 2015, our students scored an average of 1853, while the Minnesota state average was 1780 and the national average was 1498.

But don’t just take our word for it:

Tom Stock, parent

“[Both of my sons were] well prepared for college because of the academic courses they participated in while at Saint John’s Prep. Advanced courses, IB courses and college courses at CSBSJU all contributed to their education . . . We sent our boys to Saint John’s Prep because of its academic reputation and were more than satisfied with how the school prepared them.”

Positive Learning Environment

We pride ourselves and our student body on creating a positive learning environment. With a student-teacher ratio of 9:1 and an average class size of 18, personal attention and complete understanding are the norm at Saint John’s Prep.

Our diversity is a great addition to our positive learning environment as well, especially when it comes to finding oneself and one’s voice. This diverse community of students, in ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic class, religion and more, leads to a cooperative learning environment as well as an expanded point of view on every topic, making students more aware of what the world is and what is has to offer them.

Hear what parents of recent students have to say about our learning environment:

Jim and Kari, parents

“When we came to visit the school, we soon realized that the positive environment was exactly what our younger son needed as well. It’s a feeling that is present as soon as you walk through the front doors of the school. A feeling that learning is fun and creativity is encouraged.”

Eric and Joann, parents

“As parents we are often asked why we chose Prep for Mark . . .the thing that we were most surprised by and equally impressed with are the intangibles of Prep. For example, the different and unique views brought by each person at Prep is valued and celebrated. He learns from other’s perspectives especially when they are different from his own.”

Balancing Athletics, Arts & Academics

We believe in a well-rounded curriculum, and encourage all of our students to participate in any of a wide variety of choices in the fine arts or sports. In fact, 100% of our upper school (grades 9-12) students participate in at least one activity, sport or club.

At Saint John’s Prep School, we offer more than 42 different extracurricular activities including interscholastic sports, intramural sports, band, choir and theatre, along with visual arts like digital, painting, photography, video, ceramics and more.

While still true today, here’s a member of the class of 1961 recounting how students balanced study and athletics:

Tom Mork, Class of 1961

“The education I received at Saint John’s Prep was excellent . . . I was far ahead of my Notre Dame classmates, because at SJP I had learned how to study and utilize my free time between homework, wrestling and other activities.”