The adage, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”, is nowhere more apparent than in the history of St. Louis University High School. In 1818, Bishop DuBourg opened the St. Louis Academy on Second Street as a school for young men. In 1824, the diocesan priest-teachers asked the Jesuits to assume the management and teaching of the school, as it was claiming too much of their pastoral time. The Jesuits accepted and, in 1829, they moved the school into a newly constructed building at Ninth and Lucas streets. The institution was chartered as a university in 1832 and graduated its first Bachelor of Arts in 1834.

Soon, the growing city created the need to relocate St. Louis University to a campus setting. In 1888, classes started on Grand Boulevard. The Academy continued to function as a school of secondary education within the Department of Arts and Sciences of the University, but gradually adjusted to the newly established concept of “high school” in the United States. Beginning with the 1903-04 session, instruction in the Academy was lengthened to a four-year period.

In 1924, the Academy and Loyola Hall, an affiliated classical high school, merged and moved into a new facility, the Backer Memorial, on Oakland Avenue just west of Kingshighway Boulevard. The funds to build the new school were donated by Mrs. Anna F. Backer as a memorial to her deceased husband, George H. Backer, an 1869 graduate of St. Louis University. This new school, now called St. Louis University High School, actualized dreams long hoped for by friends of the Academy.

We are a Catholic, Jesuit college-preparatory school for young men, committed to its presence in the City of St. Louis and dedicated to building Christ’s kingdom of truth, justice, love, and peace.  We serve young men based on their ability to succeed, rather than their economic circumstances.

Through a rigorous academic program, we help our students develop critical minds and a life-long devotion to learning that informs moral choices and transforms lives.

In addition to assisting in the intellectual, aesthetic, social, and physical formation of our students, we help them develop compassionate hearts by fostering habits of personal prayer, reflection, and service for the Greater Glory of God.

• Founded in 1818 as a Latin school for boys, St. Louis University High is the oldest private Catholic high school west of the Mississippi River
• SLUH is ranked in the top seven percent of schools in the nation for highest composite ACT score
• All seniors at SLUH perform 120 hours of community service outside of school during the month of January
• In addition to academic excellence, SLUH enjoys a rich tradition of athletic success, a strong commitment to the arts and a dedication to the development of faith based on serving others
• Total Enrollment: 1,000
• Senior Class of 2020: 256
• Average class size: 19.5
• Student/teacher ratio: 11:1
• 2020-21 Tuition: $18,000
• 2020-21 Financial Aid: $4,200,000