Saint John's Preparatory School (Minnesota)

Saint John's Preparatory School
Location
Box 4000 2280 Watertower Road Collegeville , (Stearns County) , Minnesota 56321 United States
Coordinates	45°34′49″N94°23′17″W / 45.58028°N 94.38806°W / 45.58028; -94.38806
Information
Type	Private, college-prep, day and boarding school
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Saint Benedict
Established	1857
Founder	Saint John's Abbey
Grades	6–12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	275  (2017-18)
Average class size	16
Student to teacher ratio	11:1
Campus size	2,700 acres
Color(s)	Cardinal red and Carolina blue
Fight song	Fight, Johnnies
Athletics conference	Prairie Conference
Nickname	Johnnies
Team name	Johnnies
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [1]
Publication	The Prep World
Newspaper	The Prep Post
Yearbook	The Pine Curtain
Website	www.sjprep.net

Saint John's Preparatory School (SJP) is a Catholic co-educational, day and boarding college preparatory school located in Collegeville, Minnesota. Founded in 1857, it is located in the Diocese of Saint Cloud and is administered by the Benedictine monks of Saint John's Abbey. The school includes a middle school consisting of grades 6–8 and an upper school consisting of grades 9–12. The student body consists of students from the local area along with 5- and 7-day boarding students from across the United States and around the world. In the 2025-26 academic year, the student body included students from 28 different cities and towns in Minnesota, 4 states and 14 different countries. ^[2]

Background

Saint John's Preparatory School was established in 1857 by the monks of Saint John's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery located in Collegeville, MN. SJP is the oldest secondary school in Minnesota. ^[3] It was all-male until 1972 when the nearby all-girls school, St. Benedict's Academy owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph, MN closed. ^[4] The college sections of both schools are still in operation and run as partnered liberal arts institutions.

The current Head of School is Jon McGee, succeeding the long-time headmaster, Father Jonathan Lizardi, O.S.B.

Academics

Saint John's Prep is a college preparatory school with studies in the fine arts, language arts, and sciences. ^[5] Listed among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 307 schools) for: Student Test Scores - High average SAT scores. ^{[6] [7]}

College classes

Saint John's Prep shares its 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) campus with Saint John's University, a small, liberal arts university, which is affiliated with the nearby College of Saint Benedict. Each semester, 10-20 students take at least one college class at SJU or CSB. ^[8]

Exchange programs

Saint John's Prep offers a year-long study abroad opportunity with the Benedictine Gymnasium in Melk, Austria.^{[ citation needed ]}

Athletic facilities

Prep uses several athletic facilities on the SJU campus, including Clemens Stadium – the current home of the Track and Field team, with a 400m track and a separate location for shot-put and discus. The Natural Bowl is also the former home of the Football team. (Football has recently been co-oped with St. Cloud Technical Senior School.)^{[ citation needed ]}

Notable alumni

• Mathew Ahmann – civil rights activist ^[9]
• David Durenberger – American politician and former Republican member of the U.S. Senate ^[10]
• Eugene McCarthy – American politician, poet, and longtime member of the United States Congress ^[11]
• George Sinner – former governor of North Dakota and Vice President of American Crystal Sugar ^[12]
• Peter Strzok – former FBI agent

External links

• School Website
• Saint John's University Archives Presentation on Life at the Prep School created by the University Archivist, Peggy Roske, 2011.
• Saint John's University Archives Presentation on the First Headmasters of the Prep School created by the University Archivist, Peggy Roske, 2012.
• http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_overview.php

Notes and references

1. NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
2. "Saint John's Prep - College Preparatory Education for Grades 6-12".
3. "Saint John's Prep - College Preparatory Education for Grades 6-12".
4. SJPS. "History of St. John's Preparatory School". Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2007.
5. "Saint John's Prep - College Preparatory Education for Grades 6-12".
6. Profile,boardingschoolreview.com. Accessed March 7, 2023.
7. "School Profiles Archive".
8. Saint John's Preparatory School Profile, 2009-2010.
9. Duffy, Brendon (2013). "Acting on Faith". Saint John's Magazine. Summer/Fall 2013. Saint John's University: 24–31. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
10. "DURENBERGER, David Ferdinand - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
11. "McCARTHY, Eugene Joseph - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
12. "George Sinner Papers". library.und.edu. Retrieved March 30, 2011.