Education
built
for the
whole
student.
National Recognition
#1 Boarding School in Missouri
Top 1% For STEM among all high schools in the U.S.
Top 2% Of all college preparatory private high schools in the U.S.
Top 3% Of all private high schools in the U.S.
Please note that Thomas Jefferson School continues to accept applications for Fall 2026 through rolling admissions.
Families may also reach out at any time to begin conversations for Fall 2027.
Who We Are
"A school for students who are ready to think deeply, participate actively in discussion, and develop the independence to take responsibility for their learning and their lives."
Established in 1946, TJ is a small, co-educational boarding and day school in St. Louis, Missouri. With a maximum enrollment of 88 students across grades 7–12 and a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, every student is known personally, and discussion is at the center of every class. Teachers are closely involved in each student’s academic and personal development, and because of the school’s size, students receive regular individual attention from faculty both in and outside the classroom.
Students at TJ work hard, and they do not do so alone. Faculty know when to challenge, when to guide, and when additional support is needed. Classes are serious, but the atmosphere is not heavy. Students laugh, argue, and enjoy the process of learning together. The result is a community where students grow in confidence, adapt to a new academic culture, and develop the habits required to succeed at leading universities worldwide.
12Average class size |
35 min.Seminar-style classes |
12AP courses offered |
90%Faculty with advanced degrees |
1390-1530SAT mid 50% score range |
25%International Students |
Four Pillars
What a TJ education looks like
01
Challenging Academics
Through a structured reading and writing program and a rigorous academic curriculum that includes Latin and ancient Greek, students develop the ability to analyze complex ideas and express them clearly.
Students meet with their core subject teachers every day in small, discussion-based classes that move quickly and require preparation. The environment is both demanding and collaborative, with students expected to contribute their thinking and respond to one another. There is a sense of energy in the classroom as ideas are tested, refined, and shared.
02
Learning That Comes Alive
Students apply what they learn through science investigations, university lab visits, debate, journalism, and performance. Because the community is small, students take on meaningful roles early, often discovering new interests and strengths along the way.
03
A Global Community
Students from many cultures live, study, and eat together. Daily life includes shared meals, conversations, and small moments that build real friendships. The relationships that form at TJ tend to last, grounded in both intellectual life and everyday experience.
04
College Preparation
One hundred percent of TJ graduates are admitted to college. Students receive individualized guidance throughout high school on courses, essays, and applications. The habits built through years of reading, writing, and discussion are exactly what universities expect when students arrive.
What Academic Life Looks Like
Academic work here is built around depth.
Students read full texts, not excerpts. They stay with ideas longer, rather than moving quickly from topic to topic. Writing is frequent and purposeful, and discussion is central to how understanding develops.
The curriculum is rigorous and intentionally structured, including sustained work in the humanities, sciences, and languages such as Latin and Greek. Across subjects, students are asked not just to learn material, but to work with it.
Classes are small and meet every day. They move quickly and require preparation. The environment is demanding and collaborative. There is a real sense of energy in the classroom. Ideas are tested, clarified, and sometimes changed.
Learn more about our academic program.
Learn more about our academic program.
Student Wellbeing
Rigorous and happy. Both matter here.
At TJ, well-being is a condition of learning, not an afterthought. The school is small enough that no student disappears. Faculty notice. Counselors are present. Students are not left to manage transitions alone, they share meals, conversations, and daily routines with adults who know them well. The academic pace is demanding, and it is designed to build capacity over time, not deplete it. Students leave knowing how to work hard, how to rest, and how to ask for help.
Small enough to feel like family, with clear structure and adult support.
Students live in cottage-style houses, share meals with faculty, and study in the evenings with adults close by. Adjustment to a new country is easier when the school feels like a place that knows you and is genuinely glad you are there. At TJ, that is the daily reality.
Thomas Jefferson School
4100 S. Lindbergh Boulevard
Saint Louis, MO 63127
P. F. (314) 843-3527
Saint Louis, MO 63127
P. F. (314) 843-3527
