St. John's School
Central Houston · near River Oaks and Upper Kirby
2401 Claremont Lane, Houston, TX 77019Map ↗Established 1946
About this information
$38,530
Tuition · 2026–27
K–12
Grades
702
Upper School Enrollment
—
Student–teacher
Not published
At a glance
St. John’s begins Upper School with a strong common academic foundation in Classes 9–10, then gives students substantially more flexibility in Classes 11–12 through advanced courses, electives, independent study, and experiential learning. The school emphasizes writing, reasoning, intellectual exploration, and preparation for college-level work.
Academic Rigor
A challenging curriculum offers advanced coursework and opportunities for deeper study.
Independent Exploration
Independent studies let students pursue individual interests with faculty guidance.
Experiential Learning
Jan Plan provides hands-on, interdisciplinary learning beyond the traditional classroom.
Study Abroad
Global programs give students opportunities to learn through international travel and cultural immersion.
Tuition & financial aid
2026–27 Tuition
$38,530
Estimated First-Year Required Cost
$39,905
TEFA (Texas Education Freedom Account)
Payment options
Annual
Jun
Semi-annual
Jun / Dec
Four payments
Jun, Sep, Dec, Mar
Monthly
Jul–Apr
Need-based aid
Grants are awarded one year at a time, and families reapply annually. Textbook, trip, athletic and arts costs are reduced by the same percentage as tuition. 13% of students receive aid from a $5.3 million budget.
Merit scholarships
Not offered — aid is need-based only
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Additional & conditional costs
Required and potential costs beyond published tuition
Mandatory freshman fees
Included in estimated first-year required cost
New Student Fee
New students only · Due upon enrollment in the spring
Class 9 Trip
Class 9 · The freshman retreat
Application / pre-admission costs
Not included in estimated first-year cost
Application fee
ISEE exam (paid to ERB)
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Admissions
Admissions Timeline
2027–28 cycle- Aug 7, 2026
Applications Open
- Nov 13, 2026· 4:00 PM
Priority Application Date
- Dec 4, 2026· 4:00 PM
Application Deadline
- Jan 8, 2027
ISEE Scores Due
Student Interview Deadline
Recommendations Due
Report Cards Due
Applicant Questionnaire Due
What's required
Entrance exam: ISEE
Teacher recommendations
Interview
Administrator recommendation
Extracurricular recommendation
Report cards (mid-year plus the previous year)
Applicant Questionnaire (writing sample)
Good to know
- Openings
- 60–65 places in Class 9; Classes 10–11 open only by attrition
- Priority consideration
- Consideration for qualified children of alumni, siblings of current students or graduates, and children of current faculty and staff
Visits & Events
Upper School Open House (Classes 9–11)
Sep 27, 2026 · 4:00 PM
Parent + student / Family
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Academics
Advanced Coursework
18
AP Courses
45
Honors Courses
Academic Model & Programs
Jan Plan — A week each January of experiential, interdisciplinary courses that count toward graduation.
Grading
+0.6 (Honors/AP) · +0.4 (Advanced)
Class Ranking
Not RankedGraduation Requirements
19.5 credits requiredSources
- Official school source
- Official school source
- Official school source
- Admission — Upper School
- Admission FAQ
- 2027-2028 Admission Essentials (PDF)
- Official school source
- College Profile 2026-2027 (PDF)
- Upper School
- Independent Study Projects
- College Counseling — Finding the Right College
- Four-Year College Process Overview 2026-2027 (PDF)
- College Counseling
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
World Languages
French
French I • French II • French III • French IV • Seminar in French (H) • AP French Language and Culture • French and Francophone Literature and Culture (H)
Greek
Ancient Greek (H)
Mandarin
Chinese I • Chinese II • Chinese III • Chinese IV • AP Chinese Language and Culture
Latin
Latin I • Latin II • Latin III • Latin IV • AP Latin
Spanish
Spanish I • Spanish II • Spanish III • Spanish IV • Seminar in Spanish (H) • Topics in Advanced Spanish with Service Learning (H) • History of Art in Spain and Latin America (H) • Spanish Literature and Culture (H) • AP Spanish Language and Culture
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 6, 2026
College Prep
College Counseling
Seven-counselor College Counseling office
Grade-level liaisons work with 9th and 10th graders; each student gets an individual counselor in the spring of sophomore year.
Advisory
Same advisor all four years
Co-ed groups of 8–12 classmates meeting four times per seven-day rotation; topics include belonging, stress management, healthy relationships and gratitude
Testing & Test Prep
On-campus practice SAT each fall · prep courses offered with a partner
Practice tests are given at school in 10th and 11th grade, and juniors can enroll in on-campus SAT and ACT prep classes.
College Planning
Naviance · 150+ college representatives visit each fall
Juniors take College 101 sessions and a mock-admissions program; rising seniors draft their main essay in a summer workshop.
College outcomes · Multi-Year
105
AP Scholar Recipients
Class of 2027
97
National Merit Program Awards
Class of 2027
71%
Enrolling Out of State
Classes of 2022–2026
1410–1540
SAT Middle 50%
Class of 2027
32–35
ACT Middle 50%
Class of 2027
Faith & community
Chapel & worship
Once per seven-day rotation · attendance required
Held at the neighboring Church of St. John the Divine. Speakers range from clergy of different faiths to teachers.
Service
Encouraged, not required · 29,963 Upper School hours in 2025-26
Students build their own ongoing projects around a Houston need, supported by a student officer board from every grade.
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Athletics
SPC
League / Classification
Southwest Preparatory Conference
77%
of students play a sport
15 sports offered
Varsity/interscholastic offerings
Cheerleading • Cross Country · Boys & Girls • Field Hockey • Football • Volleyball · Boys & Girls • Basketball · Boys & Girls • Soccer · Boys & Girls • Swimming & Diving · Boys & Girls • Wrestling • Baseball • Golf · Boys & Girls • Lacrosse · Boys & Girls • Softball • Tennis · Boys & Girls • Track & Field · Boys & Girls
Athletic Facilities
Skip Lee Field and McMurrey Memorial Track — rebuilt, new turf, rededicated August 2026 • Finnegan Field and Scotty Caven Field — wet-turf field hockey surface, one of four schools nationally with one • Bob and Vivian Smith Student Athletic Center — Liu Court, Owsley Court, weight room, wrestling room, athletic training room • Randall Field with the Ligums Practice Facility — indoor batting cage and locker room • Blanton Family Tennis Center and a softball complex, both opened spring 2025 • Angie Kensinger Pavilion overlooking Caven Field, opened September 2025
Athletic Notables
Most recent titles listed: Boys Tennis and Wrestling in 2026; Girls Volleyball and Boys Cross Country in 2025
Wrestling: Texas Prep State champions every year 2019–2026
Boys and Girls Tennis: state team champions 2024, 2025 and 2026
Field Hockey: three straight titles 2022–2024; girls lacrosse has 14 state championships
"Mavs in College" — a published roster of alumni competing in the NCAA
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Arts
Orchestra / Strings
Concert Strings and the advanced Symphony Strings; lead players combine as the St. John’s Symphony.
Band
Concert Band is open enrollment; Symphony Band and the Jazz Rhythm section are by audition.
Dance
Four leveled ensembles in ballet, modern, contemporary and jazz, plus a student-choreographed production.
Visual Arts
Studio electives from Class 9 in two- and three-dimensional art, architecture and photography.
Theater / Drama
Acting and technical-theater electives from Class 9, with productions in a 650-seat theater and a 120-seat studio.
Choir / Vocal
Three auditioned choirs, including Kantorei, an a cappella chamber group that competes nationally and tours internationally.
Digital / Media Arts
Video production, animation, and graphic arts & game design electives · Video students work in the school’s television studio producing the news program Mav TV
Arts Notables
86% of students involved in fine arts (school-reported)
Kantorei has toured more than a dozen countries and sung at Notre Dame in Paris and St. Peter's Basilica
Virginia Stuller Tatham Fine Arts Center — 650-seat Lowe Theater and 120-seat Studio Theater
On-campus private lessons in piano, strings, brass and flute, scheduled around the school day
School life
Campus & Setting
Main Campus
41-acre K–12 campus
The Upper School sits north of Westheimer Road; the Lower and Middle Schools, fine arts and athletics are to the south along Buffalo Speedway, linked by a tunnel.
Library
Taub Library & Academic Commons
University-style space with small-group rooms and study carrels, staffed by two professional librarians.
Upper School Buildings
Flores Hall and Campus Center
Underground garage beneath, reached through Gate 1
Arts
VST Fine Arts Center
On the Lower/Middle School side of campus, alongside the Fine Arts Annex
Athletics
Smith Student Athletic Center, Skip Lee Field with McMurrey Memorial Track, and Caven and Finnegan Fields
The Taub campus across Buffalo Speedway holds Randall Field, the tennis center and the softball complex.
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Daily Life
School Day
8:30 AM – 3:35 PM
The end of the day shifts with fine arts and athletic commitments. Classes run on a seven-day rotation; advisory meets four times per rotation.
Uniform
Uniform required
Bought through the school’s designated supplier, linked from the Spirit Store page
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Freshman Transition & Success
Getting Started
Freshman Retreat · 3 days, 2 nights
Held just before classes begin, so new and returning students meet their advisory and teachers before the first day.
Ongoing / Success Support
Advisory · same advisor all four years
Small co-ed advisory groups meet several times each schedule rotation, and a College Counseling liaison is assigned to the 9th grade.
Peer Support
Senior Retreat Counselors
12th graders help lead the freshman retreat, and Peer Leaders sit on a spring panel for 9th graders.
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 9, 2026
Clubs & Activities
89 activities across 8 categories
Special Interest
- Art Club
- Calligraphy Club
- Ceramics Club
- Drum Corps
- Fashion Club
- Guitar Club
- Hip Hop Dance Club
- Johnnycake
- Music: Enjoying, Performing, & Producing
- Photography Club
- Rock Club
- Songwriting Club
- Tap Dance Club
- Baking Club
- Chess Club
- Comics & Manga
- Dungeons and Dragons Club
- Girls Fitness Club
- Girls Self Defense
- Lego Club
- Meditation Club
- Pickleball Club
- Ping Pong Club
- Sailing Club
- Spirit Club
- Student Activities Club (SAC)
- Tour Guild
Academic
- Architecture Club
- Book Club
- Business Club
- Classical Civilizations
- Creative Writing Club
- Economics Club
- French Symposium
- Investment Club
- Junior States of America (JSA)
- Linguistics Club
- Model UN
- Philosophy Club
- Pre-Law Club
- Quiz Bowl
- SJS Political Education Club (SPEC)
- Socialist Leadership for American Youth
- Young Conservatives Club (YCC)
- Young Entrepreneurial Students Club (YES)
- Young Liberals Organization (YLO)
- Young Women in Business
Cultural & Affinity
- African American Affinity Group (AAAG)
- East Asian Affinity Group (EAAG)
- Jewish Affinity Group (JAG)
- Latinos Unidos (LUA)
- Middle East, North Africa (MENA)
- Multiracial Affinity Group (MRAG)
- Muslim Student Affinity Group
- PRISM
- South Asian Affinity Group (SAAG)
- Women Helping Empower Each Other (WHEE)
- Womxn of Color (WOC)
- Afrocentric Student Association
- Black Girls Coalition
- Chinese Culture Club
- French Club
- International Club
- Southeast Asian Culture Club
- Spanish Club
- Unity Council
STEM / Robotics
- AI Club
- Astronomy Club
- Bioscience & Health Club
- Engineering Club
- Girls Coding & Innovation Club
- Neuroscience & Psychological Studies Club
- Programming Club
- Science Olympiad
- Womxn of Science
Service
- Animal Alliance
- Climate Change Club
- Community Service
- ECOS
- Students Against Human Trafficking
- Students Against Stigma
- Wellness Club
Journalism & Media
- Review
- iMav Radio/Mav TV
- Quadrangle
- Imagination
Faith & Ministry
- Bible Study
- Chapel Guild
Debate & Speech
- Speech & Debate
Sources
Source last checked: Oct 6, 2026
About our dataInformation comes from official school sources. Availability reflects what we could verify from published materials.