Thomas Jefferson School
A coeducational boarding and day school for grades 7-12, Thomas Jefferson School (TJ) offers high-ability students intellectual challenge and the opportunity to develop personal and social responsibility. Students and faculty interact both in and out of the classroom, and our small class sizes foster an environment where lively discussions are both encouraged and expected. Day students share dorm space on our 20-acre campus with boarding students from all over the U.S. and the world. Clubs, organizations, and sports provide opportunities for our students to become leaders.
Notable Highlights:
- #28 Best Boarding School in the U.S. (out of 408)
- Top 100 for all private high schools in the US
- Top 1% diverse private high school in the US
- Top 1.7% for all college prep schools in the US
- Top 2% for STEM of all high schools in the US
Our Mission:
Thomas Jefferson School engages its students in the education necessary to live as responsible citizens of the world. Through the strongest possible college-preparatory program and within a nurturing community, students develop a responsibility for their own learning and a desire to lift up the world with beauty and intellect.
Our Diversity Statement:
Thomas Jefferson School is committed to building and sustaining a community rooted in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. These values, which are central to our mission, fundamentally inform and shape student learning, achievement, and preparedness for life. Our school seeks to provide the strongest possible college-preparatory program within an international, multicultural community. We strive to embrace multiple perspectives, encourage critical thinking, and develop and nurture courageous, empathetic individuals at all levels. A TJ education aims to provide students with resources and inspiration to better their communities and the world.
TJ Graduates:
TJ graduates attend a wide variety of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and abroad, and excellent preparation for those programs is a hallmark of the TJ experience. Over the school’s history, 100 percent of its graduates have been admitted to selective colleges and universities around the globe.
Varsity Academics:
TJ is the home for hungry minds. Here, the exchange of ideas becomes a way of life, and ideas are often valued more than answers. A liberal-arts approach to education is the basis for the TJ curriculum. Students immerse themselves in the fundamental college-prep areas of English, math, language, science, social studies, and art, choosing electives in certain areas as they get older, but sharing a core educational experience with peers across all grades. Students learn to think deeply and mine for knowledge and ideas, and they learn to demand ἀρετή (excellence) for themselves, their classmates, and their teachers.
Size:
TJ’s students have traditionally come from 7 countries, and 6 states. With a small student body, fewer than 90 students, you get to know everyone. And they know you. Our close-knit advisory groups average 7 students and provide continuity and support throughout your time at TJ.
Activities and Service Learning:
Preparing for life after TJ means getting involved while you are at TJ. With over 20 club offerings, most students find a number to join and lead. We also offer 30 peer-curated outings and experiences throughout the year.
TJ wants to give its students an awareness of the larger community beyond their school and individual social circles. Students complete a required amount of service hours by the beginning of senior year. TJ hosts an annual all-school Service Learning Day where everyone from faculty, staff, and students participate in a day of service for various St. Louis organizations.
Arts and Athletics:
Fine Arts classes at TJ give students an opportunity to work with a variety of media and materials while also learning the history of the art they are studying. The fine-arts faculty are practicing artists, each specializing in the visual, performing, or digital arts.
Every student at TJ is required to engage in daily physical activity. Whether that be a team sport like basketball, soccer, or volleyball, or a non-competitive activity like tennis, yoga, or fitness, there’s something that appeals to everyone!
Health and Wellness:
TJ has a highly individualized and personal advisory system. Each teacher has on average 7 advisees per year, representing a mix of grade levels and day and boarding students. Students typically stay with the same advisor throughout their TJ career. Advisors meet with their advisees weekly to monitor academic progress and general well being. All of our faculty and staff are trained in CPR and first aid. We have a full-time, registered nurse on staff who oversees all matters related to student health.
Boarding Life:
At TJ you are more than a boarding student, you are a part of our family. Learning to live alongside your peers is an essential and invaluable life skill, especially in preparing for college. We provide boarding students with all of the creature comforts of home.
Our Location:
Our picturesque, 20-acre campus is located just a few miles outside of St. Louis in the residential neighborhood of Sunset Hills. The area is home to multiple parks, including Laumeier Sculpture Park, a 105-acre open-air museum home to over 70+ large-scale outdoor sculptures. St. Louis is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Missouri and the 20th largest in the United States. Home to world-renowned parks, landmarks, museums, universities, professional sports teams, and cuisine, St. Louis has all of the amenities of a large US city and the close-knit community feel and friendliness of a small town. Many of the area’s nationally recognized attractions are free!
Prospective Students:
TJ is for self-motivated learners who possess an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Our graduates are curious and confident: curious to explore the world and confident that they can acquire the skills and knowledge to be experts in whatever they choose to explore.
Learn More:
TJ At a Glance
Visit TJ
TJ Academics
Student Life at TJ
We invite you to view our admissions process on our website and read our frequently asked questions.
Please call or email the Admissions Office for more information by calling 314-843-4151 ext. 2340 or by emailing admissions@tjs.org.
You may also complete our online inquiry form.
4100 S. Lindbergh Boulevard
Saint Louis, MO 63127
P. (314) 843-4151
F. (314) 843-3527