St. Louis University High School is 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. The school serves young men based on their ability to succeed, rather than their economic circumstances.
The oldest high school west of the Mississippi River, SLUH began in 1818 as a Latin school for boys in a one-story house on the riverfront. Since then, it has experienced four name and five location changes, ever growing and adapting to meet the needs of intellectually gifted young men and their total formation.
Community on a Mission
The culture at SLUH is flexible and compassionate. It’s a community of mission-driven professionals supported and challenged by performances and service in their fields. Students and staff are given a clear mission and a supportive administrative environment attracts a number of highly qualified and talented faculty and staff.
Leadership Development
SLUH spends significant funds on professional development and ongoing education. The school distributes opportunities for leadership and initiative across all programs and levels of curriculum and activities. We also offer rewarding adult spiritual development opportunities and supportive professional and social/communal events to build community and collegiality.
Measuring Success
Strategic initiatives several years in planning are now being implemented in: student support and college counseling, facilities renovation and improvement, curriculum design and the growth of endowment to support accessibility for students in financial need.
Teachers across all departments are involved in Curriculum Institutes and Understanding by Design Curriculum Improvement Process. These initiatives are reflected in new and redesigned courses, new facilities and new staff positions.
A much larger number of the students participate in retreat programs and service programs than was the case several years ago. This required SLUH to meet significant financial and staffing challenges.
The design and construction of new spaces to better serve academic, co-curricular and formation programs are also included in SLUH’s strategic initiatives.