“Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted.”
–A. Philip Randolph

Mission Statement

Chicago Jesuit Academy is a full-scholarship, college preparatory, Jesuit, Roman Catholic middle school for young men from modest economic backgrounds. The Academy is distinguished by small classes, an extended academic day and a longer school year to prepare students for success in college prep high schools, universities, and positions of community leadership.  Chicago Jesuit Academy helps students develop as young men who are open to growth, religious, intellectually competent, loving, and committed to doing justice in the service of others, in accord with the Jesuit mission and tradition. The school’s success in its mission is made possible by the disciplined sacrifices of our students, parents, faculty, staff, volunteers and benefactors.

• Staff and Faculty Information (pdf)
• What does it mean to be a Nativity Model School?
• Admissions Process
• Academics & Expectations
• Daily Schedule

What does it mean to be a Nativity Model School?

Chicago Jesuit Academy is one of 16 similar Jesuit Nativity-model middle schools already in operation throughout the United States. Like students at other Jesuit Nativity schools, our students use small classes, extended academic days and an 11-month school year to prepare themselves for success in college-prep high schools, colleges and positions of community leadership.

For more information about Nativity schools and their history of breaking the cycle of poverty, please visit: www.nativitynetwork.org and www.nativityandmiguelschools.org.

Admissions Process
Young men who want to attend Chicago Jesuit Academy must participate in our summer Higher Achievement Program (HAP). HAP is a five-week academic enrichment program for young men who have successfully completed the 4th grade. Please visit Applying to the Academy to download an application for HAP.

Academics & Expectations
CJA students work toward the Jesuit scholastic ideal of eloquentia perfecta. Their course of studies includes Reading, Mathematics, Language Arts, Religious Studies, Social Studies, Science, Spanish, Physical Education and Fine Arts. By graduation, our students are prepared to succeed at Chicago’s most rigorous college-prep high schools. They think critically, write lucidly and speak articulately. Most importantly, Academy graduates understand that they are called to serve others with the gifts God has entrusted to them.

All students at Chicago Jesuit Academy:
• benefit from a small-school setting with a maximum enrollment of 96 students
• receive individualized attention in grade levels of 24 students
• attend classes in learning groups with 12 students per group

What we expect from all students at Chicago Jesuit Academy:

We believe all of our students can learn, and we expect all of our students to learn. On average, students of the Academy make two years of academic progress in reading and mathematics during their first year of study at the Academy. 

Daily Schedule
At Chicago Jesuit Academy, we ask a great deal of our students, parents and faculty. The regular school day for Chicago Jesuit Academy runs from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM.