St. Paul Preparatory School

St. Paul Preparatory School is a private high school. It is an AdvancED accredited, college preparatory school enrolling students in grades 9-12. St. Paul Prep is located in St. Paul, MN. St. Paul Preparatory School prepares our international student body for success in a global society by offering a college/university preparatory education, comprehensive language instruction, and cultural exchange opportunities.

St. Paul Preparatory School offers students a unique educational experience through every facet of our program. Students come to St. Paul Prep to prepare for their futures while learning more about the world, and ultimately themselves.

Our curriculum provides students with quality, college preparatory academics and enrichment through the arts and physical education. Our classes are taught from a culturally relativistic perspective and take advantage of the wealth of diversity within our student body. Through our course offerings, we meet the educational needs of a wide range of students, from those with limited English ability to those requiring substantial academic rigor. As an added benefit, St. Paul Prep students may be eligible to enroll in university courses during their 11th and 12th grade years.

St. Paul Prep teachers share a passion for working with students from around the world. Our small classes allow us to provide students with individualized instruction. The majority of our faculty members hold a Master’s degree or higher, and many have professional career experience beyond the classroom. We truly care about the well-being of our students and offer them a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment in which to learn.

We seek to provide students with opportunities for the development of self-awareness, social consciousness, leadership skills, and creativity through our enrichment activities, clubs, and study abroad programs. We also recognize the importance of providing our students with an enjoyable and memorable high school experience and promote positive interaction through field trips, dances, and other social events. Students are encouraged to take an active role in shaping the culture and climate of St. Paul Prep, ensuring that it is a comfortable place to grow and learn.

In the past 10 years, we have seen our school grow from 21 students to more than 245 students representing nearly 30 countries. During these years, we have seen the school move from a small space at Hamline University to a large school complex in downtown St. Paul, with additional classroom space on the campus of the University of Saint Thomas, Minnesota. Our locations offer extensive opportunities for our students to learn about and experience American culture at its best.

At SPP, we emphasize strong academics and promote the practical application of academic excellence and cultural understanding. We teach our students the critical, analytical, and technical skills necessary to succeed in tomorrow’s globalized world.

Through daily interaction with other cultures, our students develop skills: they cooperate despite major culture differences, they cognitively integrate this cultural understanding into their worldview, and they practically apply this into their daily actions and decision making. To support these skill sets, we have an excellent faculty and staff with a broad range of outstanding educational and professional backgrounds.

St. Paul Preparatory School is also part of the larger global organization Nacel Open Door, Inc. as the original school in the Nacel International School System (NISS). NISS is our international school district currently made up of 16 schools located in China, South Korea, the Philippines, the U.S., France, Vietnam, Poland, and Turkey. The benefit of attending a high school within the NISS family is that all of the schools apply the same curricula and standards, allowing our students to study abroad without losing time or credits.

At St. Paul Preparatory School, we believe that students must be culturally literate and competent problem-solvers. Our curriculum emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills and intercultural learning within a college preparatory academic framework. We also recognize the benefits of the non-formal learning that students gain from their daily interactions.

SPP values individualized learning. Our average class size is 20 students. The small classes create an environment conducive to personal interaction between students and teachers and provide the opportunity for students to explore topics of personal interest. Teachers are able to focus on the individual instructional needs of their students, particularly those with developing abilities in English.

Our students have interests as diverse as the cultures they represent, but they come together in their goal of achieving success in a global society. Our international student body is truly unique to the St. Paul community, and our students learn what it means to be a global citizen first-hand in their everyday interactions.

Our small class sizes, individualized learning pathways, and experienced faculty help students prepare for success in college/university and beyond, teaching them to be culturally literate and competent problem-solvers. We encourage individualized learning with internship opportunities throughout the community, PSEO options, and advanced placement classes.