Episcopal School of Jacksonville
A Top College Prep School in Jacksonville, FL
A College Preparatory Education Built for What Comes Next
Episcopal School of Jacksonville (ESJ) is a private, independent college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida, serving students from age one through grade 12 across three campuses. As a college prep school in Jacksonville with more than 60 years of history, ESJ prepares students for college and for much more than the admissions process. ESJ focuses on developing curious learners, confident thinkers, thoughtful leaders, and young adults who are ready to make meaningful contributions to the communities they join.
The school’s college preparatory program combines challenging academics with opportunities for growth through athletics, fine arts, spiritual life, leadership, and service. Together, these experiences help students discover their strengths, pursue their interests, and develop the skills and character they will carry with them long after graduation.
Challenging Academics. Engaged Learners.
ESJ’s learner-centered curriculum challenges students to become active participants in their education. At the high school level, students engage in a strong liberal arts foundation, interdisciplinary coursework, discussion-based learning through the Harkness Method, and a wide range of electives. Students learn not simply to master material, but to think critically, communicate effectively, solve problems, and approach new ideas with curiosity.
Faculty members know their students as individuals and encourage them to stretch themselves academically while pursuing subjects that inspire them. Course selection reflects each student’s academic history, abilities, interests, and goals, creating an experience that is both challenging and personal.
Episcopal of Jacksonville students develop skills essential to success in college, including:
- Critical thinking and problem-solving
- Effective written and verbal communication
- Collaboration and civil discourse
- Independent learning and self-advocacy
- Time management and academic responsibility
- Curiosity, reflection, and intellectual confidence
College Preparation Is a Journey
Choosing a college is an important decision, but at Episcopal School of Jacksonville, the process begins with something even more important: helping students understand themselves. The comprehensive college counseling program in Jacksonville begins in ninth grade as students begin high school, giving them time to develop meaningful relationships with their counselors as they explore their interests, strengths, goals, and opportunities.
With a student-to-college-counselor ratio of 40:1, students and families receive highly personalized guidance throughout the Upper School years and the college search and application process.
College Counseling support includes:
- Upper School academic and course planning
- Exploration of colleges and universities
- Individualized college list development
- Standardized testing guidance
- College visits and meetings with admissions representatives
- Application and essay guidance
- Financial aid and scholarship resources
- Final college selection support
The goal is not simply to help students gain admission to college. It is to help each student identify colleges where they can continue to learn, grow, contribute, and thrive. For the classes of 2023 through 2026, covering 599 students, 99 percent matriculated directly to four-year institutions, 64 percent to public universities and 36 percent to private ones, across 36 states, Washington, D.C., and four countries. Learn more on our college profile page.
Preparing the Whole Student
What sets ESJ apart as a college prep school in Jacksonville and one of the top schools in the country is the breadth of education. Episcopal’s approach to college preparation reflects the school’s Four Pillars: Academics, Fine Arts, Athletics, and Spiritual Life. As an independent school in Jacksonville, ESJ has the flexibility to build a program around the whole student rather than a single outcome.
Students have opportunities to compete, perform, create, serve, lead, and explore. Approximately 80% of ESJ students participate in athletics, with 20% going on to compete at the collegiate level — a rate three times the national average. Explore ESJ athletics and fine arts.
These experiences help students develop resilience, independence, empathy, confidence, and a stronger sense of who they are.
The result is a college preparatory education in Jacksonville designed not around a single destination, but around the person each student is becoming.
Ready for College. Prepared for Life.
The mission of Episcopal School of Jacksonville is to provide a superior college preparatory education within an environment of high expectation, Christian nurture, and social diversity.
From the classroom to the athletic field, stage, chapel, and community, students are encouraged to seek understanding, develop a sense of self, live with honor and purpose, and pursue a life of faith. As a top private school in Jacksonville, FL, Episcopal continues the vision of its founders to develop “leaders and doers of good.”
Because ultimately, college preparation isn’t only about where students go next. It’s about who they are prepared to become when they get there.