Chicago Jesuit Academy is a loving and academically rigorous tuition-free Catholic elementary school for students and families from resilient communities impacted by historical disinvestment. We accompany our students and alumni from enrollment through the start of their careers as they develop their gifts and grow as men and women for others.
When your family joins the CJA community, we hope you will be part of it for life. We begin with a strong academic foundation that includes a low student-teacher ratio, an extended school year and added layers of support from our Learning Resource Center Team. We care for the whole student through our team of social workers, a full-time school nurse and 2.5 nutritious meals per day. And after graduation in 8th grade, we support alumni through the age of 25 as they navigate the transitions to high school, on to post-high school options and ultimately their careers.
In August of 2023, we completed a 50,000 square foot addition that enables us to serve young women in addition to young men.
During the 2022-2023 year, we enrolled a cohort of third- and fourth-grade girls, allowing us to begin building a foundational culture for our girls' program. We added a 5th-grade classroom in the 2023-2024 school year and will continue to add one grade per year until, in the 2026-2027 school year, we will serve girls in grades 3-8.
CJA uses a co-institutional model, meaning our students have single-sex academic classes while sharing communal spaces and certain experiences including co-curriculars, project-based learning and social events.
In our June eNews, we highlight CJA’s Class of 2026, honoring the graduates’ achievements, character, and lasting impact on the CJA community while recognizing award recipients who exemplify the school’s Grad-at-Grad values.
In our April eNews, we celebrate the impact of CJA’s social work team and broader community, as well as highlight some meaningful student and alumni experiences.
In our December eNews, we celebrate Spirit Week, Christmas Field Day, and the joy, generosity, and love our students share at CJA this season.
In our October eNews, we celebrate welcoming 372 students (our largest class yet!) plus leadership retreats, robotics club fun, and inspiring staff reflections at CJA.
