Since 1907
ABOUT ST. JOHN'S PREP
Our Mission
St. John's mission and values have guided our community since the School was founded by Brother Benjamin, C.F.X. in 1907. Ever since those first students stepped foot on campus, our mission and values have been the starting point of everything we do at the Prep: it's our true North.
Our Mission Statement: St. John's Prep, an inclusive, Catholic, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School for young men in grades 6 through 12, is committed to educating the whole person. Our rigorous academic and extensive co-curricular program encourages students to develop their spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical, and creative potential, and inspires them to honor the diversity that enriches both our school community and the world beyond St. John's. We challenge our young men to grow in faith and wisdom, to promote human dignity, to act with compassion and integrity, to pursue justice and peace, and to live lives of service to society.
“This was the vision Theodore James Ryken had in view when he founded the congregation: A band of Brothers who mutually help, encourage, and edify one another, and who work together.”
— Fundamental Principles of the Xaverian Brothers
Catholic and Xaverian
St. John's Prep is a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, which mean the Brothers' charisms, spiritual values, and way of looking at and moving through the world are central to who we are and the educational experience we provide.
What Being Xaverian Means to Us
At St. John's Prep, our Xaverian identity is more than a tradition—it shapes every aspect of the student experience. Rooted in the values of humility, trust, compassion, simplicity, and zeal, a Prep education challenges students to grow not only as scholars, but as men of faith, character, and service.
These aren't just words—we make a constant and concerted effort, every day, to put our values into action. Students will reflect on the values as part of the curriculum, in their roles as leaders in co-curricular activities, and see it etched in the cornerstones of buildings. It's a distinctive foundation that sets St. John's Prep apart, shaping our graduates in a genuine way to lead with purpose and make a meaningful difference in the world.
The Importance of Relationships and Brotherhood
A core belief of the Xaverian Brothers and of the community here at St. John's Prep is the importance of enduring, personal relationships. What does that look like in real life? It looks like sophomores who ask their previous year's teacher for advice because they had such a positive experience in their class. Juniors who spend their lunch in a campus minister's office after a transformative retreat experience. Young alumni who stop in to see their teachers during winter break. Alumni who serve as best men in their Prep friends' weddings. And alumni who travel across the country for their 50th Reunion, just to see their old classmates.
Brotherhood isn't just being friends. The brotherhood at St. John's Prep is a supportive, enduring, and profound connection that gives boys the security and confidence to try new things and grow into the best version of themselves.
“Every alumnus who has stood where I'm standing has felt the need to talk about this same thing—brotherhood. The brotherhood at St. John's Prep is so real, so prominent, and so deeply felt that every student who passes through these halls carries it with them. That's not repetition—that's proof.
— Donovan Milligan '30, Eighth Grade Celebration Speaker
Fast Facts
Founded: 1907
Location: Danvers, MA
Enrollment: 330 Middle School students and 1,150 High School students
Towns: Students come from towns and cities across MA, NH, and ME
Tuition Assistance: $10M offered for the 2025–2026 school year
Average class size: 16 Middle School, 18 High School
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Middle School, 11:1 High School
Faculty: 80% of faculty have advanced degrees
Advanced Placement: 23 courses
College Matriculation: 99 percent of graduates go on to 4-year colleges and universities
Alumni: 16,000+ graduates
Faith: Students from all faith traditions find a home at the Prep; 70 percent are Catholic.
Technology: Robust digital citizenship curriculum; 1:1 iPad program; wireless campus; student access to more than 300 computer workstations and laptops.
Co-curricular activities: 90+ percent of students participate in more than 60 clubs and organizations.
Service: Campus Ministry, with programs like In Ryken Footsteps, offers service and cultural immersion opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.
Athletics: 85 percent of students participate in 22 sports at the developmental through varsity level.
Recreational Sports & Fitness: Year-round recreational sports and lifelong fitness opportunities for students in grades 6 through 12.
School Mascot: The Eagles
Our Campus
From the first building on campus which housed classes, dining facilities, and recreation spaces, to our now-sprawling 175-acre campus, the physical landscape of St. John’s has created a home away from home for the students, faculty, and staff who walk its paths every day.
"I feel a palpable connection to the past and the future every day at St. John's. Our beautiful campus reminds me of students and faculty who walked these same paths 100 years ago. They were trying to figure out the world around them, just like us. I think the timelessness of our mission and core values is what threads these generations together. I've never felt something this unique in other places."
— Current Faculty Member
What’s in a name? Many of the spaces around campus are named for the generous benefactors who supported their construction or the activities within them. We are grateful for the commitment and foresight alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends have for St. John’s.
learn about giving
St. John's Prep History
St. John's Normal College Opens
Before St. John's Preparatory School was established in 1907, the Xaverian Brothers operated a St. John's Normal College for young men who wished to enter the Xaverian Brothers order. The name—St. John's—was chosen to honor then-Archbishop of Boston John Joseph Williams and Saint John the Evangelist.
The Brother Benjamin Years
Brother Benjamin, C.F.X., the School's first headmaster, oversaw the transition from St. John's Normal College to St. John's Preparatory School, the growth of the student body and the faculty, and the construction of three new campus buildings.
Foundation for Athletic Success
Athletic teams were among the first co-curricular activities established by the Brothers and students. Sports like football, hockey, track and field, basketball, and baseball are among the longest-standing teams at the Prep.
World War I
The School’s alumni newsletter includes notes from alumni on the front, asking to “be remembered” to their former teachers and classmates.
Memorial Dining Hall Constructed
To feed the student population which had more than tripled since the first class of students in 1907, Memorial Dining Hall was built. Rooms were built on the second floor to house the Xaverian Brothers.
The First Spire Yearbook is Published
"The SPIRE committee presents to the alumni and the students the first Year Book published at Saint John’s. It is hoped that it may prove a source of interest to the alumni in the multiplied activities of their old school, and of happy memories to the students when recollection reminds them that they produced the first of many more Year Books to come."
Memorial Gym Constructed
The much-needed Memorial Gymnasium was open for business in the mid-1950s, where it hosted sporting and social events alike. Today, it continues to be a multi-purpose space that both Middle and High School students make use of.
Residential Life
Between 1907 and 1975, St. John's Prep welcomed boarding students all over the world, from local towns in Massachusetts to Puerto Rico, Mexico, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. The first student to enroll at St. John's Prep was from New York City.
The Co-Ed Years
Due to a number of Catholic school closures on the North Shore, St. John's Prep admitted young women between 1971 and 1977.
Enrollment Reaches 1,000
The 1983-1984 school year saw the student body to grow to 1,000 students, all of whom lived in the area after the gradual phasing out of the residence program. By this time, Brother Benjamin Hall and Xavier Hall were the main academic buildings on campus.
PLI Turns 10
Established in 1976, the Prep Leadership Institute is a multi-day summer retreat for rising seniors to develop leadership skills, bond as a class, and prepare for their final year at St. John's Prep.
Last Xaverian Brother to Serve as Headmaster
Brother William Drinan, C.F.X. served as headmaster between 1989 and 2001 before passing the torch of leadership to the Prep's first lay headmaster, Albert J. Shannon.
Ryken is Renovated and Re-Opened
Originally built in 1915 as a dormitory, Ryken Hall was re-envisioned as a center for the arts, renovated, and re-opened for the 1994-1995 academic year. Today, it houses High School theater, music, ceramics, and studio art.
Welcome, Middle Schoolers!
St. John's Prep established the Middle School program beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. Renovations to Brother Benjamin Hall transformed the space to better suit the Prep's newest and youngest learners.
Leo and Joan Mahoney Wellness Center Opens
The Prep's state-of-the-art, 80,000-square foot wellness center opens to students. The building houses an indoor pool, two-story fitness center, and field house. Previously unable to gather all Middle and High School students in one place, the field house now serves as the all-school meeting place.
Diploma Deliveries
To celebrate the Class of 2020, whose commencement ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Head of School Dr. Ed Hardiman P'19 '21 '26 and Principal/Associate Head of School Dr. Keith Crowley delivered each senior's diploma directly to their homes.
Memorial Student Commons
100 years after Memorial Dining Hall was originally built, Head of School Ed Hardiman, Ph.D. P'19 '21 '26 and Board Chair Tom Riley '75 P'02 celebrate the ground breaking ceremony for the newly renovated space, opening fall 2027.
There's More to Explore
Academics
Classic scholarship meets modern thinking in our robust and innovative academic program.
All Boys Difference
Discover why being an all-boys school sets St. John's Prep apart.
Athletics
St. John's Prep is proud to be recognized as Niche.com as the #2 athletic school in the country by Niche.com.
