The Aquinas Institute has prepared generations
Since 1902, The Aquinas Institute has prepared generations of Rochester’s leaders, athletes, and thinkers. AP Gold academics. Championship athletics. A community that lasts a lifetime — and $2 million in annual financial aid to make it accessible.
- AP Gold Status
- 16× Section V Football Champions
- $2M+ Financial Aid and Merit Awards
- 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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1902
Year Founded
100%
Graduation Rate
100%
College Acceptance
$2M+
Annual Financial Aid & Merit Awards
12:1
Student Teacher Ratio
Athletic Excellence
Rochester's Championship Standard
17 interscholastic sports. Decades of dominance. A culture that builds champions on and off the field.
16x
Football — Section V
Most decorated program in Section V history. Including 2024 Class AA title and 8 State Championships.
2025–26
Girls Soccer
2025 Section V Champions and State runners-up. Most state titles of any Section V girls soccer program.
3x
Girls Basketball
Three straight Section V titles. Three straight state final four appearances (’24, ’25, ’26). State runners-up in 2025 and 2026.
3x
Cheerleading
Three consecutive Section V Class C1 Game Day titles: 2023, 2024, 2025. State competition participant in ’24 and ’25.
2024
Girls Volleyball
Section V Class B Champions — first sectional title since 2010, won in dominant fashion. Senior Abby O’Meara named Tournament MVP.
17
Total Sports Offered
From lacrosse to ice hockey to track, with 23 Varsity teams. Every student-athlete finds their sport and their team at Aquinas.
16x
Football — Section V
Most decorated program in Section V history. Including 2024 Class AA title and 8 State Championships.
2025–26
Girls Soccer
2025 Section V Champions and State runners-up. Most state titles of any Section V girls soccer program.
3x
Girls Basketball
Three straight Section V titles. Three straight state final four appearances (’24, ’25, ’26). State runners-up in 2025 and 2026.
3x
Cheerleading
Three consecutive Section V Class C1 Game Day titles: 2023, 2024, 2025. State competition participant in ’24 and ’25.
2024
Girls Volleyball
Section V Class B Champions — first sectional title since 2010, won in dominant fashion. Senior Abby O’Meara named Tournament MVP.
17
Total Sports Offered
From lacrosse to ice hockey to track, with 23 Varsity teams. Every student-athlete finds their sport and their team at Aquinas.
16x
Football — Section V
Most decorated program in Section V history. Including 2024 Class AA title and 8 State Championships.
2025–26
Girls Soccer
2025 Section V Champions and State runners-up. Most state titles of any Section V girls soccer program.
3x
Girls Basketball
Three straight Section V titles. Three straight state final four appearances (’24, ’25, ’26). State runners-up in 2025 and 2026.
3x
Cheerleading
Three consecutive Section V Class C1 Game Day titles: 2023, 2024, 2025. State competition participant in ’24 and ’25.
2024
Girls Volleyball
Section V Class B Champions — first sectional title since 2010, won in dominant fashion. Senior Abby O’Meara named Tournament MVP.
17
Total Sports Offered
From lacrosse to ice hockey to track, with 23 Varsity teams. Every student-athlete finds their sport and their team at Aquinas.
Why Aquinas
Rochester's Only Co-Ed Catholic School
While other schools serve only half the student population, Aquinas brings together rigorous academics, championship athletics, and a faith-rooted community that prepares every kid for life.
Academic Excellence
- AP Gold Status — verified by the College Board
- 12:1 student-teacher ratio — teachers know your child's name
- 100% college acceptance rate
- 97% college placement
- 100% graduation rate
- $13 million in scholarships earned
Championship Culture
- 17 interscholastic sports
- Section V titles in 2024 & 2025 across four sports
- 3 consecutive Section V titles — Girls Basketball
- National Signing Day every year
Faith & Community
- Catholic college preparatory mission since 1902
- Alumni mentorship & Sophomore Mock Interview program
- Community service programs built into school life
- Grades 6–12 pipeline — start building the foundation early
- Alumni: Robert B. Wegman ’37, Brian Gionta ’97, Jalen Pickett ’17, Robert Duffy ’72
Unique Programs
There's No Place Quite Like Aquinas
Where else can a student box before school, dance on a competitive team, and graduate college-ready? Aquinas programs are one of a kind in the country.
Boxing Program
One of the most distinctive programs in the country. Students learn discipline, technique, and mental toughness in a structured, safe environment. No experience required — just the will to try something different.
Competitive Dance
A full dance curriculum and competitive company — not just a club. AQ dancers perform, compete, and develop artistry alongside their academic studies. The Winter Dance Concert draws the whole Rochester community.
Theater & Performing Arts
From Hadestown to Little Women, AQ students take the stage each year in full-scale productions. A creative outlet alongside any academic path.
Sophomore Mock Interviews
Every sophomore practices real-world interviewing with Aquinas alumni professionals — a career-readiness experience most students don’t get until college.
Travel & Global Experiences
From Quebec City to service trips, Aquinas students step beyond the classroom and into the world as part of their formation.
Faith Formation
Mass, service, retreats, and daily practice of values. Catholic identity is woven into life at Aquinas — not just a checkbox on the school calendar.
Boxing Program
One of the most distinctive programs in the country. Students learn discipline, technique, and mental toughness in a structured, safe environment. No experience required — just the will to try something different.
Competitive Dance
A full dance curriculum and competitive company — not just a club. AQ dancers perform, compete, and develop artistry alongside their academic studies. The Winter Dance Concert draws the whole Rochester community.
Theater & Performing Arts
From Hadestown to Little Women, AQ students take the stage each year in full-scale productions. A creative outlet alongside any academic path.
Sophomore Mock Interviews
Every sophomore practices real-world interviewing with Aquinas alumni professionals — a career-readiness experience most students don’t get until college.
Travel & Global Experiences
From Quebec City to service trips, Aquinas students step beyond the classroom and into the world as part of their formation.
Faith Formation
Mass, service, retreats, and daily practice of values. Catholic identity is woven into life at Aquinas — not just a checkbox on the school calendar.
Boxing Program
One of the most distinctive programs in the country. Students learn discipline, technique, and mental toughness in a structured, safe environment. No experience required — just the will to try something different.
Competitive Dance
A full dance curriculum and competitive company — not just a club. AQ dancers perform, compete, and develop artistry alongside their academic studies. The Winter Dance Concert draws the whole Rochester community.
Theater & Performing Arts
From Hadestown to Little Women, AQ students take the stage each year in full-scale productions. A creative outlet alongside any academic path.
Sophomore Mock Interviews
Every sophomore practices real-world interviewing with Aquinas alumni professionals — a career-readiness experience most students don’t get until college.
Travel & Global Experiences
From Quebec City to service trips, Aquinas students step beyond the classroom and into the world as part of their formation.
Faith Formation
Mass, service, retreats, and daily practice of values. Catholic identity is woven into life at Aquinas — not just a checkbox on the school calendar.
Academics
College Prepared. Life Ready.
Aquinas Institute’s AP Gold designation isn’t a marketing claim — it’s a College Board certification reflecting outstanding student performance on AP exams. Your child will graduate ready.
- AP Gold Status — verified by the College Board
- 100% graduation and college acceptance rate
- 97% of graduates go on to college
- 12:1 student-teacher ratio — teachers know your child's name
- Grades 6–12 pipeline: start building the foundation in middle school
- Sophomore Mock Interview Program with real alumni
- National Signing Day — athletes signing to college programs every year
- Arts, theater, dance, and electives alongside college prep
AP Gold Status
Awarded by the College Board for exceptional AP exam performance — a distinction earned by fewer than 1 in 10 schools nationwide. Aquinas has earned this recognition for its students’ consistent high scores across multiple AP subjects.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Don't Let Tuition Be the Reason You Say No
Aquinas awards over $2 million in financial assistance every year — and approximately 60% of our families receive some form of support. Private school is more accessible than you might think.
Two four-year, full-tuition scholarships are awarded annually to rising 9th graders who score at the top of the Aquinas Placement Exam — making all four years of high school more affordable (nominal fees, approximately $1,000, still apply). Aquinas also offers $2,000 Placement Exam Scholarships to incoming 6th, 7th, and 9th graders who score well on the placement exam.
$2M+
Financial Aid Awarded Annually
~60%
Of Students Receive Financial Support
2
Full-Tuition Scholarships for Rising Freshmen
2
Four-Year, Full-Tuition Scholarships for Rising 9th Graders
6–12
Grades Served — Start the Journey Early
Families & Alumni
What the Aquinas Community Says
Your Child's Future Starts Here.
AP Gold academics. Championship athletics. Programs you won’t find anywhere else in Rochester. And financial aid that makes it possible for every family. The only question left is when you’ll visit.