Who We Are
Your Private Texas Christian Academy in San Marcos TX

San Marcos Academy is a coeducational, Christian school for boarding students (6th–12th grades) and day students (PreK–12th), located in the beautiful Texas hill country. We offer a unique educational experience, including the following:

Fully accredited, college preparatory curriculum

Residence Life program offers a nurturing, structured environment that fosters success

5-day boarding option available for students living within a 70-mile radius of SMA.

Athletics program for students in grades 6-12

Leadership training opportunities, including a military leadership program

Honors/AP and dual-credit college courses

Small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratio provide individual attention

Fine arts opportunities in music, drama and visual art

Academic credit recovery through our virtual learning center

Accommodations for students with mild to moderate learning differences

Lower School (Grades PreK-5) curriculum includes art, music, Spanish, Bible, PE and optional after school care

Approved by the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) to enroll international students on an F-1 visa

Mission Statement

The mission of San Marcos Academy is to educate young men and women within a nurturing community based upon Christian values.

Core Values

SMA Core Values drive our campus culture, our priorities and our ministry. They include the following:

Belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind who works in us, through us and for us

Enrichment of lives built on honesty, integrity, character, and the compassionate concern for others

Accountability for honorable conduct in actions and relationships

Rigorous pursuit of spiritual, academic, and physical excellence

Successful preparation of servant leaders

Vision Statement

The vision of San Marcos Academy is to produce leaders whose lives are built on integrity, a strong moral compass, a total commitment to life-long learning and who exemplify Christ’s devotion to service and His compassionate concern for others.

Accreditation and Memberships

Strong accreditations are a foundational component of SMA. The accreditations symbolize to the educational community that high standards of education are being met at SMA. SMA graduates are noted by universities as having attended a school with highly recognized accreditations. San Marcos Academy is accredited or recognized by the following:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), a division of AdvancED (SMA is one of only three schools in Texas that has been granted continuous accreditation since 1913).

Accrediting Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist Schools, (ACTABS) which is part of Texas Private School Accrediting Commission (TEPSAC) set up by the Texas Education Agency for private schools (SMA is a founding member of this body, which was founded in 1985).

TheBestSchools.org, a leading resource for prospective students seeking a college or university degree. San Marcos Academy was named one of the 30 Best Christian Boarding Schools in America. Click here to read the entire article and view the profile of SMA.

Member of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)

Partner school with IECA

Member of The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS)

Member of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce

Affiliated with Texas Baptists through the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Member of Boarding School Review

FAQ

San Marcos Academy has a rolling enrollment process which means our Admissions staff will review every application regardless of the time it was submitted. We also have many new students who enroll at midterm for the spring semester.

An average enrollment at San Marcos Academy is 320 students. About 15% of this number are boarding students who live on campus.

Yes! We have a number of day students who come from San Marcos and about 14 other surrounding communities, including Kyle, Buda, Wimberley, Lockhart, and New Braunfels. We recommend that day students live no more than 45 miles away from our campus.

San Marcos Academy is a privately owned, non-profit educational institution chartered by the State of Texas and founded in 1907. We are one of the premier private boarding schools in San Marcos & across Texas, and have been affiliated with Texas Baptists through the Baptist General Convention of Texas since 1910 and receive some financial support from the BGCT. Our mission as a Christian college preparatory school is to educate young men and women within a nurturing community based upon Christian values.

We are privileged to have a diverse student body that includes international students from as many as 10 different countries in any given year. We are a SEVP-certified school, which means we can accept international students who come to the United States to study on an F-1 Visa.

Like other schools in Texas, San Marcos Academy provides 75,600 minutes of instructional time in a given school year. We have a semester-based calendar with the fall semester beginning in August and ending before Christmas and the spring semester beginning in January and ending in May. Our school holidays are tailored somewhat to accommodate those boarding students who are traveling to their homes. Thus, we have a full week off at Thanksgiving and at Spring Break, as well as a three-week Christmas break (between semesters).

Link to 2021-2022 School Calendar

SMA graduates are accepted to colleges and universities throughout the country and overseas.

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