School building

Welcome to Ave Maria Academy

A photograph of the entire AMA school (students and staff)

Welcome to Ave Maria Academy. We are a Catholic school that teaches students from the Pre-K 3 level through the 8th grade. Our primary focus is each child that walks through our doors. We see a great gift from God and a great saint in the making. We seek to form students in all areas of the human person: academic, service, character, and spiritual. Rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition uniting faith and reason, we offer a rigorous, standards-based curriculum reflective of the great potential of each child. Our teachers see one child at a time and are able to address individual needs in a timely manner, always prioritizing progress and communicating regularly with parents. Ave Maria students grow to exhibit their potential not only in the classroom but in relationships with their peers and with adults.

Founded in 1997 by a group of devoted parents, Ave Maria has grown from 11 students and 2 teachers to over 200 students and 15 full-time faculty. Originally named Cedarcrest Academy, we received the Catholic title from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 2011 and subsequently changed the school’s name to Ave Maria Academy in 2012 through a collaborative process involving families, faculty, and students. The school has always and continues to thrive on the dedication of families and their many hours of volunteer service to building a strong community. Parents are the first educators of their children, and we work to honor and build upon that standard.

“My husband and I weren’t even looking for a Catholic school, we were just looking for the right school and Ave Maria Academy was clearly the right school. Once you get an experience of the true community at Ave Maria you’ll know it is the right one too.”
~ Ave Maria Academy Parent

“Ave Maria Academy brings the whole package, with people who show the same integrity and commitment that they expect from the students within themselves. It is a providential opportunity that we send our children here.”
~ Ave Maria Academy Parent