About MA

School Profile

Marin Academy is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory high school, located in San Rafael, California, twelve miles north of San Francisco. Marin Academy is recognized as an innovative school whose blend of rigorous college preparation and distinguished performing and visual arts occupies a unique place in secondary education.

It is a school which seeks to balance its commitment to providing an outstanding academic curriculum alongside a variety of challenging experiences – among them athletics, outdoor education, and service learning – when, taken as a whole, constitute a Marin Academy education.

The MA community is based on respect and trust, where students and teachers relate to each other as individuals as they encourage each other to "think," "question" and "create." The Marin Academy graduate is a self-directed, lifelong learner who approaches the world with sensitivity, creativity, passion, confidence and a strong sense of purpose.

 

Marin Academy is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), and the College Board.

Thatcher Hall

MA at a Glance
  • 400 students
  • Grades 9-12
  • Founded in 1971
  • Students from over 80 different schools; six Bay Area counties
  • Geographic distribution:
    • East Bay – 17%
    • San Francisco – 10%
    • Sonoma/Vallejo/North Bay – 3%
    • Marin – 70%
    • For information about bus transportation from the East Bay and San Francisco, click HERE.
  • Student to faculty ratio - 9:1
  • More than two-thirds of the faculty hold advanced degrees
  • Average class size: 15
  • Six day rotating block schedule; 80-minute classes
  • 13 AP courses offered
  • Students of color comprise 27% of the student body
  • Approximately 20% of students receive financial assistance totaling more than $1,781,000