SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
SCHOOL PROFILE · FREE PREVIEW
Cate School
Carpinteria, CA · Independent K-12NAIS MEMBER
THE READ · FREE SUMMARY
Cate School looks durable. The school holds 5.4 years of operating cushion, typical for a residential school of this scale. Revenue runs 58% tuition-dependent (peer median 81%), moderate diversification with a meaningful endowment and contributions base. Staff compensation runs 45% of expenses, well below the peer median, worth understanding why. Expenses are outpacing revenue 7.2% vs -10.6% per year over three years, signaling margin compression worth flagging. NACUBO Composite Financial Index: 6.5 / 10, strong.
Cate School reported $39.8M in revenue against $37.7M in expenses in fiscal year 2023, the most recent filing on record. Net assets stood at $204.1M — about 5.42x annual operating expense.
Operating margin landed at 5.4%, with 58.0% of revenue coming from tuition. Among same-size peers, that puts Cate School at the p33 on operating margin.
$39.8M
REVENUE FY2023
5.4%
OP MARGIN
20
PEERS RESOLVED
IRS FORM 990 · DATA THROUGH FY2023
THE FULL REPORT
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Ten panels on Cate School: financial health, peer comparison, community demographics, paying & giving capacity, competitive position, enrollment demand, leadership compensation, governance — and the questions to ask. One subscription opens every school.
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WHERE THIS SCHOOL SITS · REVENUE SCALE VS PEERS
Among 20 similar peer schools, Cate School ranks 15th by latest 990 revenue.
Revenue scale
WHAT’S IN THE REPORT
- Financials — IRS Form 990, up to nine years on file.
- Enrollment & demand — IRS 990 tuition revenue + U.S. Census county births.
- Competition — NCES private (PSS) + public (CCD) school inventory.
- Demographics — U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates.
- Local economy — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW and CES.
- Peer set — 1,620 independent schools with verified financials.
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