Our History

Made in Detroit. Stayed in Detroit.

1877

Founded by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) as a high school, our school was first known as Detroit College and was located in the Trowbridge Mansion on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.

1879

The first college-level classes were added.

1890

The school moved to a larger facility, Dowling Hall, to accommodate the growing student body.

1911

The name Detroit College was officially changed to the University of Detroit.

1931

The school moved to its current location on South Cambridge Avenue and 7 Mile Road in Detroit.

The decision for the school to stay in the city of Detroit was a decision to support and to create a school that would reach out and serve the residents of Detroit.

1973-1974

The Academy (7th and 8th grades) was established to create a feeder system for the high school. Starting in 1973, the 8th grade was added followed by the 7th grade in 1974. This helped boost enrollment that provided financial stability.

Mid-1970s

Many people connected to the school were advocating a relocation to the suburbs in order to stabilize enrollment, finances and resources. The potential move was also supported in light of the fact that many institutions including several Catholic high schools were moving out of Detroit to suburban locations. However, after much prayer and an examination of the Jesuit mission for the school, the Jesuits remained committed to providing the highest quality, college prep, Catholic and Jesuit education within the City of Detroit.

1996

The school launched a $25 million capital effort to renovate and construct existing and new facilities to accommodate an increasing enrollment. The campaign "Reclaiming Our Future" created new classrooms, an art room, a band room, computer labs, a student atrium, a cafeteria, a new library and media center, a state of the art faculty/staff resource center and a significant restoration of the school chapel (titled the Chapel of the Jesuit Martyrs of North America, to whose patronage the school was dedicated at its opening in 1931).

2016

The state-of-the-art $16 million Science and Engineering Center opened on campus that fall, making it the largest dollar investment in science and technology at any Michigan high school in recent years. The four-level, 40,000-square-foot addition to The High doubles the school’s space for biology, chemistry, and physics program while also providing labs for engineering and research. The eco-car and robotics programs also benefit from added workspace.

2019 - 2021

UofD completes the purchase of the long-vacant Johnson Recreation Center on Chippewa Avenue from the City of Detroit in 2019. The $7.5 million renovation of the 30,000-square-foot recreation center, that was completed in late 2021, includes a gym, locker rooms, indoor fields and community meeting spaces. Three soccer and lacrosse fields are slated for the 10.5 acres of open green space in addition to the indoor space available. The facility also serves the neighborhood for association meetings, and the youth activities throughout the year.

Our Future

Today, U of D Jesuit High School and Academy remains one of the oldest continuously functioning secondary schools in Michigan. The school enrolls a diverse student body from Detroit and more than 70 surrounding communities. The high school has more than 750 students and the Academy has more than 150 seventh and eighth graders. Our diverse student body is a testament to the Jesuit ideal of forming men for others.

Drawing on more than 470 years that Jesuit schools have been in existence, U of D Jesuit remains committed to providing exemplary education within the City of Detroit.

Why are we referred to as The High?

The term The High can be traced back to our roots in the 1870s when high school students and college students at Detroit College (as we were known until 1911) were educated in the same building. Since we shared the same institutional name, students at the high school level were referred to as "students in the high." The term continued after the university and the high school moved to separate campuses.