Enrollment Jumps 9%
TKA welcomes students from 26 countries as enrollment reverses a three-year decline.
423 students begin the year together.
Enrollment growth, strong retention, and a record level of international representation are shaping a school community that is increasingly both local and global.
The King’s Academy opened the school year with 423 students, a 9% increase over the 388 students enrolled on the first day of the previous school year.
The increase marks a significant reversal for TKA following three consecutive years of declining enrollment.
The growth is especially noteworthy following the graduation of a 35-member senior class in May. With TKA’s rolling admission process, enrollment may continue to rise as new students are admitted throughout the school year.
During the 2025–2026 school year, enrollment grew from 388 students on opening day to 395 students by year’s end.
“Achieving our highest retention rate in five years is the result of amazing team effort. God has rewarded this work with 372 day students and 51 boarding students on Day 1. That’s 92% growth in our resident life program over last year!”
Three Reasons Behind the Growth
President and Headmaster Dr. Fred Eaves pointed to three factors behind the academy’s enrollment momentum.
Retention
93.4% of eligible students chose to return, the academy’s strongest retention result in five years.
International Outreach
TKA’s boarding population nearly doubled, bringing 51 Residence Life students together from 26 countries.
Renewed Confidence
Greater stability, personal engagement, and a renewed focus on mission helped strengthen family confidence.
Families Chose to Stay
A concerted effort by academy personnel to personally connect with TKA families resulted in 93.4% of eligible students re-enrolling for the 2026–2027 school year.
That retention rate represents TKA’s strongest result in five years and provided an important foundation for the academy’s overall enrollment growth.
26 Countries.
One TKA Community.
TKA’s boarding population nearly doubled over the previous year, bringing students from around the world together on one campus in East Tennessee.
In Spring 2026, TKA’s International Admissions Office conducted recruitment efforts in Europe that contributed to significant growth in the academy’s resident life program.
TKA opened the school year with 51 boarding students, representing 26 countries in what is believed to be the most internationally diverse resident life population in academy history.
Students from East Tennessee now learn, worship, compete, and build friendships alongside classmates representing cultures from around the world. The international presence extends well beyond the residence halls, bringing a global perspective into classrooms, Fine Arts, athletics, chapel, and everyday campus life.
Stability Builds Momentum
Academy leaders point to renewed confidence among families as another important part of the enrollment story.
Following significant leadership turnover in 2025, parents have expressed appreciation for the stability established by the Board of Trustees and academy leadership in recent months.
That stability, combined with greater personal engagement with families and a renewed focus on the academy’s mission, has helped strengthen confidence in TKA’s direction.
“We understand that ‘unto whomsoever much is given much is required’ and take that Scripture seriously. We are humbled by the huge responsibility God has given us to disciple these students in a supportive and challenging Christian community.”
423 Students. 26 Countries.
One Mission.
With 372 day students and 51 boarding students beginning the year together, TKA enters 2026–2027 with renewed momentum and a community that is increasingly both local and global.
