Columbus Academy is a selective, independent college-preparatory school for students from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school is located on a large, secluded campus surrounded by wooded areas in Gahanna, Ohio in the United States, 8 miles from downtown Columbus. The Academy was founded in 1911 by J. L. Hamill in Bexley, Ohio and moved to its current campus in 1968. Originally an all-boys school, it became coeducational in 1991 when the Board of Trustees decided to admit girls. From its conception, the school expanded over time to a matriculation level of 1,000 students. Columbus Academy students and alumni often refer to the school as "Academy".