Catholic Education Questions
These page provides a statistical overview of Catholic education. For more specific and detailed information, go here!
Q: Where do Catholic educators stand on school choice?
A: Any educational reform efforts must include a commitment to parental rights in choosing schools for their children and assisting those who do not have the financial means to exercise choice. For the NCEA policy statement on school choice click here.
Q: What is the enrollment of Catholic schools?
A: Total Catholic school student enrollment for the 2011-2012 academic year was 2,031,455 students: 1,440,572 in elementary schools; 590,883 in secondary schools.
Q: How many Catholic schools are there?
A: Currently, there are 6,841 Catholic schools in the United States: 5,636 elementary schools; 1,205 secondary schools.
Q: Where are the most Catholic schools located?
A: Below are the dioceses with the twenty largest enrollments for the 2011-2012 school year.
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Cleveland
- Brooklyn
- Cincinnati
- St. Louis
- Boston
- New Orleans
- Newark
- Miami
- Detroit
- St. Paul/Minneapolis
- Milwaukee
- Rockville Centre
- Baltimore
- Washington, DC
- San Francisco
- Seattle
Q: How many new schools opened last year? How many closed?
A: 34 new schools opened and 167 schools closed or consolidated during the 2011-2012 academic year.
Q: Why do parents choose Catholic schools for their children?
A: Parents choose Catholic schools for any and all of the following reasons: faith formation, high academic standards, values-added education, and safe school environment.
Q: What percentage of Catholic secondary school students graduate? How many go on to college?
A: The national Catholic school graduation rate is 99.4% of high school students. Of these graduates, 84.9% go on to college, compared to 39.5% of public school graduates.
Q: Do you offer scholarships for families who want to educate their children in Catholic schools?
A: NCEA does not sponsor a national scholarship program. The Association recommends that individuals seeking scholarship monies contact arch/diocesan school offices to learn about scholarships and financial aid packages available locally.
Q: Are Catholic schools accredited by any accrediting organization?
A: Yes, depending upon the institution and the diocese in which it is located. Schools can be accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and other accredited regional associations. NCEA is not an accrediting organization and does not serve that function, although our Secondary Schools Department has developed an instrument that can be helpful with the high school accrediting process - Validating the Vision.