print close

Catholic School Data

United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools
2011-2012
The Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing
 
Online Synopsis  (full report available)
 
Dale McDonald, PBVM, Ph.D.
Margaret M. Schultz
 
Executive Summary
This annual report presents national data on Catholic elementary and secondary schools. Enrollment patterns, regional geographic trends, types and locations of schools, student and staffing demographic characteristics and student participation in selected education programs are reported. Where data permit, the exhibits compare information across the last decade as well as the past five years.
 
 
Enrollment
Schools
Ethnicity/Religion
Staffing
Tuition & Costs
Other Resources
 
Highlights
  
Enrollment:
•      Total Catholic school student enrollment for the current academic year is 2,031,455.
            1,440,572 in elementary/middle schools; 590,883 in secondary schools
 •      Student diversity: 19.3% are racial minorities, 13.9% are Hispanic/Latino and 6.5% were reported as unknown in the racial data collection.
 •      Non-Catholic enrollment is 312,732 which is 15.4% of the total enrollment.
  
Schools:
•      There are 6,841 Catholic schools: 5,636 elementary; 1,205 secondary.
•      34 new schools opened; 167 consolidated or closed.
•      1,951 schools have a waiting list for admission.
  
 The student/teacher ratio is 13:1.
 
Professional Staff:
·         Full-time equivalent professional staff numbered 151,395: 
                        96.7%: Laity                          (Lay women: 74.9% Lay men: 21.8%)
                        3.3%:   Religious/Clergy    (Sisters: 2.3%; Brothers: 0.5%; Clergy: 0.5%)

   Schools

Regional Distribution
Exhibit 9 presents the number of schools within each of the regions with the percentages of the distribution indicated by level of the schools and the national composite. Almost half of all the schools (47.2%) are located within the Mideast and Great Lakes regions.  
 
 EXHIBIT 9
Regional Distribution of Catholic Schools

                                                                          2001-2002                2006-2007                        2011-2012

Totals of all Schools
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
New England
541
6.7
501
6.7
420
6.1
Mideast
2,160
26.6
1,906
25.4
1,594
23.3
Great Lakes
2,003
24.7
1,789
23.9
1,632
23.9
Plains
938
11.5
882
11.8
839
12.3
Southeast
1,010
12.4
969
12.9
948
13.9
West/Far West
1,462
18.0
1,451
19.4
1,408
20.5
United States
8,114
100.0
7,498
100.0
6,841
100.0

 

Location of Schools
Although there has been a significant decrease in the total number of Catholic schools during the past four decades, the church has not lost sight of its commitment to educate children, particularly those of the poor, within the inner cities and urban areas.  Schools in these areas remain a significant presence: four decades ago 46.5 % were located in urban and inner city areas, today 42.3% of the schools are still in urban/inner city locales despite population losses and great financial difficulties in maintaining them.  During that same period of time, suburban schools increased from 25.0% to 36.5% of the total.
 
 
EXHIBIT 10

Location of Schools 

                                Elementary/Middle          Secondary                 National Totals 

 
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Urban
1,658
29.4
477
39.6
2,135
31.2
Inner-City
638
11.3
124
10.3
762
11.1
Suburban
2,086
37.0
414
34.4
2,500
36.5
Rural
1,254
22.2
190
15.8
1,444
21.1
Total
5,636
100.0
1,205
100.0
6,841
100.0

 Single Gender Schools

The 2011-2012 data indicate that 1.2% of all Catholic elementary schools are single gender and 31.5% of secondary are single gender. Exhibit 13 illustrates their distribution

EXHIBIT 13

 

 

 

 
Number
 
%
           Elementary/Middle
68
 
1.2%  of elementary schools
           Secondary
380
 
31.5%  of secondary schools
           Total Single Gender
448
 
6.5%  of all schools
 
           Enrollment

Enrollment by Grade Level

EXHIBIT 15
Enrollment by Grade Level
 
                                                                 2001-2002                      2006-2007                         2011-2012
All Schools                                            Number           %             Number            %              Number         %   
Preschool
159,869
7.9
152,429
9.1
154,282
10.6
Kindergarten
209,728
10.6
170,480
10.0
144,742
9.9
Grade 1
214,771
10.8
172,106
10.1
141,884
9.7
Grade 2
210,039
10.7
170,907
10.1
143,101
9.8
Grade 3
207,913
10.5
171,417
10.1
143,493
9.8
Grade 4
205,227
10.3
171,503
10.1
142,611
9.8
Grade 5
202,265
10.2
172,042
10.1
144,073
9.9
Grade 6
200,903
10.1
175,649
10.4
148,074
10.2
Grade 7
190,398
9.6
169,859
10.0
145,445
10.0
Grade 8
180,294
9.1
166,768
9.8
146,126
10.0
Ungraded
5,721
0.2
1,964
0.1
3,479
0.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* Total Preschool - 8
1,987,188
100.0
1,697,124
100.0
1,457,310
100.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Grade 9
170,740
27.1
164,211
26.3
149,017
26.0
Grade 10
161,650
25.7
156,629
25.1
143,882
25.1
Grade 11
152,624
24.3
152,944
24.5
140,449
24.5
Grade 12
142,786
22.7
148,793
23.9
138,943
24.2
Ungraded
1,342
0.2
950
0.2
1,854
0.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* Total 9 - 12
629,142
100.0
623,527
100.0
574,145
100.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GRAND TOTAL
2,616,330
100.0
2,320,651
100.0
2,031,455
100.0
 
* NB: Because some elementary schools have a ninth grade and some secondary schools have grades 6-8 in their totals, this distribution does not match that in Exhibits 16 and 26.
 
 
Enrollment by Region
The national enrollment data, charted by region in Exhibit 16, show that the Mideast and Great Lakes regions enroll almost half the Catholic school population (47.3%).  This percentage does indicate a decline from 52.0% over the past decade. 
 
                 
EXHIBIT 16
Enrollment by Region
 

                                       2001-2002                 2006-2007                     2011-2012

    
All Schools
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
New England
165,991
6.4
140,878
6.1
119,804
5.9
Mideast
744,297
28.4
633,179
27.3
496,996
24.5
Great Lakes
617,865
23.6
522,355
22.5
463,948
22.8
Plains
251,828
9.6
230,194
9.9
211,848
10.4
Southeast
364,692
14.0
346,362
14.9
320,516
15.8
West/Far West
471,657
18.0
447,683
19.3
418,343
20.6
United States
2,616,330
100.0
2,320,651
100.0
2,031,455
100.0
         
Catholic School Trend Data
 
U. S. Catholic school enrollment reached its peak during the early 1960s when there were more than 5.2 million students in almost thirteen thousand schools across the nation. The 1970s and 1980s saw a steep decline in both the number of schools and students.  By 1990, there were approximately 2.5 million students in 8,719 schools.   From the mid 1990s though 2000, there was a steady enrollment increase (1.3%) despite continued closings of schools.
 
Between the 2000 and the 2012 school years, 1,942 schools were reported closed or consolidated (23.8%). The number of students declined by 621,583 (23.4 %).  The most seriously impacted have been elementary schools.
 
Exhibit 20 details the reported school closures, and illustrates that the elementary schools in the twelve large urban areas of the country have declined by 25.9% of schools since 2003.
 
Exhibit 22 presents the national and elementary enrollment trend data. Since 2000, elementary school enrollment has declined by 36.7% in the 12 urban dioceses and 24.1% in the rest of the U.S.
 
Exhibits 20 & 22 are available in the full report, which can be ordered online. Click here to go to the NCEA Online Store.
                 
Tuition and Costs
 
 
Tuition fees paid by families constitute a portion of the actual per pupil expenses.  The average per pupil tuition in parish elementary schools is $3,673 which is approximately 62.2 % of actual costs per pupil of $5,387.  About 93.9% of elementary schools provide some form of tuition assistance.  
 
The secondary mean freshman tuition is $8,182 which is approximately 80.0% of actual costs per pupil of $10,228.  About 97% of secondary schools provide some form of tuition assistance.
 
The difference between the per pupil cost and the tuition charged is obtained in many ways, primarily through direct subsidy from parish, diocesan or religious congregation resources and from multi-faceted development programs and fund-raising activities
.
EXHIBIT 24

Average Tuition and Per Pupil Costs

Elementary
Mean parish school tuition:              $3,673.              Per pupil cost:  $5,387.
 
Secondary
Mean freshman tuition:                    $8,182              Per pupil cost:  $10,228.
 
The average public school per pupil cost of $11,282, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics, includes both elementary and secondary schools. (On average, secondary school costs are higher than elementary, but are not reported separately.)
Based on the public schools cost, Catholic schools provide approximately 23 billion dollars a year savings for the nation.
 
Student Race and Ethnicity
Beginning with the 2012 data collection, NCEA adopted the federal standards for collecting and reporting demographic data in two categories: race and ethnicity.  These federal standards mandate that race and Hispanic origin (ethnicity) are separate and distinct concepts and that when collecting these data two different questions must be used.  Consequently, race and ethnic diversity will be reported in two separate exhibits.
 
Student diversity in Catholic schools has increased significantly in the past 40 years.  When data were first collected, the Hispanic/Latino population was included and the reports listed non-Whites as “minorities.”  In 1970, the diversity percentage was 10.8%, in 1980 it had increased to 19.4% and by 2010 was 29.8%.  In 2012, the racial diversity is 19.3% and Hispanic/Latino is 13.9%.  NCEA will no longer use the minority identifier, but instead report racial and ethnic diversity separately.
                                                                            
EXHIBIT 26a
Catholic School Enrollment and Percentages by Race 
                                                     Elementary/Middle                            Secondary                              All Schools
 
National
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
American Indian/ Native Alaskan
18,452
1.3%
6,271
1.1%
24,723
1.2%
Asian
69,417
4.8%
27,192
4.6%
96,609
4.8%
Black
101,286
7.0%
50,572
8.6%
151,858
7.5%
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
11,618
0.8%
4,218
0.7%
15,836
0.8%
Multiracial
73,678
5.1%
28,174
4.8%
101,852
5.0%
White
1,074,001
74.6%
433,984
73.4%
1,507,985
74.2%
Unknown
92,120
6.4%
40,472
6.8%
132,592
6.5%
Total
1,440,572
100.0%
590,883
100.0%
2,031,455
100.0%
 
EXHIBIT 26b
Hispanic/Latino  Enrollment and Percentages
                                                Elementary/Middle                            Secondary                              All Schools
 
 
Number
% in Region
Number
% in Region
Number
% in Region
New England
5,474
7.0%
2,173
5.2%
7,647
6.4%
Mideast
41,268
12.3%
16,369
10.2%
57,637
11.6%
Great Lakes
28,984
8.4%
9,143
7.7%
38,127
8.2%
Plains
15,376
9.6%
2,641
5.0%
18,017
8.5%
Southeast
27,108
11.8%
11,437
12.5%
38,545
12.0%
West/Far West
90,314
30.9%
32,091
25.5%
122,405
29.3%
Total
208,524
14.5%
73,854
12.5%
282,378
13.9%
Enrollment of Non-Catholics
Most Catholic school students are Catholic.  However, non-Catholic student enrollment has risen from 2.7% in 1970 to 11.2% a decade later and today is 15.4% as shown in Exhibit 27.
 
EXHIBIT 27
Non-Catholic Enrollment 

             Elementary/Middle                    Secondary                       All Schools

                           
 
Number
% in Region
Number
% in Region
Number
% in Region
New England
12,787
16.4%
7,884
18.8%
20,671
17.3%
Mideast
57,522
17.1%
29,315
18.2%
86,837
17.5%
Great Lakes
43,003
12.4%
21,179
17.9%
64,182
13.8%
Plains
14,915
9.4%
5,937
11.3%
20,852
9.8%
Southeast
34,586
15.1%
17,385
19.0%
51,971
16.2%
West/Far West
36,599
12.5%
31,620
25.2%
68,219
16.3%
United States
199,412
13.8%
113,320
19.2%
312,732
15.4%
 
National Totals           Number           %
Catholic                      1,693,723       83.4%
Non-Catholic                312,732        15.4%
Not Reported                  25,000          1.2%
Total                            2,031,455      100.0%
 
Staffing of Catholic Schools
 
In 2011-2012, the total, full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff in Catholic elementary/middle and secondary schools is 151,395. Over the past decade, the lay faculty percentages increased from 93% to the current 96.7%.  At present, 3.3% of the professional staff are religious and clergy.  Exhibit 28 presents the FTE data by category and percentage.
 
 
EXHIBIT 28
Full-time Equivalent Professional Staff
2011-2012
 
Elementary
%
Secondary
%
All Schools
%
Sisters
2,510
2.5
1,057
2.1
3,567
2.4
Brothers
115
0.1
574
1.1
689
0.5
Clergy
169
0.2
598
1.2
767
0.5
Female Lay
85,843
85.5
27,584
54.1
113,427
74.9
Male Lay
11,728
11.7
21,217
41.6
32,945
21.8
*Total
100,365
100.0
51,030
100.0
151,395
100.0
 
*Adjusted totals to reflect weighted averages 
 
Lay: 96.7 %
Religious: 3.3%
 
 
Full Report:
 
 
United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2011-2012 The Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing
Dale McDonald, PBVM, PhD 
Director of Public Policy and Educational Research
Margaret Schultz
The National Catholic Educational Association

 

 
The full 51 page report contains the following topics and is available for purchase from NCEA ($18 member/$27 nonmember) at the NCEA Online Store.
  • Schools and Enrollment History
  • School Staffing History
  • Public/Private School Comparisons
  • Percentage Distribution of Schools by Enrollment Size
  • Percentage Distribution of Private Schools by Typology
  • Percentage Distribution of Students in Private Schools by Typology
  • Regional Distribution of Elementary/Middle and Secondary Schools
  • Location of Schools
  • Schools by Types of Governance
  • Schools with Boards/Commissions/Councils
  • Single Gender Schools
  • School Openings and Closings
  • Enrollment by Grade Level
  • Enrollment by Region
  • Student Enrollment: States with Ten Highest Enrollments
  • Student Enrollment: Dioceses with Largest Enrollments
  • Diocesan Enrollment Patterns
  • Schools with Waiting Lists
  • Average Tuition and Per Pupil Costs
  • Catholic School Enrollment and Percentages by Race
  • Hispanic/Latino Enrollment 
  • Non-Catholic Enrollment
  • Full-Time Equivalent Professional Staff
  • Student/Teacher Ratio
  • Non-Catholic Faculty Numbers and Percentages
  • Faculty Numbers and Percentages by Ethnic Background
  • Schools with Extended Day Programs
  • Students Receiving Title 1 Services
  • Participation in Federal Nutrition Programs
  • Students Receiving Government Subsidized/Free Transportation to School
  • Schools with Student Access to Internet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Resources
 
Financing the Mission: a Profile of Catholic Elementary Schools in the United States 2011
This biennial report contains financial information regarding tuition, per-pupil cost, cost of instruction materials, fund-raising, salaries, and benefits, endowment funds, pre-kindergarten, and more. This publication will is available for free at the School Reach website.  Click here to order.
 
Dollars and Sense: Catholic High Schools and Their Finances 2011 (Executive Summary)
by Phillip Robey. NCEA Secondary Schools Department administers the Dollars and Sense survey to create a national portrait of the financial status of Catholic high schools. This executive summary presents both current data as well as recent trends in several areas of finance, governance and administrative organization. The report illustrates the challenges schools face while offering encouraging news about the creative ways schools address those challenges. 2011. ($10 members; $15 non-members). Available at the NCEA Online Store.
 
 
 

 Dollars and Sense: A Report on Catholic High School Leadership, Governance & Finance 2011 (Full Report)

by Mary L. Gautier, Ph.D. and Melissa A. Cicade, M.A. 

 The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University conducted the survey on the Secondary Schools Department's behalf, which builds on previous studies and forms the basis for the Dollars and Sense Executive Summary (above).. This is a comprehensive, 142 page report on Catholic secondary school leadership, governance and finance.

($50. members; $75. non-members). Available at the NCEA Online Store.