National Directory / NY
Best Catholic High Schools in NYC & Long Island
New York families researching Catholic high schools are usually choosing within a borough or a stretch of Long Island, not across the whole state. This page covers the schools that actually make those short lists - the Catholic high schools of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island) and of Nassau and Suffolk counties - with admissions guidance for the current cycle.
Families applying in New York can take the free HSPT practice test first, then use the city lists below to compare schools that actually require the exam.
New York City's Catholic high schools sit in two dioceses: the Archdiocese of New York covers Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, while the Diocese of Brooklyn covers Brooklyn and Queens. Long Island's Catholic high schools fall under the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The result is one of the densest Catholic school markets in the country: 83 schools serving high-school grades across 44 New York cities in this directory, from Regis in Manhattan to Kellenberg Memorial in Uniondale.
What separates one New York Catholic high school from another is rarely the basics. It is school identity (Jesuit, Marianist, Dominican, Xaverian, or diocesan), single-gender versus coed, enrollment size, entrance-exam policy, and how tuition and aid actually work. The borough-by-borough list below keeps those differences visible so you can build a short list from the schools within commuting distance, then compare them on admissions details.
Best Catholic high schools in New York City
There is no single best Catholic high school in New York City - the right school depends on where you live, whether you are looking for single-gender or coed, and what your child needs. These are the schools families in each part of the city most often shortlist, grouped by borough so you can start with what is actually commutable.
How we ranked these schools
- Location and commute - a school on the other side of the borough is a different decision than one down the block; the groups below are organized by where you would actually travel from.
- School identity - Jesuit, Marianist, Dominican, Xaverian, or diocesan schools approach academics, faith formation, and discipline differently.
- Single-gender versus coed - New York has a deep bench of both; many families have a strong preference.
- Enrollment size - the range runs from about 150 students to Kellenberg Memorial at more than 2,600; size shapes class size, course offerings, and the feel of the school day.
- Programs and outcomes - AP and dual-credit offerings, arts, athletics, and college placement. Ask each school for its own profile rather than relying on a single ranking.
- Cost with aid - tuition is set annually by each school; nearly all New York Catholic high schools run financial aid, and HSPT or TACHS scores sometimes factor into merit scholarship consideration.
Manhattan
Manhattan's Catholic high schools include two of the city's most selective Jesuit schools - Regis, which is tuition-free and famously competitive, and Xavier - along with all-girls options like Dominican Academy and Marymount, and Cristo Rey New York's corporate work-study model, where students earn part of their tuition through paid internships.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn's Catholic high schools range from Xaverian, the borough's largest with more than 1,600 students, to small all-girls schools like St. Saviour and Fontbonne Hall, plus Cristo Rey Brooklyn's work-study program. Most sit within a short trip of each other, so Brooklyn families can realistically compare several.
Queens
Queens holds some of the largest Catholic high schools in the country: St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows enrolls about 2,480 students and Archbishop Molloy in Briarwood about 1,600, and Christ the King in Middle Village and St. John's Prep in Astoria round out the borough's options. The schools are spread out, so pick by commute as much as by program.
The Bronx and Staten Island
The Bronx has the city's strongest cluster of all-boys Catholic high schools - Fordham Prep, Cardinal Hayes, Mount St. Michael, and All Hallows - alongside coed Cardinal Spellman and several all-girls schools. Staten Island's four Catholic high schools - Monsignor Farrell, St. Peter's Boys, Notre Dame Academy, and Moore Catholic - serve the island's families, and the Staten Island Expressway makes some Brooklyn schools reachable too.
Long Island
Long Island's Catholic high schools are diocesan schools of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and they skew large: Kellenberg Memorial in Uniondale is one of the biggest Catholic high schools in the country at more than 2,600 students, and St. Anthony's in Huntington Station enrolls about 2,400. Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead and Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset are the all-girls options, with St. John the Baptist in West Islip and St. Dominic in Oyster Bay covering the island's center and east.
Every school above has a profile page with NCES enrollment, grades served, and contact details. Build a short list from the schools within commuting distance, then compare admissions requirements and test dates on the pages below.
New York Catholic high schools at a glance
- Schools
- 83 serving high-school grades
- Cities
- 44 across New York
- Students listed
- 42,418 across 83 schools reporting enrollment
- Average enrollment
- 511 students among schools with published NCES enrollment
- Grade span
- 53 schools serve grades 9–12 only; 30 also span lower grades
- Verified HSPT guides
- 5
Catholic elementary schools in New York City
Many families searching for Catholic schools in NYC are looking for elementary options first. The Archdiocese of New York runs Catholic elementary schools across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island; the Diocese of Brooklyn runs them across Brooklyn and Queens; and Long Island's Catholic elementary schools fall under the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Parish and regional elementary schools are the most common model, and most do not require an entrance exam - families apply directly to the school.
The directory on this page focuses on high schools (grades 9-12 and 6-12 schools). For the full list of Catholic elementary and PK-8 schools in your area, use the official diocesan finders below.
Find schools by city
Applying to a Catholic high school in New York?
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Catholic high schools in Manhattan
Manhattan's Catholic high schools sit in the Archdiocese of New York and range from Regis - the tuition-free Jesuit school that draws applicants from across the city - to smaller schools like Notre Dame, La Salle, and St. Vincent Ferrer. All-girls options include Dominican Academy and Marymount; Cristo Rey New York runs the corporate work-study model.
Catholic high schools in Brooklyn
Brooklyn's Catholic high schools fall under the Diocese of Brooklyn and include Xaverian (the borough's largest), Bishop Loughlin, St. Edmund Prep, Nazareth, Fontbonne Hall, St. Saviour, and Cristo Rey Brooklyn. Most are within a short trip of each other, so Brooklyn families can realistically compare several.
Catholic high schools in Queens
Queens is home to some of the largest Catholic high schools in the country - St. Francis Prep, Archbishop Molloy, and Christ the King - plus St. John's Prep in Astoria and Cathedral Prep in Elmhurst. All sit in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Catholic high schools in the Bronx and Staten Island
The Bronx's Catholic high schools are mostly single-gender - Fordham Prep, Cardinal Hayes, Mount St. Michael, All Hallows, St. Catharine Academy, Preston, St. Raymond, and others - while Staten Island's four schools (Monsignor Farrell, St. Peter's Boys, Notre Dame Academy, and Moore Catholic) serve the island. Both boroughs are in the Archdiocese of New York.
Catholic high schools on Long Island
Long Island's Catholic high schools are diocesan schools of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, concentrated in Nassau County - Kellenberg Memorial, St. Anthony's, Sacred Heart Academy, St. Mary's, St. John the Baptist, St. Dominic, and Our Lady of Mercy Academy. For most Long Island families the realistic choice set is two or three schools within a reasonable drive. (St. Mary's High School in Manhasset appears twice in the list below because NCES carries two records for the same school.)
Other Catholic high schools in New York
Catholic school resources for New York families
How to compare Catholic high schools in New York
Start with the schools you can actually reach. For most New York families that means one borough, or two or three schools on Long Island, and the differences that matter are the ones below.
- Commute and location - Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens families usually stay within their borough; the Bronx and Staten Island each have their own clusters. Long Island families drive, so school size and parking matter more.
- School identity - the city is rich in religious orders: Jesuit (Regis, Xavier, Fordham Prep), Marianist (Kellenberg, Mount St. Michael), Franciscan (St. Anthony's), Lasallian (St. Peter's Boys, La Salle Academy), Xaverian, and Dominican. Each approaches academics and formation differently.
- Single-gender versus coed - New York has both in every borough, and the all-boys and all-girls schools are a real part of the market, not an afterthought.
- Enrollment size - the range runs from under 200 students to more than 2,600. Smaller schools mean smaller classes and often fewer course and athletic offerings.
- Entrance-exam policy - New York schools vary: some use the TACHS exam for 8th-grade admissions, some use the HSPT, and schools like Regis, Xavier, and Fordham Prep administer their own entrance exams. Confirm which test each school uses, the date, and whether one sitting can be shared across schools.
- Tuition, aid, and scholarships - tuition is set annually by each school, nearly all New York Catholic high schools run financial aid, and entrance-exam scores sometimes factor into merit scholarship consideration. Regis is the notable exception: it is tuition-free.
- Programs and outcomes - AP and dual-credit offerings, arts, athletics, and college placement. Ask each school for its own profile rather than relying on a single ranking.
Admissions deadlines and entrance-exam dates are worth collecting early, since most New York schools test in the fall and winter of 8th grade. Treat them as planning inputs, not reasons to pick one school over another: choose on fit, where your child will be comfortable, challenged, and known.
Best Catholic schools: how to choose — turn rankings into a real comparison: entrance-exam requirements, scholarships, cost, college outcomes, and fit.
Applying to a Catholic high school in New York
Admission is a school-by-school process: each New York Catholic high school sets its own application timeline, entrance test, and deadlines. Most applications open in the fall of 8th grade, with decisions in the winter and spring.
Start early enough to fit the entrance test into your plan: confirm each school’s test date first - TACHS, HSPT, or the school’s own exam - then build prep around the earliest one.
A practical application timeline
- Spring or summer before 8th grade: build a short list of schools within commuting distance and note each one’s entrance-exam policy.
- Late summer to early fall: confirm application, transcript, recommendation, financial-aid, and scholarship deadlines for each school.
- Fall: register for each school’s entrance test (TACHS, HSPT, or the school’s own exam) and begin prep, paced to the earliest test date.
- Winter to spring: complete applications, submit aid paperwork, and follow up on admissions decisions.
The HSPT and TACHS in New York
New York Catholic high schools set their own entrance-exam policy, and it varies widely. Many schools in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn use the TACHS exam (Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools) for 8th-grade admissions; some schools use the HSPT; and Regis, Xavier, Fordham Prep, and others administer their own entrance exams. We do not yet have source-reviewed HSPT records for any New York school in this directory, so treat each school’s admissions office as the source of truth for the current cycle.
What to confirm with each school
Which entrance test the school uses (TACHS, HSPT, ISEE, SSAT, or the school’s own exam), the test date and registration deadline, whether one sitting can be shared across schools in the same diocese, and whether scores factor into scholarship consideration.
New York schools with verified HSPT information
HSPT prep guidance
The HSPT tests verbal and quantitative skills, reading comprehension, and language. These guides cover the exam, the scores, and how to build a prep plan.
What is the HSPT?
The sections, timing, and scoring of the exam most Catholic high schools use for admissions.
How Catholic high schools use HSPT scores
Admissions, placement, scholarships, and why the same percentile carries different weight at different schools.
HSPT vs ISEE vs SSAT
Which entrance exam your target schools use, how they differ, and why it matters for prep.
When to start HSPT prep
How far ahead to start based on your test date, school list, and how much prep your child can sustain.
Tuition and scholarships
Tuition is set annually by each school and varies widely across the city and Long Island. Nearly all New York Catholic high schools run financial aid, and entrance-exam scores sometimes factor into merit scholarship consideration; Regis is tuition-free. The HSPT scores and scholarships guide explains how to research aid.
Planning a Catholic high school application in New York
Entrance-test rules are set by the school or diocese and can differ even within the same borough. Check each school’s admissions site before registering.
- Confirm whether each school requires the TACHS, the HSPT, or its own entrance exam for the current cycle.
- Record application, transcript, recommendation, financial-aid, and scholarship deadlines separately.
- Ask whether one entrance-exam sitting can be shared with other schools in the same diocese.
- Compare the daily commute as well as tuition, aid, academic programs, and school size.
New York Catholic high school admissions FAQ
What are the best Catholic high schools in New York City?
The schools families most often shortlist are Regis, Xavier, Dominican Academy, and Marymount in Manhattan; Xaverian, Bishop Loughlin, St. Edmund Prep, and Fontbonne Hall in Brooklyn; St. Francis Prep and Archbishop Molloy in Queens; Fordham Prep and Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx; and Monsignor Farrell on Staten Island. 'Best' depends on fit - commute, single-gender versus coed, identity, size, and aid - so use the best-of list on this page as a starting point, not a verdict.
Which Catholic high schools are in Manhattan?
Manhattan’s Catholic high schools are Regis, Xavier, Dominican Academy, Marymount School of New York, Cristo Rey New York, Notre Dame School, La Salle Academy, and St. Vincent Ferrer. Regis is the tuition-free Jesuit school for boys; Xavier is the other Jesuit school; Dominican Academy and Marymount are all-girls.
Which Catholic high schools are in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn’s Catholic high schools are Xaverian, Bishop Loughlin Memorial, St. Edmund Preparatory, Nazareth Regional, Fontbonne Hall Academy, St. Saviour, and Cristo Rey Brooklyn. Xaverian is the borough’s largest; Fontbonne and St. Saviour are all-girls.
Which Catholic high schools are in Queens?
Queens’ Catholic high schools are St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows, Archbishop Molloy in Briarwood, Christ the King in Middle Village, St. John’s Prep in Astoria, and Cathedral Prep in Elmhurst. St. Francis Prep and Archbishop Molloy are two of the largest Catholic high schools in the country.
What are the best Catholic high schools on Long Island?
Long Island’s most-often shortlisted Catholic high schools are Kellenberg Memorial in Uniondale (more than 2,600 students), St. Anthony’s in Huntington Station, Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead, St. John the Baptist in West Islip, St. Mary’s in Manhasset, St. Dominic in Oyster Bay, and Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset. Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Mercy are all-girls.
Are there Catholic elementary schools in New York City?
Yes. The Archdiocese of New York runs Catholic elementary schools across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and the Diocese of Brooklyn runs them across Brooklyn and Queens; Long Island’s elementary schools fall under the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Each diocese publishes a school finder - catholicschoolsny.org, dioceseofbrooklyn.org/schools, and drvc.org/catholic-schools. This directory focuses on high schools; the diocesan finders cover PK-8.
Do Catholic high schools in New York require the HSPT?
Not all of them. Many schools in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn use the TACHS exam for 8th-grade admissions; some schools use the HSPT; and Regis, Xavier, Fordham Prep, and a few others administer their own entrance exams. Confirm the current test with each school’s admissions office. See how Catholic high schools use HSPT scores for how the exam is typically weighed in admissions.
When is the entrance exam given for New York Catholic high schools?
Schools typically test during the fall and winter of 8th grade, and each school posts its own date, usually by early fall. Plan prep around the earliest date on your list. The when to start HSPT prep guide walks through the timing, and the HSPT test dates page lists what we know for the current cycle.
Is Regis High School free?
Yes. Regis High School in Manhattan is tuition-free - the school covers the cost of attendance for every admitted student. Admission is highly competitive and is based on the Regis entrance exam and application. Xavier and Fordham Prep are Jesuit schools but are not tuition-free.
How much does a Catholic high school in New York cost?
Tuition is set annually by each school and varies widely across the city and Long Island. Nearly all New York Catholic high schools offer financial aid, and entrance-exam scores sometimes factor into merit scholarship consideration; Regis is tuition-free. The HSPT scores and scholarships guide explains how to research aid, and the scholarship deadline calendar lists verified dates for the current cycle.
What should families compare between Catholic high schools in New York?
Lead with fit: location and commute, school size, identity and charism, single-gender versus coed, academic programs, and cost with aid. Then collect admissions deadlines and entrance-exam dates as planning inputs; the test is a step in the application, not a reason to choose one school over another. The guide to choosing Catholic high schools lays out the full framework.
Applying to a Catholic high school in New York?
Use the free diagnostic to establish an entrance-exam baseline before deciding how much preparation is necessary.
3 days free · cancel anytime
Source: NCES Private School Locator 2023-24 data, plus school-verified directory additions (August 2026). Enrollment figures come from NCES and may not reflect current-year numbers; confirm admissions, tuition, and testing details directly with each school. School websites and phone numbers above were verified against school pages in August 2026. Read the methodology.