Catholic high schools in Philadelphia, PA
11 Roman Catholic schools serve high-school grades in Philadelphia. Use the school pages below for location, grade range, enrollment, and verified HSPT information where available.
If a school on this list uses the HSPT, start with the free 25-question HSPT practice test before you compare campuses or decide how much prep the fall needs.
For HSPT dates, admissions, and prep notes for schools that use the exam, see Catholic high schools in Philadelphia & the HSPT. This page is the NCES directory listing, not a ranking.
Philadelphia Catholic school overview
- Schools
- 11 serving high-school grades
- Students listed
- 6,102 across 11 schools reporting enrollment
- Average enrollment
- 555 students among schools with published NCES enrollment
- Grade ranges
- 9-12
- County
- Philadelphia
- Verified HSPT guides
- 4
Philadelphia schools with verified HSPT information
These schools connect to source-reviewed HSPT admissions pages:
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HSPT & admissions at Philadelphia Catholic high schools
Philadelphia is one of the strongest HSPT markets in the country: most Catholic high schools in the city use the High School Placement Test as their entrance exam, and our directory holds source-reviewed HSPT records for five of the eleven city schools — St. Joseph's Prep, Father Judge, Nazareth Academy, St. Hubert, and Sts. John Neumann & Maria Goretti — plus La Salle in Wyndmoor and the suburban preps. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia uses the HSPT as the common entrance exam, and the order-run preps set their own earlier dates, so confirm the policy and date with each school on your list.
Philadelphia Catholic high schools and their admissions pages
Each school sets its own admissions and testing process. Link opens the school's own page for the current cycle.
Philadelphia-area test dates cluster early: La Salle holds its entrance exam in early to mid-October, St. Joseph's Prep in early November, and the archdiocesan schools typically test in November. Each school posts its own date, usually by early fall, so plan prep around the earliest date on your list rather than assuming one shared sitting.
How to prepare for the HSPT in Philadelphia
Start with the free diagnostic to establish a baseline, then build a study plan around the earliest date your schools post. These guides cover the practical questions Philadelphia families ask:
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.
Best order to prep for HSPT sections
Which sections to attack first for the fastest score gains instead of random practice.
4-week HSPT study plan
A realistic one-month plan for families starting late but still wanting to move the score.
How should my 8th grader prepare for the HSPT?
When to start, what to practice, how much daily work, and how to keep it sustainable.
HSPT scholarships by city
Where school-list width, selectivity, and tuition make scholarship research matter most.
What is a good HSPT score?
What different percentile bands actually mean to a family, admissions-wise.
Philadelphia's Catholic high schools split between archdiocesan schools and independent, religious-order schools (Jesuit, Lasallian, Augustinian, Oblate, and Mercy) that set their own admissions calendars. Ask each school whether one HSPT sitting can be shared across the schools you are applying to, and whether the test is used for admission only or also for placement and scholarship consideration.
For the 2026-27 cycle, Philadelphia families typically research schools in the spring of 7th grade, visit during 8th-grade fall, test between early October and mid-November, and receive decisions in December through February. Application, financial-aid, and scholarship deadlines differ by school, so collect them in one place early and treat them as planning inputs, not reasons to choose one school over another.
Planning a Catholic high school application
Entrance-test rules are set by the school or diocese and can differ even within the same city. Check each school’s admissions site before registering. If a school is confirmed in our HSPT guide, its directory page links directly to the current admissions and preparation notes.
- Confirm whether each school requires the HSPT or another entrance test for the current cycle.
- Record application, transcript, recommendation, financial-aid, and scholarship deadlines separately.
- Ask whether one HSPT 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.
Explore Catholic high schools near Philadelphia
Questions about Catholic high schools in Philadelphia
How many Catholic high schools are in Philadelphia, PA?
NCES lists 11 Roman Catholic schools in Philadelphia that include grade 9. The directory uses 2023–24 school data.
Do Catholic high schools in Philadelphia require the HSPT?
4 Philadelphia schools have HSPT information confirmed in our reviewed school records. Requirements can differ by school and application year, so families should confirm the current test policy directly.
What should families compare between Catholic high schools in Philadelphia?
Compare grade range, commute, enrollment size, admissions deadlines, entrance-test policy, tuition and aid, academic programs, student support, and whether test scores affect scholarship consideration.
What are the best Catholic high schools in Philadelphia?
The schools Philadelphia families most often shortlist are St. Joseph's Prep, La Salle, and Father Judge (all-boys); Nazareth Academy, Little Flower, St. Hubert, and Gwynedd Mercy (all-girls); and Archbishop Ryan, Cristo Rey Philadelphia, and Sts. John Neumann & Maria Goretti (co-ed), with the Main Line preps a short commute away. There is no official ranking — compare on fit.
Which Philadelphia Catholic high schools require the HSPT?
Most do: the Archdiocese of Philadelphia uses the HSPT as the common entrance exam, and the order-run preps use it with earlier dates. Five city schools in our directory have source-reviewed HSPT records (St. Joseph's Prep, Father Judge, Nazareth Academy, St. Hubert, Sts. John Neumann & Maria Goretti) plus La Salle in Wyndmoor — see each school's page for dates and details.
When do Philadelphia Catholic high schools give the HSPT?
La Salle tests in early to mid-October, St. Joseph's Prep in early November, and archdiocesan schools typically in November. Each school posts its own date, usually by early fall, so confirm with each school before planning around a date.
How much does a Catholic high school in Philadelphia cost?
Tuition varies widely — order-run preps and Main Line academies generally cost more than archdiocesan neighborhood schools — and most schools offer financial aid and merit scholarships, with HSPT scores sometimes factoring into merit consideration. Ask each school's admissions and financial-aid offices for current numbers.
Compare the full statewide list of Catholic high schools in Pennsylvania.
Source: NCES Private School Locator 2023–24. Inclusion does not establish that a school uses the HSPT.
Building a Catholic high school shortlist in Philadelphia?
Use the free parent checklist to compare entrance tests, score expectations, scholarship rules, and deadlines before narrowing the list.
Free and parent-friendly. Then use the HSPT diagnostic when your shortlist is ready.