Catholic high schools in Pittsburgh, PA

HSPT & admissions at Pittsburgh Catholic high schools

Pittsburgh's Catholic high school set is compact — four city schools in this directory: Central Catholic (all-boys, Lasallian), Oakland Catholic (all-girls), Seton LaSalle (co-ed), and Bishop Canevin (co-ed), with North Catholic in Cranberry Township a short drive north. None of them has a source-reviewed HSPT record in our directory yet, so Catholic affiliation alone does not tell you which entrance test a school requires — confirm the current policy with each school's admissions office before registering.

Pittsburgh 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.

Pittsburgh-area Catholic high schools typically test in the fall of 8th grade, most commonly between November and January, ahead of spring admission decisions. Each school posts its own date, usually by early fall, so confirm with each school and build prep around the earliest date on your list.

How to prepare for the HSPT in Pittsburgh

If your target schools do use the HSPT, start with the free diagnostic to establish a baseline, then build a study plan around the earliest test date. These guides cover the practical questions Pittsburgh families ask:

The Diocese of Pittsburgh runs its high schools alongside independent and order-run schools, and each sets its own application process. 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 fall admission cycle, Pittsburgh families typically research schools in the spring of 7th grade, visit during 8th-grade fall, and test between November and January. 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.