Methodology

How the Catholic school directory is built

The directory contains 1,113 Roman Catholic schools serving high-school grades across 50 states and territories. This page explains what inclusion means, where the data comes from, and how HSPT claims are verified.

Primary directory source

School identity, address, city, state, county, grade range, phone number, and enrollment come from the U.S. Department of Education’s NCES Private School Locator 2023–24 data. We include schools identified as Roman Catholic that include grade 9.

View the NCES Private School Search.

What inclusion does not mean

Inclusion does not mean a school uses the HSPT, is accepting applications, has a particular tuition, or follows another school’s admissions calendar. Those facts require separate verification.

How HSPT status is assigned

A directory record is labeled with verified HSPT information only when it matches a source-reviewed school record. Matching uses a normalized school name and state or the school’s exact website hostname and state. Punctuation differences do not prevent a match; similar names alone are not enough.

Diocese assignments

We publish a diocese assignment only when it is present in a reviewed school record or source. We do not infer dioceses solely from city or county because diocesan boundaries do not always follow those borders.

Updates and corrections

Admissions dates can change every cycle, while NCES directory data follows its own release schedule. Families should confirm current requirements directly with a school. Corrections can be sent to jculbertson@gmail.com.

Browse the national Catholic high school directory or the source-reviewed HSPT school guides.