Top 10 Catholic Schools in Massachusetts in 2027

1. Boston College High School

It ranks first for its combination of academic rigor, longevity, and scale — founded in 1863 as one of the oldest Jesuit high schools in the United States, it is now Boston's largest all-boys Catholic school, enrolling over 1,600 students on its Dorchester campus. Its Jesuit, Ignatian curriculum layers AP and honors coursework with mandatory service hours, and its athletic programs compete in the rugged Catholic Conference. Graduates routinely matriculate to top-tier colleges nationwide.

BC High is built for families committed to an all-boys, Jesuit formation and a long school day that runs well past dismissal with athletics or clubs. It trades the intimacy of a smaller campus for scale, tradition, and a deep Jesuit alumni network; no comparable all-girls counterpart under the same order exists in the state. St. John's Prep, ranked next, offers a similar brotherhood model without the Ignatian-specific pedagogy.

2. St. John's Preparatory School

It ranks second on the strength of its physical footprint and program breadth — founded in 1907 by the Xaverian Brothers and relocated to a large Danvers campus in 1985, it is among the biggest Catholic high schools in New England with roughly 1,500 students. The campus supports multiple athletic complexes, a performing arts center, and an extensive AP catalog. Its size gives it depth in nearly every sport and club Massachusetts Catholic education offers.

St. John's suits families who want an all-boys Xaverian education with the resources of a small college campus rather than a compact urban building. It trades BC High's century-plus Jesuit prestige for newer facilities and a suburban North Shore setting. Compared with Catholic Memorial below it, St. John's has more acreage and program variety, while Catholic Memorial leans harder into a tight-knit brotherhood identity in a denser footprint.

3. Catholic Memorial School

It lands third for its tight academic-athletic identity — founded in 1957 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in West Roxbury, it enrolls several hundred boys and has built one of the state's most decorated football and hockey programs alongside a full AP and honors track. Its smaller size than BC High or St. John's Prep translates into closer faculty relationships and a strong, concentrated alumni network across Greater Boston.

Catholic Memorial fits families who want an all-boys Christian Brothers education without the scale of the two schools ranked above it, prioritizing community over campus size. It trades acreage and program breadth for a closer-knit student body and a heavier athletic rivalry with St. John's Prep and Xaverian. Central Catholic, ranked next, offers the same regional Catholic pedigree but as a coeducational school.

4. Central Catholic High School

It ranks fourth as the state's oldest Catholic high school, founded in 1857 and now run under Augustinian sponsorship in Lawrence with more than a thousand students. Unlike the three all-boys schools ranked above it, Central Catholic is fully coeducational, offering a broad AP and dual-enrollment slate alongside a Merrimack Valley athletic conference schedule. Its longevity gives it one of the deepest alumni networks in the Archdiocese's northern reach.

Central Catholic is the pick for families who want coeducation and a large, historic institution rather than the single-sex model of BC High, St. John's Prep, or Catholic Memorial. It trades some of the elite college-placement reputation of the all-boys Boston schools for broader accessibility and a Merrimack Valley community feel. Xaverian Brothers High School, next on this list, returns to an all-boys format in a smaller Westwood setting.

5. Xaverian Brothers High School

It ranks fifth for its balance of Xaverian Brothers tradition and manageable scale — founded in 1963 and based in Westwood, it enrolls roughly a thousand boys with a full honors and AP curriculum and a strong athletic program in the Catholic Conference. It shares its founding order with St. John's Prep but operates on a single, smaller campus without Danvers' expansive acreage, keeping the community closer-knit.

Xaverian works for families wanting the Xaverian Brothers' all-boys formation closer to Boston's western suburbs than Danvers. It trades St. John's Prep's sprawling campus for a more compact footprint and trades Central Catholic's coeducation for a single-sex focus. Notre Dame Academy, ranked next, mirrors this order-run, single-sex model but serves girls on Boston's South Shore.

6. Notre Dame Academy Hingham

It ranks sixth as the leading all-girls Catholic option on the South Shore, sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Hingham with a full college-preparatory and AP curriculum. Enrollment runs several hundred students, smaller than the boys' schools ranked above it, which supports close advising relationships and a strong record of graduates entering selective colleges. Its single-sex, faith-based model sets it apart from coed peers like Central Catholic.

Notre Dame Academy suits families seeking a single-sex, college-preparatory education for girls without traveling into Boston proper, trading urban resources for a South Shore community feel. It ranks below the larger all-boys schools mainly on enrollment scale and program breadth, not academic rigor. Ursuline Academy, appearing later on this list, offers a comparable all-girls model sponsored by a different order in Dedham.

7. Bishop Fenwick High School

It ranks seventh as a solid coeducational option on the North Shore, opened in 1962 under the Archdiocese of Boston in Peabody with a full college-prep curriculum and Catholic Central League athletics. Its enrollment and facilities are smaller than Central Catholic's, but it offers a similarly coeducational, community-oriented environment for North Shore Catholic families without a Danvers-scale campus. Religious formation is woven into a standard liberal-arts course load.

Bishop Fenwick fits families north of Boston who want an Archdiocese-run coed school closer to home than Central Catholic or St. John's Prep. It trades the size and athletic pedigree of the schools above it for a smaller, more local community feel. Austin Preparatory, next on the list, offers a similar coed, mid-sized model under Augustinian sponsorship further inland in Reading.

8. Austin Preparatory School

It ranks eighth for its distinctive Augustinian, coeducational model in Reading, founded in 1961 with an enrollment in the mid-hundreds that keeps class sizes smaller than most schools ranked above it. Its curriculum emphasizes the Augustinian tradition of unity, truth, and love alongside standard AP and honors offerings, and it fields varsity teams in the Catholic Central League. The smaller campus trades scale for individualized attention.

Austin Prep suits families prioritizing small class sizes and Augustinian values over the size and athletic prestige of St. John's Prep or Xaverian. It offers coeducation like Central Catholic and Bishop Fenwick but in a notably smaller, more intimate setting. Ursuline Academy, ranked next, moves back to a single-sex, all-girls model sponsored by a different congregation in Dedham.

9. Ursuline Academy Dedham

It ranks ninth as a smaller all-girls option sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters, founded in 1946 in Dedham with an enrollment well under the larger schools on this list. Its compact size supports a close advising model and a full college-preparatory track, but it lacks the scale of athletic programs and facilities found at Notre Dame Academy or the larger boys' schools ranked above it. Formation is closely tied to Ursuline educational tradition.

Ursuline Academy is built for families wanting a small, single-sex, faith-centered environment over size or athletic breadth, trading the South Shore reach of Notre Dame Academy for a location closer to Boston's western suburbs. It ranks below Notre Dame Academy mainly on enrollment and program depth rather than academic quality. Bishop Feehan, closing this list, returns to a coeducational format further south in Attleboro.

10. Bishop Feehan High School

It ranks tenth as a solid coeducational choice serving the Attleboro area under the Diocese of Fall River, with a full college-preparatory curriculum and Catholic Central League athletics. Its enrollment and campus are smaller than the North Shore and Boston-area schools ranked above it, giving it a community-school feel for families in the southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island border region. It closes this list as a reliable, if less widely known, regional option.

Bishop Feehan fits families in the Attleboro-to-Rhode-Island corridor who want a coed Catholic option without commuting to Boston, trading the name recognition of the schools ranked above it for local convenience. It shares a coeducational structure with Central Catholic and Bishop Fenwick but serves a distinctly different geographic region. Compared with every school above it on this list, it has the smallest regional draw and athletic profile.

How we ranked these

Rankings weighted verifiable academic outcomes first: percentage of graduates matriculating to four-year colleges, AP/honors course breadth, and NEASC or equivalent accreditation status. Student-teacher ratio, campus infrastructure (labs, arts, athletic facilities), longevity and diocesan or order affiliation (Jesuit, Xaverian, Sisters of Notre Dame, etc.), and published tuition-to-financial-aid ratios were cross-checked against Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education records and each school's own disclosed data where available.

Deliberately excluded: social media presence, marketing copy, and unverified parent-forum anecdotes, none of which correlate reliably with outcomes. Elementary-only Catholic schools without a high school program were excluded, as were non-Catholic private schools and out-of-state institutions. Subjective "campus beauty" and legacy prestige alone were ignored unless backed by measurable academic or accreditation data.

Related questions

What's the difference between a diocesan and an independent Catholic high school in Massachusetts?

Diocesan schools are owned and financially backed by the Archdiocese of Boston or another Massachusetts diocese, following centralized curriculum and hiring policies. Independent Catholic schools, often run by religious orders like the Xaverian Brothers or Sisters of Notre Dame, set their own boards, budgets, and admissions standards, giving them more flexibility but less direct financial support during enrollment downturns.

How much does Catholic high school tuition cost in Massachusetts in 2027?

Tuition at Massachusetts Catholic high schools generally runs $18,000 to $28,000 annually, with day schools at the lower end and college-preparatory institutions with strong athletics or arts programs at the higher end. Most schools publish sliding-scale financial aid based on family income, and parishioner discounts of $1,000-$3,000 are common for registered, contributing parish families.

Do Catholic schools in Massachusetts accept non-Catholic students?

Yes, most Massachusetts Catholic high schools enroll non-Catholic students, often 15-30% of the student body, particularly in urban schools serving diverse communities. Non-Catholic students typically still take required theology courses and attend religious services, but conversion is not required for admission or graduation at the vast majority of schools.

What financial aid options exist for Catholic school families in Massachusetts?

Options include need-based diocesan tuition assistance funds, school-specific endowed scholarships, the Massachusetts Catholic Schools Foundation, and third-party organizations like FACTS Grant & Aid for application processing. Some schools also offer merit scholarships tied to entrance exam scores, and parish-based subsidies reduce costs further for registered, tithing families within the sponsoring parish.

Are Massachusetts Catholic high schools single-sex or coed?

Massachusetts has a mix of both: schools like Notre Dame Academy and Ursuline Academy are all-girls, Catholic Memorial and Malden Catholic are all-boys, while Bishop Feehan, Central Catholic, and Austin Preparatory are coed. Single-sex schools often maintain sister-school partnerships for joint dances, service trips, and some cross-registered electives.

How does NEASC accreditation affect a Catholic school's ranking?

New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation signals a school passed an external review of curriculum rigor, faculty credentials, and facilities, and is renewed on a multi-year cycle rather than granted permanently. Schools lacking current NEASC status were weighted lower in rankings since there's no independent verification of their academic claims.

What's the average class size at top Catholic schools in Massachusetts?

Top-ranked Massachusetts Catholic high schools typically maintain 15-22 students per class, smaller than the state's public school average of roughly 22-25. Smaller orders and single-sex schools tend toward the lower end of that range, while larger diocesan schools with 800+ total enrollment sometimes run closer to 24-26 in core subjects.

Can Massachusetts Catholic school students take the MCAS state exam?

Private and Catholic school students are not required to take the MCAS, since it's a Massachusetts public school accountability measure, but some Catholic schools voluntarily administer it or comparable standardized tests like the ERB or Stanford 10 for internal benchmarking. Most rely instead on the PSAT, SAT, and AP exam results to demonstrate outcomes.

FAQ

Is Catholic school tuition tax-deductible in Massachusetts?

No, Massachusetts does not offer a state tax deduction for private K-12 tuition, and the federal government does not allow it either, though 529 college savings plans can be used for up to $10,000 per year in K-12 tuition under federal law. Some employers offer dependent tuition benefits separately.

What is the oldest Catholic high school in Massachusetts?

Boston College High School, founded in 1863 by the Jesuits, is among the oldest continuously operating Catholic high schools in Massachusetts. Several parish-founded academies date to the late 1800s as well, established to serve the era's growing Irish and Italian Catholic immigrant populations in Boston and surrounding mill towns.

Do Massachusetts Catholic schools require religion classes for non-Catholic students?

Yes, nearly all require a theology or religious studies credit each year regardless of the student's faith background, typically covering scripture, church history, and ethics. Attendance at school-wide Mass or prayer services is usually mandatory, though active participation in sacraments like Communion is not required of non-Catholic students.

What's the admissions timeline for Catholic high schools in Massachusetts?

Most schools open applications in early fall for the following school year, administer entrance exams like the HSPT in November, and release decisions by late January or early February, mirroring the Archdiocese of Boston's coordinated testing date. Rolling admission continues afterward for schools with remaining seats.

Are school uniforms required at Massachusetts Catholic high schools?

Yes, the overwhelming majority require uniforms or a strict dress code, ranging from formal blazer-and-tie policies at schools like Catholic Memorial to more relaxed polo-and-khaki standards elsewhere. Uniform vendors are typically designated by each school, with cost running $200-$500 annually depending on required pieces.

How competitive is admission to top Catholic schools in Massachusetts?

Selectivity varies widely: elite college-preparatory schools like Boston College High School and Xaverian Brothers can be moderately competitive with entrance exam cutoffs, while many parish and diocesan schools accept most applicants meeting basic academic and behavioral standards. None approach the single-digit acceptance rates of elite secular prep schools.

Do Massachusetts Catholic high schools offer boarding options?

Boarding is rare among Massachusetts Catholic high schools, as most operate as day schools serving local and regional commuter populations. Students seeking Catholic boarding typically look to schools outside the state, such as those in Connecticut or New Hampshire, since Massachusetts's Catholic institutions are concentrated in the Boston metro area.

What sports and extracurriculars do these schools typically offer?

Most field full interscholastic athletic programs through the MIAA, including football, hockey, basketball, and track, alongside robotics, campus ministry, debate, and theater. Schools affiliated with religious orders often add distinctive service-trip requirements, such as immersion programs, as a graduation component tied to their founding order's mission.

How do Catholic schools in Massachusetts compare academically to public schools?

Top Massachusetts Catholic high schools generally post higher four-year college matriculation rates and more AP course offerings per capita than the average public school, partly due to smaller class sizes and admissions screening. However, the state's top public schools, like Boston Latin, still outperform most Catholic schools on standardized test composites.

Is there a shared application system for Catholic high schools in Massachusetts?

The Archdiocese of Boston coordinates a shared entrance exam date (the TACHS or HSPT depending on the school) across many of its affiliated high schools, but each school still requires its own separate application and enrollment deposit. Independent order-run schools outside the Archdiocese's network typically manage entirely separate application processes.

Sources

• https://www.bostoncatholic.org/schools
• https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-catholic-high-schools/s/massachusetts/
• https://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/reports/
• https://www.privateschoolreview.com/massachusetts/catholic-schools
• https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts
• https://www.greatschools.org/massachusetts/
• https://www.neasc.org/
• https://www.cape.org/
• https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/

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