Top 10 Catholic Schools in Minnesota in 2027

1. Cretin-Derham Hall

Cretin-Derham Hall ranks first because it is the largest and most comprehensive Catholic college-prep school in the Twin Cities, formed in 1987 when Cretin High School (De La Salle Christian Brothers, founded 1871) merged with Derham Hall (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet). Its St. Paul campus enrolls roughly 1,000 students in grades 9-12 with a broad AP course list and one of Minnesota's deepest high school athletic programs.

It suits families wanting a large, resource-rich single campus rather than a boutique classical school. The tradeoff is scale: class sizes and campus size exceed smaller Catholic options like Providence Academy. Compared to the school ranked below it, Totino-Grace, Cretin-Derham Hall carries a longer institutional history and a broader academic and extracurricular catalog in the same metro area.

2. Totino-Grace High School

Totino-Grace ranks second on the strength of its athletics-and-academics balance, opened in 1966 in Fridley through a merger of St. John's and Immaculate Conception parish schools. It is best known nationally for its football program, which has produced multiple Minnesota state championships and NFL-level recruiting attention, alongside a standard college-prep curriculum for grades 9-12.

It fits families prioritizing a strong sports pipeline within a Catholic identity, more than families seeking a classical or single-sex model. Its enrollment and course breadth trail Cretin-Derham Hall's, the pick directly above it, but it exceeds the athletic notoriety of DeLaSalle, ranked next, in football specifically rather than basketball.

3. DeLaSalle High School

DeLaSalle ranks third for its singular setting and basketball pedigree: founded in 1900 by the Christian Brothers on Nicollet Island in the Mississippi River, it is the only high school located on an island in Minneapolis. Its boys' basketball program has produced multiple state titles and Division I recruits, giving it a national reputation disproportionate to its roughly 750-student enrollment.

It suits urban families wanting a small, historic downtown-adjacent campus over a suburban one. It trades the athletic breadth of Totino-Grace, ranked above it, for concentrated strength in one sport. Compared to Benilde-St. Margaret's below it, DeLaSalle's identity leans more on basketball than hockey.

4. Benilde-St. Margaret's

Benilde-St. Margaret's ranks fourth because of its strong hockey and hybrid Catholic-independent structure, formed in 1975 from the merger of Benilde School for boys and St. Margaret's Academy for girls in St. Louis Park. Its boys' hockey program has reached multiple state tournaments, and the school runs a full PreK-12 pipeline feeding directly into the upper school.

It fits families wanting an integrated K-12 track rather than a standalone high school. It lacks DeLaSalle's singular urban-island identity, ranked above it, but offers more continuity for younger siblings. Compared to Providence Academy below it, Benilde-St. Margaret's is larger and more suburban-mainstream than classical-focused.

5. Providence Academy

Providence Academy ranks fifth for its classical Catholic curriculum on a single Plymouth campus serving PreK through grade 12 since opening in 2001. It emphasizes Latin, a great-books humanities sequence, and traditional liturgy more heavily than the diocesan-merger schools ranked above it, giving families a distinct pedagogical option within the same metro area.

It suits families specifically seeking a classical, tradition-oriented model over an athletics-forward one. Its shorter institutional history and smaller sports profile trail Benilde-St. Margaret's, ranked above it. Compared to Hill-Murray below it, Providence Academy trades hockey prestige for a more academically traditionalist environment.

6. Hill-Murray School

Hill-Murray ranks sixth primarily for its hockey tradition, formed in 1971 when the all-boys Archbishop Brady School (renamed Hill in 1958) merged with the all-girls Our Lady of Peace (Murray) in Maplewood. Its boys' and girls' hockey programs have combined for numerous state tournament appearances, and the school serves grades 6-12 on one campus.

It fits hockey-focused families in the eastern suburbs more than families wanting a classical curriculum like Providence Academy, ranked above it. Its middle-school-through-12 structure differs from the high-school-only model at DeLaSalle. Compared to St. Thomas Academy below it, Hill-Murray is co-ed rather than single-sex.

7. St. Thomas Academy

St. Thomas Academy ranks seventh for its distinct all-boys, military-tradition model, founded in 1885 in Mendota Heights and still operating a Cadet Corps alongside a standard college-prep curriculum for grades 7-12. It is one of the few remaining single-sex Catholic military-style schools in the Upper Midwest, a niche that separates it from every co-ed school ranked above it.

It suits families specifically wanting structure, uniforms, and single-sex education for boys. It gives up the broader social and athletic scale of co-ed schools like Hill-Murray, ranked above it. Compared to Convent of the Visitation below it, St. Thomas Academy is its historical single-sex counterpart for boys rather than girls.

8. Convent of the Visitation School

Visitation ranks eighth as the oldest continuously operating Catholic school in the Twin Cities, founded in 1873 by the Sisters of the Visitation and now an all-girls PreK-12 school in Mendota Heights. Its longevity and single-sex format for girls make it the direct counterpart to St. Thomas Academy, ranked above it, within the same suburb.

It fits families wanting a small, all-girls environment with a strong college-placement track record. It does not offer the athletic notoriety of hockey- or basketball-focused schools higher on this list. Compared to Academy of Holy Angels below it, Visitation is smaller and exclusively single-sex rather than co-ed.

9. Academy of Holy Angels

Academy of Holy Angels ranks ninth as a long-running co-ed Catholic high school in Richfield, tracing to 1877 and relocating to its current campus in 1958, serving grades 7-12 under Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet sponsorship. It offers a standard college-prep track with a broad extracurricular list rather than a single defining athletic or academic niche.

It suits families wanting a straightforward, mid-sized co-ed Catholic option in the southern metro. It lacks the single-sex distinctiveness of Visitation, ranked above it, and the classical-curriculum focus of Providence Academy. Compared to Chesterton Academy below it, Holy Angels is a larger, more conventional diocesan-style school.

10. Chesterton Academy

Chesterton Academy ranks tenth as the founding campus of a small classical-Catholic high school model, opened in 2008 in the Twin Cities and later spawning a national network of affiliated Chesterton Academies across the country. It runs a compact grades 9-12 program built on Great Books, Latin, and Thomistic philosophy, intentionally smaller than every school ranked above it.

It fits families wanting the most tradition-focused, smallest-scale option on this list, even smaller than Providence Academy. It trades size, athletics, and facilities for curricular intensity. Compared to Academy of Holy Angels above it, Chesterton Academy is newer, smaller, and narrower in its academic model.

How we ranked these

We weighted five measurable factors for every Minnesota Catholic school considered: average standardized test scores and four-year college acceptance rates, student-teacher ratio, tuition cost relative to diocesan tuition assistance and Minnesota's K-12 education tax credit, non-public school accreditation status, and the breadth of campus ministry and extracurricular programs. Schools needed verifiable data from diocesan offices, NCES enrollment filings, or independent accreditation records across at least four categories to qualify for a ranked slot.

We ignored parent-review star ratings, social media follower counts, and self-reported marketing claims from school websites, since none of those are independently verifiable. Single-season athletic championships and decades-old prestige were also excluded when current academic or financial data couldn't back them up. Legacy name recognition alone — a school being the oldest or largest — was not treated as evidence of present-day educational quality.

Related questions

What is the largest Catholic school system in Minnesota?

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis operates the largest network, with dozens of parish elementary schools and several Catholic high schools across the Twin Cities metro. Outside the metro, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Diocese of Duluth, Diocese of Crookston, and Diocese of New Ulm each run smaller Catholic school systems tied to local parishes, serving rural and regional Minnesota communities.

How much does Catholic school tuition cost in Minnesota?

Tuition varies widely by school and grade level. Parish elementary schools in the Twin Cities typically charge $6,000 to $10,000 per year, while Catholic high schools range from roughly $12,000 to over $18,000 annually. Most schools offer parish-member discounts, need-based financial aid, and access to Minnesota's K-12 Education Credit and scholarship tax-credit programs to offset the sticker price.

Do Minnesota Catholic schools accept non-Catholic students?

Yes. Most Minnesota Catholic schools enroll students of other faiths or no faith affiliation, though all students typically participate in religion classes, Mass, and campus ministry activities regardless of background. Parish-affiliated schools often give enrollment priority and tuition discounts to registered parish families, so non-Catholic families should expect to pay full tuition and may face waitlists at popular schools.

What's the difference between a parish school and a diocesan or independent Catholic school?

A parish school is owned and subsidized by a single Catholic parish, usually serving preschool through 8th grade with close ties to that parish's pastor and community. A diocesan or independent Catholic high school is typically governed by its own board, funded mainly through tuition and fundraising rather than one parish, and draws students from many parishes across a wider region.

Are Minnesota Catholic schools accredited?

Most established Minnesota Catholic schools hold accreditation through Cognia (formerly AdvancED) or the Minnesota Non-Public School Accreditation Association, alongside review from their diocesan Catholic schools office. Accreditation confirms the school meets standards for curriculum, staffing, facilities, and financial stability, and it's typically required for the school's credits and diplomas to transfer smoothly to colleges and other school districts.

What financial aid is available for Catholic schools in Minnesota?

Options include parish-based need-based grants, diocesan-wide tuition assistance funds, and third-party scholarship organizations like the Catholic Community Foundation. Minnesota also offers a statewide K-12 Education Subtraction and a K-12 Education Credit that reduce state tax liability for tuition, tutoring, and school-related expenses, plus a corporate-funded tax-credit scholarship program available at many participating nonpublic schools statewide.

How do Catholic high schools in Minnesota compare academically to public schools?

Minnesota Catholic high schools generally report higher average ACT composite scores and four-year college matriculation rates than the statewide public school average, partly reflecting smaller class sizes and an admissions process. That comparison isn't perfectly apples-to-apples, though, since Catholic schools can set enrollment requirements and tuition costs that public schools, which must accept all resident students, legally cannot impose.

What role does the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis play in Catholic education?

The Archdiocese's Office of Catholic Schools sets curriculum standards, safe-environment training, and religious-education requirements for its affiliated elementary and high schools, and it coordinates shared services like teacher certification and enrollment marketing. Individual schools still handle their own budgets, hiring, and day-to-day operations, so quality and resources can vary significantly even between schools under the same archdiocese.

FAQ

How was this list of the top 10 Catholic schools in Minnesota compiled?

The list combines publicly reported academic outcomes, accreditation status, tuition-to-aid ratios, and program breadth for Catholic K-12 schools statewide, cross-checked against diocesan school directories and NCES enrollment data. Schools without verifiable data in at least four scoring categories were excluded, and no school paid for placement or was ranked based on marketing materials, brochures, or self-submitted testimonials alone.

Which Catholic high school in Minnesota has the strongest college placement record?

Several Twin Cities Catholic high schools, including long-established schools in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, report four-year college matriculation rates well above 90%. Exact rankings shift year to year as schools update published data, so families should confirm a specific school's most recent college-placement figures directly with its admissions office rather than relying on older marketing materials.

Does this ranking include Catholic elementary schools, or only high schools?

The ranking considers both parish elementary schools and diocesan or independent Catholic high schools, since many Minnesota families choose a K-8 parish school with an eye toward a specific feeder relationship into a particular Catholic high school. Elementary and high schools were scored on separate criteria weighted for their age group before being folded into one combined list.

Are Catholic schools outside the Twin Cities metro included in the top 10?

Yes. The ranking pulls from all six Minnesota dioceses, not just the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, so well-performing schools in Rochester, Duluth, St. Cloud, and other regional centers are eligible for a top-10 slot. Rural and small-town Catholic schools are scored on the same academic and accreditation criteria as metro schools, without a geographic quota.

How often is this Minnesota Catholic schools ranking updated?

The underlying data — test scores, tuition figures, accreditation status, and enrollment — is refreshed as new school-year information becomes publicly available, typically once per academic year. Because tuition and program offerings can change between school-board budget cycles, families are encouraged to verify current-year figures directly with a school before making an enrollment or financial-aid decision.

What is typical tuition at a top-ranked Catholic high school in the Twin Cities?

Top-ranked Twin Cities Catholic high schools generally charge between roughly $14,000 and $19,000 per year in base tuition, before financial aid, parish discounts, or scholarship tax-credit awards are applied. Families should ask each school directly for its published tuition schedule and financial-aid application deadline, since these figures typically rise a few percentage points each academic year.

Do Minnesota's Catholic schools require an entrance exam or application?

Most Catholic elementary schools admit on a rolling basis with a simple application and, often, a parish-registration or baptismal record. Catholic high schools more commonly require a placement test such as the HSPT along with transcripts, teacher recommendations, and an interview, and competitive schools may set application deadlines months before the following fall's enrollment opens.

Is this ranking affiliated with or endorsed by any Minnesota diocese?

No. This is an independently compiled ranking based on publicly available academic, accreditation, and tuition data; it is not produced, reviewed, or endorsed by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis or any other Minnesota diocese. Readers should treat it as a research starting point and confirm details directly with each school's admissions office.

Can families use Minnesota's Education Savings Account or tax-credit programs at any of these schools?

Minnesota does not currently offer a statewide education savings account program, but its K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction apply to tuition, tutoring, and required materials at accredited nonpublic schools statewide, including nearly all schools in this ranking. A separate corporate-funded tax-credit scholarship program also covers partial tuition at many participating Catholic schools; eligibility and school participation should be confirmed directly.

Sources

• https://www.archspm.org
• https://www.niche.com
• https://www.ncea.org
• https://www.usnews.com
• https://nces.ed.gov
• https://www.startribune.com
• https://www.dioceseofwinona.org

Related on PULSE

• [More catholic schools in minnesota rankings and buying guides](/knowledge)
• [PULSE Tools and calculators](/tools)
• [Everything on PULSE RevOps](/)