As the U.S. embarks on Catholic Schools Week, the importance of a faith-based education cannot be overstated. The steady enrollment numbers of students within the Diocese of Brooklyn backs that conviction. According to the Catholic Schools of Brooklyn and Queens, Catholic academies and school communities within the diocese educate over 30,000 students in the two boroughs from early childhood through high school.
Here are some important statistics from the Diocese of Brooklyn on the Catholic academies and schools:
- English Language Arts results on New York State tests in Catholic academies/schools consistently outpaced New York State and City schools.
- Catholic education is cost efficient: per-pupil spending averages $5,143 compared to over $19,597 per pupil in NYC public elementary schools; savings to NYC taxpayers is over $600 million per year.
- Average annual tuition for a Catholic elementary school within the Diocese of Brooklyn is $4,022.
- $7.566 million in scholarships was awarded to 5,495 students to attend Catholic elementary schools within the diocese.
- 75% of eighth grade graduates will attend Catholic or other private/specialized high schools.
- 58 schools and academies reported that 538 eighth-grade graduates were offered $8,838,220 in merit-based scholarships to attend these high schools.
- 63 eighth-grade graduates were accepted into specialized schools.
- 99% of students in Catholic secondary schools graduate within four years; 98% go on to college.
The theme for this year’s Catholic School Week is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith And Community.” The community aspect of Catholic education is a very important quality for families. Your child is in school with other children who come from families that also value a faith-based education and are willing to pay for it.
That shared value is vital for a child. The atmosphere inside the classroom is one of shared learning with a cooperative
environment. In contrast, figures from the New York City Department of Education show that the public school system in the 2023–2024 term had 912,064 students enrolled in public schools. This is a 12.2% decrease from the 2018–2019 school year.
Data released last summer by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) showed that Catholic school enrollment across the nation has grown for the second year in a row. The trend began with a 3.8% increase in 2021-2022, on the heels of the pandemic, and rose again by 0.3% in 2022-2023 to 1,693,493 students in 5,920 schools. The retention of students by Catholic schools after the pandemic attests to the value of a faith-based education, which
many families across the United States consider important.
“This year we had stable enrollment, and to me, that means schools already did a great job of retaining students and
families,” said Annie Smith, NCEA vice president of research and data. The Diocese of Brooklyn has 69 Catholic elementary schools and 15 high schools throughout Brooklyn and Queens. Deacon Kevin McCormack serves as superintendent under the leadership of Bishop Robert Brennan.
The enduring value of Catholic education is evident in its commitment to academic excellence and strong community ties. As Catholic Schools Week unfolds, it serves as a powerful reminder of the profound impact these institutions have on students and families, nurturing not just minds but also hearts, in a faith-driven environment.