Catholic School Statistics

Updated Feb. 24, 2026

The following statistics are from Catholic schools in Arkansas. Also available is a map of Catholic schools in Arkansas. If you have questions about this information, please contact the Catholic Schools Office. For national statistics, visit the National Catholic Education Association.

Enrollment

The following includes all 26 Catholic schools in Arkansas.

• Total Enrollment: 7,104
• Preschool Enrollment: 872
• Elementary Enrollment (K-8): 4,592
• Secondary Enrollment (9-12): 1,640

Makeup of Student Body

Each is provided as a percentage of all students.

• Catholic: 73 percent
• Non-Catholic: 27 percent

Percentage of Students by Ethnicity

Each is provided as a percentage of all students.

• Hispanic students: 18 percent
• Asian: .04 percent
• American Indian/Native Alaskan: .01 percent
• Black/African American: 2 percent
• Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: .03 percent
• Middle Eastern: .02 percent
• Two or more races: 6 percent
• White: 71 percent
• Unknown: 2 percent

Makeup of Professional Staff

There are a total of 639 professional staffers working in Catholic schools. Their status is provided as a percentage of all professional staff.

• Staff who are laypeople: 98 percent
• Staff who are Catholic: 73 percent
• Staff who are non-Catholic: 27 percent

Tuition Rate for Elementary Schools

• Average tuition rate in elementary school for first Catholic child: $6,382.91
• Average tuition rate in elementary school for first non-Catholic child: $7,504

Tuition Rate for Secondary Schools

This includes St. Joseph School, Conway, Sacred Heart School, Morrilton, Catholic High School, Little Rock, Mount St. Mary Academy, Little Rock and Ozark Catholic Academy, Springdale. 

• Average Catholic tuition rate of secondary school: $8,306
• Average non-Catholic tuition rate of secondary school: $9,766

Cost of Education

• Average cost to educate in elementary school: $8,865.01
• Average cost to educate in secondary school: $12,557.55

Oldest Catholic School in Arkansas

Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock was established in 1851 by Bishop Andrew Byrne to support Catholic settlement in frontier Arkansas. Learn more from the school's website.