Catholic School Statistics

Updated Jan. 27, 2025

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.

Total Enrollment: 6,810 

This includes the enrollment in all 26 Catholic schools in Arkansas.

• Preschool Enrollment: 867
• Elementary Enrollment (K-8): 4,354
• Secondary Enrollment (9-12): 1,589

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: 14 percent
• Asian: 3 percent
• American Indian/Native Alaskan: .6 percent
• Black/African American: 2 percent
• Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: .08 percent
• Middle Eastern: .07 percent
• Two or more races: 6 percent
• White: 73 percent
• Unknown: 1 percent

Makeup of Professional Staff

There are a total of 614 professional staffers working in Catholic schools. Their status is provided as a percentage of all professional staff.

• Staff who are laypeople: 97 percent
• Staff who are Catholic: 73 percent
• Staff who are non-Catholic: 27 percent

Tuition Rate for Elementary Schools

This is the average among elementary schools.

• Average tuition rate in elementary school for first Catholic child: $5,491.70
• Average tuition rate in elementary school for first non-Catholic child: $6,911.77

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: $7,949.20
• Average non-Catholic tuition rate of secondary school: $8,937.20

Cost of Education

This is the average cost to schools to educate a student per year.

• Average cost to educate in elementary school: $7,342.92
• Average cost to educate in secondary school: $14,113.05

Oldest Catholic School: Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, established in 1851

Mount St. Mary Academy was part of an effort by Bishop Andrew Byrne to support Catholic settlement in frontier Arkansas. Learn more from the school's website.