Catholic School Statistics

Updated Oct. 21, 2021

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: 6,320 

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

• Elementary enrollment: 4,159
• Secondary enrollment: 1,472
• Preschool enrollment: 689

Makeup of Student Body

Each is provided as a percentage of all students. (*Hispanic is not considered a race but an ethnic group.)

• Percentage of Catholic students: 75
• Percentage of non-Catholic Students: 25
• Percentage of white students: 89
• Percentage of Hispanic students: 18* 
• Percentage of non-Hispanic students: 82*
• Percentage of Asian students: 3
• Percentage of Black students: 2
• Percentage of two or more races: 4

Makeup of Professional Staff

There are a total of 605 professional staffers working in Catholic schools. Their status is provided as a percentage of all professional staff.

• Percentage of staff who are laypeople: 98
• Percentage of staff who are Catholic: 74
• Percentage of staff who are non-Catholic: 26

Average Annual Cost of Educating One Child in Elementary School: $6,532

The following shows the difference between the cost and tuition fees in Catholic elementary schools.

• Average tuition rate in elementary school for first Catholic child: $4,147
• Average tuition rate in elementary school for non-Catholic first child: $5,734

Average Annual Cost of Educating One Child in Secondary School: $9,864

The following shows the difference between the cost and tuition fees in Catholic secondary schools. These averages include the rates from St. Joseph School in Conway, Sacred Heart School in Morrilton, Catholic High School in Little Rock, Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock and Ozark Catholic Academy in Springdale.

• Average Catholic tuition rate for secondary Catholic school: $6,498
• Average non-Catholic tuition rate for secondary Catholic school: $7,474.60

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.