83% of Catholic High Grads Go On to College

WASHINGTON — Roman Catholic high schools deliver quality education and are far more likely to send students to college than public schools, a study by the National Catholic Education Assn. showed.

The 254-page report, called “The Catholic High School: a National Profile,” was financed by the Ford Foundation. It surveyed the nation’s 1,464 Catholic high schools, which enroll almost 800,000 students.

The report found that about 80% of Catholic students are in college preparatory programs compared to 47% in public schools and 83% of graduates go to college compared to 52% from public schools.

The report, the most extensive ever done on Catholic high schools, also pointed out some weak spots in the system.

The average starting salary for Catholic high school teachers was $11,121 compared to $14,045 for public school teachers, and the turnover rate for Catholic school teachers is high. About 54% of Catholic high school teachers have five years of experience or less compared to 8% of the teachers in public schools, the study said.

Also, education of handicapped students “is not a high priority” in most Catholic high schools, the report noted.

The report noted that in 1962, 69% of Catholic high school teachers were priests, brothers or nuns. Today, they account for only 23% of Catholic high school teachers.

The study also found that 28% of families earned less than $20,000 in 1982 and that 11% of students are non-Catholic. Black enrollment in Catholic schools (7%) was lower than in public schools, but Latino enrollment (8%) was higher.