List of schools of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The following is a list of schools operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, which covers Cook and Lake counties, followed by a list of former high schools closed after 1959 and former K-8 schools closed after 1983.
An August 27, 2015 article by the Chicago Tribune refers to the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools as the largest private school system in the United States.
A wave of school closures after the 2014-2015 school year caused over 200 employees to change jobs and over 1,200 pupils to change schools.
At the outset of the 2020/21 academic year, the archdiocese ran 160 elementary schools and three high schools. An additional eight Catholic elementary schools and 28 Catholic high schools that are not archdiocesan-run are located within the Archdiocese of Chicago., the Superintendent of Catholic Schools is Jim Rigg, Ph.D.
History
The school construction boom ended when Cardinal John Cody, archbishop at the time, decided to limit construction of Catholic schools in Lake County and suburban areas in Cook County.Between 1984 and 2004, the Office of Catholic Schools closed 148 schools and 10 school sites. By 2005, over 50% of the Chicago Archdiocese Catholic schools that existed in 1966 no longer did.
In 1985, Joseph Bernardin, then the head of the archdiocese, stated that as costs increased to operate Catholic schools, it was likely merging or closure would result. In 1990 Bernardin stated that 18 schools were to close that year. He suggested that some parishes may change from having their own schools to having joint schools with other parishes, or regional schools. Ultimately 25 schools closed in 1990. In 1994 an additional 24 were shuttered. From 1990 to 2004, the number of Catholic schools shuttered exceeded 100.
In January 2018, the archdiocese announced the closure of five of its schools. In January 2020, the archdiocese announced the permanent closure of five of its other schools. As of 2022, there are 33 Catholic high schools currently operating in Cook and Lake counties, seven all-girl high schools, seven all-boys high schools and 19 co-ed high schools.
Schools
9–12 schools in [Chicago]
;Near West and Northwest Sides- Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
- Holy Trinity High School
- St. Ignatius College Preparatory School
- Our Lady of Tepeyac High School
- Christ the King Jesuit College Prep High School
- DePaul College Prep – relaunch of former Gordon Tech High School, 2014
- Josephinum Academy
- Resurrection High School
;Southwest Side
- Brother Rice High School
- Marist High School
- Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School
- St. Rita of Cascia High School
- De La Salle Institute
- St. Francis de Sales High School
- Leo Catholic High School
- Mount Carmel High School
9–12 schools in Cook County
This list excludes Chicago.;Northern Cook County
;Northwest Cook County
;Western Cook County
;Southwestern Cook County
;Southern Cook County
9–12 schools in Lake County
- Carmel Catholic High School
- Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep
- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
PK-8 schools in Chicago
PK-8 schools on the Near West and Northwest Sides
- Children of Peace School
- Epiphany School
- Our Lady of Grace School
- Our Lady of Tepeyac School
- St. Agnes of Bohemia School
- St. Angela School
- St. Helen School
- St. John Berchmans School
- St. Malachy School
- St. Mary of the Angels School
- St. Nicholas Ukrainian Cathedral School
- St. Patrick's Academy
- St. Pius V School
- St. Procopius School
PK-8 schools on the North Side
- Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts
- Frances Xavier Warde School
- * In 1994 Holy Name School, which had been facing a decline in the number of enrolled students, merged into Warde, and the former Holy Name became Warde School, Old St. Patrick's Campus so it could house the increasing number of students at Xavier.
- Immaculate Conception School
- Mount Carmel Academy
- Northside Catholic Academy
- Queen of All Saints School
- Queen of Angels School
- St. Andrew School
- St. Benedict School
- St. Clement School
- * St. Clement, located in Lincoln Park, is the parish school of St. Clement Church
- St. Eugene School
- St. Hilary School
- St. Josaphat School
- St. Juliana School
- St. Margaret Mary School
- St. Mary of the Angels School
- * St. Mary's, located in Bucktown, is the parish school of St. Mary of the Angels Church
- St. Mary of the Lake School
- St. Mary of the Woods School
- St. Matthias/Transfiguration School
- * The school, in the Lincoln Square community, is the parish school of the St. Matthias and Transfiguration of Our Lord parishes. the former Transfiguration School consolidated into St. Matthias in 2002; The St. Matthias building became the site of St. Matthias/Transfiguration as the Transfiguration building closed
- St. Thomas of Canterbury School
PK-8 schools on the Far Northwest Side
- St. Constance School
- St. Edward School
- St. Ferdinand School
- St. Genevieve School
- St. Monica Academy
- St. Pascal School
- St. Robert Bellarmine School
- St. Viator School
- St. William School
PK-8 schools on the Southwest Side
- Christ the King School
- Our Lady of the Snows School
- Pope John Paul II Catholic School
- * The sponsoring parishes of Pope John Paul II are Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Pancratius Parish, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, and Five Holy Martyrs Parish. John Paul II was formed in 1999 by the mergers of the parish schools of the four parishes; the Immaculate Conception and St. Pancriatus campus sites were immediately closed, while the Our Lady of Fatima and Five Holy Martyrs sites became a part of John Paul II. The Our Lady of Fatima site closed in 2003, leaving the Five Holy Martyrs site as the sole site for John Paul II. John Paul II, the sponsoring parishes, and the three closed sites are in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
- Queen of the Universe School
- St. Barnabas School
- St. Bede the Venerable School
- St. Cajetan School
- St. Christina School
- St. Daniel the Prophet School
- St. Gall School
- St. John Fisher School
- St. Mary Star of the Sea School
- St. Nicholas of Tolentine School
- St. Symphorosa School
- St. Therese Chinese Catholic School - It has a campus in Chinatown and another in Bridgeport. It was established in 1941. In 1990, almost all of the students were ethnic Chinese. In 2018 the archdiocese announced that St. Barbara School would merge into St. Therese as their respective parishes were also merging. In 2019 the St. Barbara School became the St. Therese Bridgeport campus.
- St. Walter School
PK-8 schools on the South Side
- Academy of St. Benedict the African
- * The school has two campuses, including the Laflin Campus at 6020 South Laflin and the Stewart Campus at 6547 South Stewart. The Laflin Campus is located in [West Englewood, Chicago|Englewood, Chicago|West Englewood]. The Stewart campus is in Englewood. The school, formerly known as Englewood Catholic Academy, was formed in 1984 from the consolidation of several parish schools, including St. Benedict the African School, St. Bernard School, St. Brendan School, St. Justin Martyr School, and St. Carthage School.
- Annunciata School
- Bridgeport Catholic Academy
- Christ the King School
- Holy Angels School
- St. Ailbe School
- St. Barnabas School
- St. Columbanus School
- St. Dorothy School
- St. Elizabeth School
- * It is in proximity to the former Robert Taylor Homes.
- St. Ethelreda School
- St. Gabriel School
- St. John de la Salle Academy of Fine Arts
- St. Margaret of Scotland School
- St. Michael School
- St. Philip Neri School
- St. Sabina Academy
- St. Therese Chinese Catholic School St. Barbara Campus
- St. Thomas the Apostle School
- Visitation School
PK-8 schools in Cook County
''This list excludes Chicago.''PK-8 schools in northern Cook County
- Mary, Seat of Wisdom School
- * This is the parish school for Mary, Seat of Wisdom Church.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- Pope John XXIII School
- * The school is the parish school for the St. Nicholas Parish and St. Mary Parish in Evanston . The school was formed in 1986 by the merger of St. Nicholas School and St. Mary School. Pope John XXIII occupied the former St. Nicholas building, and the St. Mary building closed. In 1998 the convent was converted into a preschool .
- Sacred Heart School
- St. Athanasius
- St. Catherine Laboure School
- SS. Faith, Hope & Charity School
- St. Francis Xavier School
- St. Joan of Arc School
- St. John Brebeuf School
- * The parishes of St. John Brebeuf are St. John Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Martha, and Our Lady of Ransom. The St. Isaac Jogues School closed in 1992, the St. Martha School closed in 2000, and Our Lady of Ransom School closed in 2004.
- St. Joseph School
- * The school is the parish school of St. Joseph Church.
- St. Norbert School
- St. Paul of the Cross School
- * The school is the parish school of St. Paul of the Cross Church.
PK-8 schools in northwest Cook County
- Holy Family Catholic Academy
- Our Lady of the Wayside School
- Queen of the Rosary School
- St. Alphonsus Liguori School
- St. Emily School
- St. James School
- St. Raymond School
- St. Theresa School
PK-8 schools in western Cook county
- Ascension School
- Divine Providence School
- Our Lady of Charity School
- St. Catherine of Siena/St. Lucy School - In 2020 the school had 165 students; 80 of them lived in the southern part of Austin, Chicago, and with the remainder from other parts of Chicago, Oak Park, Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood, and Westchester.
- St. Celestine School
- St. Cletus School
- St. Frances of Rome School
- St. Francis Xavier School
- St. Giles School
- St. John of the Cross School
- St. John Vianney School
- St. Leonard School
- St. Luke School
- St. Mary School
- St. Vincent Ferrer School
PK-8 schools in southwestern Cook County
- Cardinal Joseph Bernardin School
- Queen of Martyrs School
- St. Albert the Great School
- St. Alexander School
- St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School
- St. Catherine of Alexandria School
- St. Christopher School
- SS Cyril & Methodius School
- St. Damian School
- St. Gerald School
- St. Germaine School
- St. Linus School
- St. Patricia School
- White Pines Academy
PK-8 schools in southern Cook County
- Infant Jesus of Prague School
- St. Agnes School
- St. Benedict School
PK-8 schools in Lake County
- East Lake Academy
- School of St. Mary
- Most Blessed Trinity Academy
- Prince of Peace School
- St. Anastasia School
- St. Anne School
- St. Francis de Sales School
- St. Gilbert School
- St. Joseph School
- St. Joseph School
- St. Mary School
- St. Patrick School
- Transfiguration School
K-8 schools in Chicago
K-8 schools on the Near West and Northwest Sides
- St. Ann School
- Maternity B. V. M. School
- St. Paul-Our Lady of Vilna School
K-8 schools on the North Side
- Sacred Heart Schools
K-8 schools on the South Side
- Our Lady of Guadalupe School
- Sacred Heart School
K-8 schools in Cook County
This list excludes Chicago.K-8 schools in northern Cook County
- St. Athanasius School
K-8 schools in northwest Cook County
- St. John the Evangelist School
K-8 schools in southwest Cook County
- St. George School
- St. Michael School
- St. Patricia School
- St. Linus School
K-8 schools in Lake County
- St. Gilbert School
K-7 schools
Chicago, south side- Immaculate Conception School
5–8 schools
- Chicago Jesuit Academy
6–8 schools
- San Miguel School – Back of the Yards Campus
PK-3 schools
- Cardinal Bernardin Early Childhood Center
- * Bernardin ECC has one campus, St. Teresa of Avila at 1940 North Kenmore at Armitage. The other campus at St. Bonaventure at 1651 West Diversey at Paulina closed in 2022. Bernardin ECC opened in 1998 in the former campuses of Saint Bonaventure School and St. Teresa of Avila School
PK-2 schools
- Immaculate Conception School
K-1 schools
- Holy Family Catholic Academy
PK-K schools
- Old St. Mary's School
Former schools
The enrollment of Chicago Archdiocese Catholic schools was over 95,000 circa 2012. In 2020 this figure declined to circa 71,000, and that year the archdiocese closed five grade schools. The number of schools open declined to 209 in 2020.Former high schools
Former high schools in Chicago
Closure date not stated:- St. Casimir High School
- St. Catherine of Siena
- St. Dominic High School
- St. Philomena Commercial High School
- St. Josaphat Commercial High School
- St. Malachy High School
- St. Martin Commercial High School
- Corpus Christi High School
- Loretto High School
- St. Clement Commercial High School
- St. Alphonsus Commercial High School
- Sacred Heart High School
- St. Elizabeth High School
- DePaul University Academy
- St. Michael High School
- Providence High School
- St. Columbkille High School
- St. Mel High School
- Saints Peter and Paul High School
- St. Pius V Commercial High School
- Cardinal Stritch High School
- St. Patrick High School for Girls
- St. Phillip Basilica High School
- Loretto Academy
- Mercy High School
- Little Flower High School
- Angel Guardian High School
- St. Mary High School
- St. Paul High School
- St. Stanislaus Kostka High School
- Siena High School
- St. Michael Central Catholic High School
- St. Sebastian High School
- Heart of Mary High School
- St. Augustine High School
- St. Thomas the Apostle High School
- St. Ann High School
- St. Procopius High School
- Immaculata High School
- Mercy Mission High School
- Aquinas Dominican High School
- St. Mary of Perpetual Help High School
- Holy Family Academy
- Mendel Catholic High School
- Unity High School
- Visitation High School
- Willobrord Catholic High School
- Alvernia High School
Closed in 1993:
Closed in 1994:
- Cathedral High School
- St. Joseph High School
- St. Martin De Porres Academy
- Archbishop Weber High School
- Academy of Our Lady (Longwood Academy)
- Madonna High School
- St. Barbara High School
- Lourdes High School
- Good Counsel High School
Closed in 2013:
Closed in 2016:
Former high schools in Cook County
This list excludes Chicago.Closed in 1960:
- Wilmette Mallinckrodt High School
- Aurora Roncalli High School for Boys and Madonna Catholic High School consolidated to form Aurora Central Catholic High School.
- St. George High School
- St. Patrick Academy
- Marywood High School
- Mother of Sorrows High School
Closed in 1991:
- Saint Vincent de Paul High School Seminary
Closed in 2004:
- Holy Cross High School
- Immaculate Heart of Mary High School
- Seton Academy, South Holland.
- Queen of Peace High School students accepted at St. Laurence High School
Closed in 2021
Former K-8 schools
Former K-8 schools in Chicago
Closed in 1984:- Assumption B.V.M.
- St. Kevin School
- St. Bernard School
- St. Brendan School
- St. Carthage School
- Holy Rosary School
- Immaculate Conception School
- S. S. Peter & Paul
- St. George School
- S. S. Peter and Paul
- All Saints School
- Our Lady of Hungary School
- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini School
- St. Mel School
- St. Agnes School
- St. Augustine School
- St. George School
- Our Lady of Vilna
- Notre Dame de Chicago School
- St. Mary School
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Holy Trinity School
- S. S. Peter and Paul School
- Sacred Heart of Jesus School
- Saint Bonaventure School
- St. Charles Lwanga School
- St. Fidelis School
- St. Francis de Paula
- St. John of God
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- St. Sebastian School
- Assumption BVM
- Holy Cross
- St. Ludmilla
- Academy St. Benedict The African – May St. Campus
- Bridgeport Catholic Academy – Early Childhood East
- Bridgeport Catholic Academy – Early Childhood West
- St. Roman School
- St. Veronica School
- Providence of God School
- St. Francis de Sales School
- Corpus Christi School
- St. Hedwig School
- St. Kilian School
- St. Michael the Archangel School
- St. Wenceslaus School
- Our Lady of Lourdes School
- Holy Name Cathedral Elementary School
- Jesus, Our Brother School
- Little Flower School
- Our Lady of Pompeii School
- St. Anselm School
- St. Laurence School
- St. Rita of Cascia School
- St. Ignatius School
- St. Jerome School
- St. Timothy School
- St. John Bosco School
- St. Stephen School
- St. Teresa of Avila School
- St. Joachim School
- Our Lady Help of Christians School
- Our Lady of Sorrows School
- St. Adrian School
- St. Anthony School
- St. Basil School
- Our Lady of the Westside – Precious Blood Campus
- Assumption BVM/ St. Catherine of Genoa School
- Our Lady of the Angels School
- Our Lady of Peace School
- Five Holy Martyrs School
- Immaculate Conception School
- Our Lady of Fatima School
- St. Pancratius School
- Bridgeport Catholic Academy – North Campus
- St. Columba
- St. Leo the Great
- Bridgeport Catholic Academy – West Campus
- Children of Peace – Holy Family
- McKinley Park – St. Maurice Campus
- Northside Catholic Academy – St. Gregory Campus
- Blessed Sacrament / Our Lady of Lourdes School
- * It was in Lawndale. Its peak enrollment was circa 250, and in the year it closed it had 227 students. Parents led a campaign to oppose the closure, arguing that the archdiocese had asked for a fundraising, which the parents did, but moved to close it anyway.
- Holy Innocents School
- Holy Name of Mary School
- McKinley Park Catholic School
- St. Ambrose School
- St. Clare do Montefalco School
- St. Denis School
- St. Gelasius School
- St. James School
- St. Joseph School
- St. Joseph School
- Our Lady of Mercy School
- St. Thaddeus School
- Pope John Paul II – Our Lady of Fatima Site
- St. Mark School
- St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School
- * In the 2003-2004 school year, its enrollment was around 170.
- St. Bride School
- Our Lady of the Westside School
- Our Lady of the Gardens School
- St. Priscilla School
- Nativity B.V.M. School
- St. Helena of the Cross School
- St. Hyacinth Basilica School
- St. Ladislaus School
- St. Rene Goupil School
- St. Turibius School
- St. Agatha Catholic Academy
- St. Columbanus School - Park Manor - Merged with St. Dorothy to form a new school
- St. Dorothy School - Chatham - Merged with St. Columbanus to form a new school
- St. Cornelius School
- St. Florian School
- St. Tarcissus School
- St. Michael the Archangel School in the city's South Chicago neighborhood - It had 80 students in 2018.
- Santa Lucia School
- St. Barbara School In 2018 the archdiocese announced that St. Barbara School would merge into St. Therese as their respective parishes were also merging. In 2019 the St. Barbara School became the St. Therese Bridgeport campus.
- St. Thecla School
- Cardinal Bernadin Early Childhood Center
- St. Bartholomew School
- Sts. Bruno and Richard School
- St. Francis Borgia School
- St. Jerome School
- St. Stanislaus Kostka School
Former K-8 schools in Cook County
Closed in 1984:- Alexine Academy
- St. John Chrysostom School
- St. Mary School
- St. Gerard Majella School
- Ascension/ St. Susanna School
- St. Dionysus School
- St. Joseph School
- Mother of Sorrows Boarding School
- Mount Carmel School
- Seven Holy Founders
- St. Rosalie School
- St. Anthony School
- St. Charles Borromeo School
- St. James School
- St. Isaac Jogues School
- St. Joseph the Worker School
- St. Pius X School
- St. Gertrude School
- St. Martha School
- St. Emeric School
- St. Hugh School
- St. Isidore, The Farmer School
- * The archdiocese determined the school was too expensive to maintain.
- St. Simeon School
- Mary of Nazareth School
- Mary Queen of Heaven School
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel School
- St. James School
- St. Anne School
- St. Eulalia School
- St. Lambert School
- St. Philip the Apostle School
- Holy Ghost School
- Our Lady of Knock School
- Our Lady of Ransom School
- * OLR students were absorbed by St. John Brebeuf School, St. Paul of the Cross School, and Mary, Seat of Wisdom School
- Queen of Apostles School
- St. Andrew of the Apostle
- St. Jude the Apostle School
- St. Victor School
- Divine Savior School
- Our Lady of Loretto School
- St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Elementary School
- * It opened circa 1893. Its final enrollment was 142, and the small number of students was the reason for its closure..
- St. Beatrice School
- St. Mary Of Czestochowa School
- Christ Our Savior School, East Campus in Calumet City The school only had 64 students enrolled.
- St. Domitilla School
- St. Bernardine School
- St. Kieran School
- St. Bernadette School
- Our Lady of Destiny - Merged into St. Zachary School.
- St. Lawrence O'Toole School - The church also closed, and the archdiocese put the entire complex on the market for $2,700,000 in 2023.
- St. Peter School - It opened circa 1865, and closed in 2015 after a shortfall in money and a decline in the student population.
- St. Edmund School
- St. Joseph School - It had 64 students at the time of closure.
- St. Louis De Montfort School - It had 133 students at the time of closure.
- Holy Cross School in north suburban Deerfield
- Incarnation School
- Our Lady of the Ridge Catholic School in southwest suburban Chicago Ridge
- St. Cyprian School in northwest suburban River Grove
- Divine Infant Jesus School: The archdiocese cited a decline in enrollment and financing and desired to operate only one parish school once Divine Infant Jesus Church and Divine Providence Church united as one parish in July 2019 as a part of the Renew My Church initiative. A majority of the students transferred to Divine Providence School.
- St. Colette School in Rolling Meadows - The student population from circa 2017 to 2020 declined by 97. In 2020 its budget deficit was $500,000.
- St. Jane de Chantal School in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood. - In the 2015-2016 school year, the school had 281 students. This figure declined to 272, 245, and then 202 in subsequent school years. In total, from circa 2017 to 2020 the student population declined by 92. In the 2018-2019 school year it had 202 students and 20 employees, with 14 of them in the faculty. The archdiocese stated that the school could stay open if the community raised $357,000, but the community did not do so.
- St. Joseph School in Round Lake - The student population from circa 2016 to 2020 declined by 92. The archdiocese asked if there were interested benefactors, but the archdiocese was unsuccessful.
- St. Louise de Marillac School in LaGrange Park - The student population from circa 2019 to 2020 declined by 28. The archdiocese asked if there were interested benefactors, but the archdiocese was unsuccessful.
- St. Maria Goretti School in Schiller Park - From circa 2017 to 2020 the student population declined by 73. The archdiocese stated that the school could remain open if it had 150 students for 2019-2020, but the student population was below that.
- Christ Our Savior School
- Sacred Heart School
- St. Anne School
- St. Joseph School
- St. Odilo School
- St. Zachary School
- St. Thomas of Villanova School
- St. Hubert School
Former K-8 schools in Lake County
Closed in 1984:- St. Bartholomew School
- Holy Rosary School
- * Merged with Holy Cross School of Deerfield, Illinois
- Holy Cross School - Merged into St. James School in Highwood
Closed in 2019:
- St. Mary of Annunciation School
- St. Bede School
- Our Lady of Humility School
Former 5-8 schools
- San Miguel School – Gary Comer Campus