Pittsburgh Catholic Schools Grow as Aid Expands

Families across the Pittsburgh diocese now have more tuition help to weigh when comparing Catholic school costs.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education

Pittsburgh Catholic Schools Grow as Aid Expands

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Would you consider enrolling your child in a private Catholic school?

Nearly 200 new students enrolled in Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh schools this school year, with 100 new families joining schools across the diocese. Families in the Pittsburgh area gained access to expanded tuition assistance, and the diocese's 2025-26 total enrollment stood at just more than 12,100 students.

Why it matters

For Pittsburgh families weighing private education, the enrollment gain and expanded aid signal that Catholic school tuition is becoming more reachable, with a 2025-26 base tuition of $16,250 at Central Catholic High School and $17,900 at Oakland Catholic. Officials credit strong academics, family demand for a Catholic education, and the broader tuition assistance push for the rise.

The diocese's 54 schools, including 44 preschool-through-eighth-grade schools and 10 high schools, enrolled just more than 12,100 students in 2025-26. Base tuition runs $16,250 at Central Catholic High School and $17,900 at Oakland Catholic, and 100% of last year's graduating class finished high school.

The players

Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh

The regional Catholic diocese that operates 54 schools, including 44 preschool-through-eighth-grade schools and 10 high schools, serving Pittsburgh-area families.

Central Catholic High School

A Pittsburgh-area Catholic high school within the diocese, with a published base tuition of $16,250 this year.

Oakland Catholic

A Pittsburgh-area Catholic high school within the diocese, with a published base tuition of $17,900 this year.

The details

The diocese moved to a cost-per-student funding model this school year, and neighboring parishes now share responsibility for supporting regionalized elementary schools by pooling resources and administrative services. An anonymous donor gift routed through Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program helped reduce costs for families. All families who applied for financial aid last year were eligible for assistance this year.

Last year: the high school graduating class reached a 100% graduation rate.
This school year: the diocese adopted its cost-per-student funding model and enrolled nearly 200 new students.
2025-26: total enrollment stood at just more than 12,100 students.

The Home Front

Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program lets businesses direct donations to scholarship organizations, and it is the channel that carried the anonymous gift behind this year's tuition relief. For Pittsburgh households, that state mechanism now sits alongside the diocese's own cost-per-student model as a factor in what private school actually costs.

If you are weighing a Catholic high school for a child, request the current tuition schedule and ask each school about assistance eligibility, since the source reports all families who applied for aid last year qualified this year. Gather your household income and tax documents early so the financial aid application can be completed before enrollment deadlines.

The takeaway

Rising enrollment and expanded aid suggest private Catholic education is becoming a more accessible option for Pittsburgh families, not only a choice for the highest earners. Before budgeting, confirm each school's current base tuition and ask directly what financial aid is available, because published sticker prices do not show the net cost a family will actually pay.