At a Glance
A Rooted Bronx Catholic High School Where Diversity Meets Tradition
Families seeking a Catholic secondary education in the Bronx who value a diverse student body and a structured, values-driven environment. Particularly well-matched for parents who want their teenager in a coed school with genuine racial and ethnic diversity and a traditional approach to education.
- Genuinely diverse student body — not performatively diverse, but reflecting the real demographics of the Bronx
- Catholic identity with integrated faith, service, and values expectations
- Mid-size enrollment (1,100) creates a peer community without feeling overwhelming
- 17:1 student-teacher ratio allows for personalized attention
- Religious affiliation is central to the school — expect Mass attendance, religious coursework, and faith-based values
- This is a selective private school (no specific selectivity data provided, but worth asking about admissions standards)
- Commute could be significant if you don't live in the East Bronx or nearby Westchester
- As a Catholic school, tuition applies — families should contact the school directly for current costs
This is a Roman Catholic coed high school with a moderate enrollment of about 1,100 students. The student-teacher ratio of roughly 17:1 means your child won't get lost in the crowd — teachers can learn names and follow individual progress, but there's also a robust peer community.
The diversity here is a genuine strength — the student body is roughly 40% Black, 40% Hispanic, with meaningful Asian (5%) and white (14%) representation. This is a genuinely integrated school community where students from different backgrounds learn together.
Located in the Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester area of the Bronx, Cardinal Spellman serves families from a part of the borough that's residential, working- to middle-class, and less frequently written about than neighborhoods closer to Manhattan. The area has a family density score of 52/100 — moderately family-oriented.
The school sits in a car-friendly section of the East Bronx. Families driving from other parts of the Bronx or from Westchester should consider commute logistics — this isn't a walkable neighborhood in the Manhattan sense, but it's accessible by car.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews highlight academic rigor, helpful teachers who offer extra credit, and strong college preparation; alumni note valuable networking opportunities with successful graduates; some concerns about school location and recent academic standards
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester.
- What grades does CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL serve?
- CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL?
- CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL in?
- CARDINAL SPELLMAN HIGH SCHOOL is in Eastchester-Edenwald-Baychester, Bronx.
Get the complete picture
Motley pulls together data from across New York City so you don’t have to. One free account, every school.
No credit card required
Get all this when you sign in
Survey data, program listings, admissions stats, and the full editorial profile — free, no credit card.
Full School Profile
Skip the tour guessing game. Get the standout features, honest trade-offs, and whether your kid will actually thrive here — before you visit.
Survey Results
See what 2,600+ schools’ own families and teachers really think — trust, safety, instruction quality — so you walk in with the truth, not the brochure.
Programs & Activities
Stop Googling program lists. AP courses, STEM labs, dual-language tracks, sports teams, arts — all categorized so you can compare schools in minutes.
Admissions Demand
Know your odds before you apply. Apps-per-seat ratios, offer rates, and fill data — so you don’t waste your top choice on a long shot.
Economic Need & Special Populations
Find out if the support your child needs is actually there — IEP enrollment, economic need index, and the demographics no other site surfaces.
Discipline
One bad year doesn’t tell you much. Three years of state-verified suspension data shows whether things are getting better or worse.