At a Glance
A faith-centered Catholic elementary where academics and tradition go hand in hand
Best suited for
Working- and middle-class Catholic families in Ridgewood and nearby Queens who want a structured, faith-based elementary education with strong academics at a tuition that's realistic on a dual-income budget.
What stands out
- Offers a 1:1 device program and a dedicated STEM Lab, which is notable for a Catholic elementary at this price point.
- Music Ministry is woven into school life, giving students regular opportunities to participate in liturgical and choral work.
- Tuition tops out at $13,400 — well below the city's independent school range — making Catholic-school education accessible to a broader swath of Queens families.
- Dual accreditation through Cognia and the National Catholic Educational Association adds accountability beyond what most Catholic schools maintain.
Things to consider
- Parent reviews are mixed — academic rigor and teacher dedication are praised, but several families flag concerns about facilities and communication.
- Pre-K classroom management has been a recurring complaint from some families, worth asking about directly if you have a younger entrant.
- The school goes only through fifth grade, so families will need a separate middle and high school plan — the listing of Algebra 1 and Earth Science Regents programs is unusual for an elementary-only school and worth clarifying at a tour.
- Three nearest subway stations are all 11–14 minutes on foot, so commuting from outside Ridgewood without a car is doable but not as convenient as a closer-to-subway school.
Identity
Notre Dame is a coed Roman Catholic elementary school rooted in traditional Catholic education, blending faith formation with a college-preparatory academic mindset. The school emphasizes scholarship alongside spirituality, with technology and STEM integrated into the curriculum. Founded as a parish school and now operating as an academy, it serves families seeking a faith-centered alternative to public education.
Community
The student body is predominantly White (about 62%) with a substantial Hispanic population (about 32%), and small Asian and Black representation. With a diversity index in the moderate range, the community reflects the broader Ridgewood mix of longtime white ethnic Catholic families and a growing Latino presence. The 18.8:1 student-teacher ratio is typical for a Catholic academy of this size — classes are not tiny, but not overcrowded either.
Neighborhood
Ridgewood sits on the Queens-Brooklyn border with a working- and middle-class character, where median household income is around $83,500 and about a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The neighborhood has a distinctly Catholic, family-oriented feel with active parish life, and the school fits naturally into that fabric. The area is more residential than commercial, with a strong sense of local identity.
The M train serves three nearby stations — Forest Av, Fresh Pond Rd, and Seneca Av — each about an 11- to 14-minute walk from the school, so most families will likely drive or arrange drop-off rather than rely on the subway.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews; parents praise dedicated teachers, high test scores, and strong academic programs, but some express concerns about pre-K classroom management, outdated facilities, and occasional communication issues
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Ridgewood.
- What grades does NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY serve?
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY?
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY public, charter, or private?
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY is a private school.
- What neighborhood is NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY in?
- NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC ACADEMY is in Ridgewood, Queens.