At a Glance
An all-girls Catholic middle school in the Bronx where the Mercy tradition shapes daily life — and where tuition is rare for a New York private school.
Best suited for
Catholic families — and non-Catholic families drawn to the Mercy tradition — looking for an affordable, values-driven, single-gender middle school for their daughters in the Bronx.
What stands out
- An all-girls Catholic middle school is rare in New York — and one explicitly grounded in the Mercy tradition of service and advocacy even rarer.
- Tuition of $8,300 is strikingly affordable for a New York City private school, putting St Catharine's within reach for many middle-income Bronx families.
- The Pelham Pkwy 5 train is a 2-minute walk, making the commute easy from much of the Bronx and from upper Manhattan via the 5.
- Extracurriculars punch above the school's size, with robotics, performing arts, an award-winning varsity cheerleading squad, and a forensic science program alongside 25+ clubs.
- Single-gender education during the middle school years, when research and parent experience often point to a benefit from a focused, supportive environment for girls.
Things to consider
- The school only goes through 8th grade — families will need a separate high school plan after graduation.
- The Catholic identity is central, not peripheral; faith formation is woven into the school day, and families should be comfortable with that.
- At 16.5:1, the student-teacher ratio is solid but not intimate; this is a conventional Catholic school classroom size, not a tiny progressive one.
- All-girls means it's not the right fit for families specifically seeking a coeducational middle school experience.
Identity
Founded in the Mercy tradition, St Catharine's is an all-girls Catholic middle school serving grades 6 through 8 in the Bronx. The school grounds its program in educational courage, faith, principled leadership, and a commitment to dignity and respect. Accredited by the Archdiocese of New York and the NCEA, it weaves faith formation together with academic work.
Community
The student body is one of the most diverse you'll find in a New York private school, with Hispanic students making up the largest share and substantial Black and White populations alongside a smaller Asian contingent. At 348 students total, the school is small enough that most families get to know each other. Reviews consistently describe strong, accessible teachers and a welcoming culture.
Neighborhood
Pelham Gardens is a middle-class residential pocket of the eastern Bronx, with a median household income around $90,000 and roughly a third of adults holding a bachelor's degree. The area is largely single-family homes and small apartment buildings along the Pelham Parkway corridor. It's the kind of place where families tend to stay for a long time.
The commute is genuinely easy — Pelham Pkwy on the 5 line is about a 2-minute walk, Morris Park on the 5 is about 8 minutes, and Pelham Pkwy on the 2 and 5 lines is about a 12-minute walk.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Positive reviews highlight welcoming environment, strong values education, great teachers, and academic rigor. Ratings: 4.05/5 (A- grade) and 4.0/5
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 6 to 8 in Pelham Gardens.
- What grades does ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL serve?
- ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL serves grades 6 to 8.
- How do students get into ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL?
- ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL in?
- ST CATHARINE'S HIGH SCHOOL is in Pelham Gardens, Bronx.