At a Glance
A massive, affordable Catholic prep school that pulls from across the boroughs — and keeps students very busy.
Best suited for
A motivated, organized student from a Catholic or college-prep-minded family who wants real academic and athletic variety, a genuinely diverse community, and can handle a car-dependent commute and a heavy homework load.
What stands out
- Scale brings real breadth — with 2,400 students, the course catalog and social world rival a big public school while staying Catholic and college-focused.
- 20 AP courses plus a College Credit Program mean academically motivated students have a deep menu of college-level work.
- Tuition of $10,600 is unusually affordable for a Catholic college prep with this academic and athletic footprint.
- 26 varsity sports and a robust Campus Ministry and Retreat Program round out the standard "four Golden Links" of Franciscan education.
- Triple-accredited (Middle States, NY Board of Regents, NYSAIS), and parent reviews land at 4.3/5 with consistent praise for college preparation.
Things to consider
- The 20.9:1 student-teacher ratio is solid but not intimate — students who thrive here tend to be self-directed.
- Workload is real: parents report 2–3 hours of homework a night, so time management and sleep hygiene matter.
- There is no subway within walking distance, so families from Manhattan, Brooklyn, or the Bronx should weigh commute logistics carefully.
- Admissions are rolling, which is family-friendly on paper but means spots can tighten — apply early to be safe.
- At this size, two students can have very different experiences depending on their track, friends, and activities — it's worth asking current families what daily life actually feels like.
Identity
St. Francis Prep is a Catholic college preparatory school in the Franciscan tradition, founded to develop students' spiritual, intellectual, creative, emotional, social, and physical abilities — the four "Golden Links" of Franciscan education. It is coed and serves grades 9 through 12, and at roughly 2,400 students it ranks among the very largest Catholic secondary schools in the United States.
Community
With 2,400+ students commuting in from across the region, St. Francis Prep has one of the more genuinely diverse Catholic school populations in the city — White students form a plurality at 42%, with Hispanic (23%), Black (16%), and Asian (16%) families all well represented. The diversity index of 0.72 reflects a real cross-section rather than a single neighborhood's profile.
Neighborhood
The school sits in Fresh Meadows-Utopia, a middle-class residential pocket of central Queens where the median household income is around $96,000 and nearly half of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The block feels more suburban Queens than urban New York, with quiet streets and single-family homes rather than retail foot traffic.
Getting here without a car is tough — there are no subway stations within a 20-minute walk, so most families drive, take a bus, or set up carpools from their home borough.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews; positive feedback emphasizes challenging academics, great teachers, strong community, diverse opportunities, and excellent college preparation. Some concerns about communication and workload (2-3 hours homework per night). Overall rating of 4.3/5 across 12 reviews.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Fresh Meadows-Utopia.
- What grades does ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL serve?
- ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL?
- ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL in?
- ST FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL is in Fresh Meadows-Utopia, Queens.