At a Glance
A Roman Catholic College Preparatory Community in Astoria
Families seeking a traditional Catholic college-prep education in a residential Queens neighborhood, who value faith-based formation and are comfortable with a less diverse student body. Good fit for students who thrive in a moderate-sized community with clear values and structure.
- Roman Catholic college-prep curriculum with Lasallian tradition
- 14:1 student-teacher ratio provides individualized attention
- Four-year secondary program (9-12) with consistent community
- Faith-based character education integrated throughout
- Astoria location offers suburban feel with city access
- Student body is predominantly white (72.8%) — less diverse than many NYC private schools
- 14:1 ratio is moderate; some comparable schools offer smaller classes
- Religious affiliation requires comfort with Catholic identity and practices
- Tuition not provided — families should inquire directly about cost
- Limited diversity may or may not align with family values about peer diversity
St. John's Prep is a Roman Catholic secondary school rooted in the Lasallian tradition, emphasizing academic rigor and character formation within a faith-based community. The school maintains a traditional college-prep approach with expectations for leadership, service, and moral development woven into the student experience.
With 72.8% of students identifying as white, St. John's Prep is notably less diverse than many New York City private schools, which often reflect the city's broad demographic mix. The remaining student body includes 13.3% Asian, 8.3% Black, and 5% multiracial students. The moderate 624-student enrollment allows for familiarity across grades, though the community skews more homogeneous than parents seeking a multicultural peer environment might expect.
Astoria in northern Queens offers a quality-of-life appeal that has attracted growing numbers of families. The neighborhood combines residential streets with commercial corridors, strong Greek and Mediterranean foodscene roots, and increasingly diverse amenities. Access to Manhattan via the N/W and R trains is straightforward from the Ditmars stop, making it viable for families who work in the city but prefer a less urban feel.
The school sits in a residential pocket of northern Astoria near Ditmars — walkable to the subway and neighborhood shops, with a quieter feel than the more commercial core of Astoria closer to 31st Street
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews: Niche rating 4.2/5. Parents praise academic rigor, diverse clubs/sports, supportive teachers, and effective COVID protocols. Criticisms include outdated facilities, temperature control issues, and some concerns about student vaping and administrative responsiveness.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Astoria (North)-Ditmars-Steinway.
- What grades does ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL serve?
- ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL?
- ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL in?
- ST JOHN'S PREP SCHOOL is in Astoria (North)-Ditmars-Steinway, Queens.
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.