XAVERIAN HIGH SCHOOL

Catholic families (or those drawn to Catholic education broadly) who want a structured, faith-rooted college-prep experience with serious STEM and music offerings — and whose commute can handle an R-train-plus-walk from most of the city.

• The Michael T. Strianese STEM Program, built around the national Project Lead the Way curriculum and split into Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, and Computer Science pathways.
• The MAX Music Program, which fields 28 performing groups — an unusually deep commitment to music for a Catholic school of any size.
• Sponsorship by the Xaverian Brothers gives the school a distinctive religious identity rather than generic Catholic branding.
• At about 1,625 students, Xaverian can offer course breadth, athletic teams, and club variety that smaller Catholic schools simply cannot.
• Middle States accreditation, which signals a serious institutional commitment to academic standards.

• Tuition runs $12,475–$18,700 for 2025–26 — a meaningful expense for larger Catholic families, though in the moderate range for NYC private schools.
• The 17.8:1 student-teacher ratio is functional but not intimate; families wanting a small, known-by-name environment should look elsewhere.
• Both nearest R train stations are a 14–15 minute walk, so bus or car is going to be the practical commute for most students.
• With White students making up about 71% of enrollment, families prioritizing racial diversity will want to weigh this honestly against their other priorities.
• Parent reviews average 4.4 out of 5 across 189 reviews and praise academics and faculty, but some flag inconsistent college-counseling support — worth asking pointed questions on tours.