Nationally, Catholic school enrollment dropped 6.4 percent in 2019-20—more than 111,000 students. The largest single-year decline in almost 50 years, it was greater than the drop during the clergy sex abuse crisis (2003, -2.7 percent), the late 2000s economic crisis (2008, -3.5 percent) and a 5.8 percent decline in 1971.
Catholic elementary school students declined by 8.1 percent, while Catholic secondary-school enrollment fell 2.5 percent. The elementary-school drop could affect secondary-school numbers within the next five to 10 years.
The sharpest enrollment decline was for prekindergarten enrollment at Catholic schools, which was down almost 27 percent.
The sharpest enrollment decline was for prekindergarten enrollment at Catholic schools, which was down almost 27 percent.
Only 10 of the 174 dioceses with Catholic schools experienced an increase of 1 percent or more in student enrollment.
Two hundred and nine Catholic schools closed or consolidated at the end of the 2019-20 school year, 186 elementary and 25 secondary.
Black families, urban communities and non-Catholics were overrepresented in the demographic sample of closed schools. These underserved groups were twice as likely to have lost their Catholic school.
Source: National Catholic Educational Association.
