Twin Cities Catholic Schools Buck National Enrollment Decline: Report

ST. PAUL, MN — Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have largely bucked a national enrollment decline, holding steady in recent years even as Catholic schools across the country continue to lose students, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

A total of 19,663 students were enrolled in 80 K–8 Catholic schools in the metro as of Oct. 1, a number nearly unchanged from the 2021–22 school year and only slightly below a recent peak reached during the pandemic-era shift toward private education.

That stability stands out at a time when many religious and private school systems are shrinking nationwide.

The Star Tribune reported that expanded scholarships, major philanthropic investments, and targeted support for urban schools have helped keep Catholic classrooms filled, particularly in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Read more at the Star Tribune.