Archdiocese of Seattle CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

What Archdiocese of Seattle CATHOLIC SCHOOLS does

The Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools (legal name: Office for Catholic Schools in Western Washington) is the nonprofit administrative and accreditation body overseeing a network of 72 Catholic schools — 61 elementary and 11 high schools — serving approximately 19,800 students across Western Washington, from Bellingham in the north to Vancouver, WA in the south. Founded in 1870, the system reports a 99% high school graduation rate and operates with a 35-employee central office led by Superintendent Nicholas Ford and a leadership team spanning Mission & Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Personnel & Leadership Development, and Financial Services. The parent entity is the Archdiocese of Seattle itself, and the system functions as a federation of parish-based schools operating under unified standards.

The organization's core product is centralized educational infrastructure and curriculum support rather than a standalone technology platform: these include WCEA accreditation oversight, PreK-12 Religion Curriculum Standards aligned with USCCB guidelines, the ACRE religious-education assessment (in partnership with NCEA), MAP/NWEA academic assessment resources, the Christ in the Classroom catechetical certification, the GRACE Teacher Leadership program, and the Leadership Academy. Consumer-facing assets include the mycatholicschool.org portal with an interactive School Finder (Google Maps-integrated) and Preschool Finder. Recent programmatic additions include the Innovative Housing Project for new teachers, the Diversified Learners Committee, the Parent Ambassador Program (Centro Rendu) in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, and the Missionary Discipleship Institute for 7th grade.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and enrollment fees across the 72 schools, marketed as approximately 50% of comparable independent private schools, with needs-based tuition assistance funded by the Fulcrum Foundation and local parish communities. The central office reaches families through its Director of Marketing & Admissions, the mycatholicschool.org website, community events (e.g., Move Your Feet 5K), and strategic referral partnerships. Customer segments include Catholic and non-Catholic families seeking PreK-12 education, educators and staff pursuing faith-based teaching careers, and diverse and multicultural communities supported through targeted programs. Revenue, funding, and detailed financial performance are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Archdiocese of Seattle CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Legal name

Office for Catholic Schools in Western Washington

Website

https://mycatholicschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools is a nonprofit central office overseeing 72 Catholic schools (61 elementary, 11 high schools) serving roughly 19,800 students across Western Washington, providing curriculum, accreditation, assessment, and program support through tuition-based enrollment since 1870.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN), Faith-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAH), Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE)

Keywords

• Catholic K-12 education
• Religious education
• Parochial schools
• Faith-based learning
• Tuition assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Revenue is generated through tuition fees charged to families for Catholic school education across 72 schools. Schools operate as not-for-profit institutions. Additional financial support comes from tuition assistance programs funded by the Fulcrum Foundation and local school communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools delivers preschool through 12th-grade Catholic education across 72 schools (61 elementary and 11 high schools) in Western Washington, serving approximately 19,800 students. The system provides whole-child education integrating rigorous academics with Catholic faith formation, religion curriculum, sacramental preparation, and college preparatory programs, supplemented by needs-based tuition assistance.

Product overview

The Archdiocese of Seattle Office for Catholic Schools operates a network of 72 Catholic schools (61 elementary and 11 high schools) across Western Washington, serving approximately 19,800 students with a 99% graduation rate. The main digital offering is the My Catholic School website portal, which provides the School Finder/Directory tool with Google Maps integration for locating schools, Preschool Finder, and access to curriculum resources. Core programs include the Christ in the Classroom (CIC) Certification for catechetical training, ACRE Assessment for religious education evaluation, GRACE Teacher Leadership for professional development, and the Missionary Discipleship Institute (MDI) for 7th grade. The organization provides WCEA accreditation support, MAP/NWEA assessment resources, Federal Title Programs management, and the Innovative Housing Project for new teachers. Partnerships include St. Vincent de Paul's Centro Rendu for Latino family engagement and various approved religion curriculum publishers (Our Sunday Visitor, RCL Benziger, Sadlier, Saint Mary's Press).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Innovative Housing Project: Collaborative housing program providing affordable housing and intentional community for Catholic School teachers in the Archdiocese of Seattle within the first five years of their career.

Products and services

• School Finder / Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% national high school graduation rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-faceted partnership including Missionary Discipleship Institute for 7th graders, Georgetown Food Bank & Community Service Center immersion experiences, Parent Ambassador Program (Centro Rendu) for Latino/Hispanic families, and clothing/goods collection drives. Over 1,000 students, parents, and teachers participate annually.
• Loyola University Chicago - Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through The Matthew Project to gather data about current practices in meeting diverse learners' needs, securing perspectives of teachers, parents, and administrators to develop a comprehensive picture and roadmap.
• Gonzaga UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU partnership targeting service to diverse learners through Catholic schools, combining efforts to broaden services to families most in need.
• Maryknoll Mission EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing the Missionary Discipleship Institute (MDI) curriculum for 7th grade students, integrating faith, global awareness, and Catholic Social Teaching.
• National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ACRE (Assessment of Children/Youth Religious Education) assessment delivery. NCEA partners with Catholic Faith Technologies to provide online assessment platform for grades 5, 8, and high school.
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides conformity review guidance for catechetical texts and series. Religion textbooks aligned to USCCB standards including Be My Disciples, Blest Are We, and We Believe programs.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)minorOthersMental Health First Aid training programs and crisis navigation resources for school communities through Mental Health Guides partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Archdiocese of San Francisco Catholic Schools: Operates Catholic schools across the Bay Area region with comparable urban-suburban mix, tuition structures, and reliance on parish subsidies. Closest geographic and demographic peer to the Seattle system.
• Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Schools: Manages a regional Catholic school system under archdiocesan leadership with parish-based schools, similar academic and faith formation programs. Particularly comparable because the Boston and Seattle markets share similar higher-cost-of-living dynamics.
• Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic Schools: The largest Catholic school system in the US, operating a similarly structured K-12 parish-based network of schools under a single archdiocese. Directly comparable on governance model, tuition structure, accreditation, and faith-based programming.
• Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools: Operates a multi-school Catholic K-12 system across the Chicago metropolitan area under archdiocesan oversight. Comparable in scale, parish-based delivery model, and reliance on the Fulcrum-equivalent (Archdiocese fund) for tuition assistance.
• Archdiocese of New York Catholic Schools: Governs a large network of Catholic elementary and high schools across the New York region. Closely comparable on central administrative oversight, faith-based curriculum, tuition assistance programs, and accreditation framework.

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: High-achieving K-12 private/charter school network with strong academic outcomes and a premium positioning. Comparable as a head-to-head competitor for academically-driven families in Western Washington who might choose BASIS over Catholic schools.

Others

• National Catholic Education Association (NCEA): National membership and accreditation body for Catholic schools. Direct partner of the Seattle system via ACRE assessment; provides benchmarks, standards, and advocacy that shape the operating context for all US Catholic school systems.

Emerging players

• Seton Education Partners: Catholic school network operator focused on revitalizing under-resourced urban Catholic schools through the Seton Teaching Fellows program. Comparable on faith-based K-12 mission and teacher attraction challenges, though operating model is non-parochial.
• Notre Dame ACE Academies: Network of Catholic elementary schools supported by the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education. Comparable on faith-based K-8 curriculum, mission integration, and university-partnership-driven teacher development.

Regional players

• Archdiocese of Portland Catholic Schools: Operates Catholic schools in Oregon and southwestern Washington with overlapping regional footprint to the Seattle system's southernmost schools. Comparable on Pacific Northwest demographics, governance model, and tuition assistance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mycatholicschoolorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-for-catholic-schools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Archdiocese of Seattle CATHOLIC SCHOOLS