Best Catholic Schools in Houston: 3 Reasons to Pick St. Agnes
Looking for a Houston high school that will set your daughter up to achieve her highest potential? Discover what sets us apart as one of the best Catholic schools in Houston.
When searching for the best Catholic schools in Houston, families are seeking more than just an educational institution — they’re looking for a nurturing, supportive environment that fosters their child’s academic, spiritual, and personal growth.
Choosing the right school means finding a place where students can thrive holistically. And for many families in Houston, that place is St. Agnes Academy. What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to well-rounded excellence.
While there are many academic institutions in the Houston area, St. Agnes goes above and beyond to build a community that values individuality, cultivates strengths, and inspires success.
We recognize that every student is unique and blessed with her own talents, passions, and potential. That’s why our academic programs, spiritual offerings, and student support services are designed to help each student thrive inside and outside the classroom.
Let’s explore why parents in Houston and the surrounding area consistently choose St. Agnes as the premier choice for their daughters’ education. Find out how a holistic approach to high school education can help lay a firm foundation for long-term success.
St. Agnes Academy: A Pillar of Excellence
St. Agnes Academy was founded in 1905 and officially opened its doors in February 1906. In its early years, it functioned as a private boarding school for young women in grades K-12. Discontinuing the boarding accommodations in the late 1930s and gradually closing the primary grades (one through eight) by the spring of 1955 helped add additional space, making it one of the premier private Catholic high schools for young women in the Houston area.
St. Agnes was founded by Mother Pauline Gannon, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Houston, Texas, and remains firmly rooted in the Catholic, Dominican tradition to this day. Our school is presently affiliated with a variety of faith-based and academic associations, including:
- Catholic Schools of the Galveston-Houston Diocese
- The National Catholic Educational Association
- The Texas Catholic Conference Education Department in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency
With well over a century of experience educating future generations of female leaders, St. Agnes is firmly established as a respected pillar of the Houston educational community.
Our culture is meticulously crafted to provide students with a safe and supportive environment that challenges their minds while broadening their worldviews. Our approach solidifies the school’s position as one of the most sought-after academic opportunities for young women seeking a college preparatory education.
Why Do So Many Houston Parents Choose St. Agnes?
St. Agnes consistently ranks among the best schools in Houston, and has even set itself apart as one of the best Catholic high schools in America. These rankings don’t just speak to the quality of our reputation – they speak to the quality of our education.
Parents and students alike frequently praise St. Agnes for our singularly supportive environment and the pursuit of academic excellence for students of all backgrounds and abilities. Let’s dig deeper into why parents enroll their daughters at St. Agnes.
1. Academic Excellence
First and foremost, St. Agnes Academy is committed to providing top-tier educational experiences to our students.
Private Catholic schooling has a long-standing reputation for delivering some of the most rigorous academic curricula to students of all grade levels. St. Agnes has built on this reputation to deliver meticulously tailored learning environments to Houston’s best and brightest.
The Curriculum
We offer a robust academic curriculum to help students build upon their strengths and improve their growth areas. We provide an accelerated core curriculum with additional opportunities for advanced courses of study so students can work at the level that best suits their needs.
The core curriculum at St. Agnes consists of classes in the following areas of study:
- English
- Mathematics
- Natural Science
- Theology
- History and Social Sciences
- World Languages
- Physical Education
- Fine Arts
- Communications
In addition to these cornerstone courses, students are required to complete additional coursework in health/physical education and electives of their choice. We offer an excellent selection of elective courses in areas such as fine arts, computer science, theology, and more. Our students can curate an academic roster that supports their areas of interest while challenging them to think outside the box.
St. Agnes also offers a variety of advanced course options for students looking to deepen their understanding of certain areas of study. Some students may choose to enroll in courses at the Honors level, while others may pursue Advanced Placement (AP) courses to help them in their college preparatory efforts. These AP courses generally culminate in standardized exams that allow students to earn college credits and enhance college applications.
St. Agnes is also dedicated to providing students with top-tier educational experiences in STEM fields such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These efforts are particularly valuable due to our school’s single-sex orientation. Our faculty works tirelessly to deliver comprehensive and engaging learning experiences in these courses to address the widely recognized gender gap in STEM professions.
A Faculty Committed to Student Success
At the heart of academic excellence is our dedicated faculty. Teachers at St. Agnes are experts in their fields and mentors who take a personalized approach to education.
Small class sizes ensure that each student receives the attention and support they need to thrive. In fact, St. Agnes Academy is pleased to offer a student/teacher ratio of just 10:1 to deliver more hands-on, individualized support to all community members.
Our approach is vital in an all-girls school, as the young women in our community benefit significantly from ongoing access to the mentors and role models that make up our faculty and staff.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Extracurricular programs serve as the final puzzle piece in our holistic approach to education. From athletics to academic clubs, St. Agnes offers a wide range of extracurricular activities that allow students to explore their interests, develop new skills, and build lasting relationships.
In addition to our widely-regarded Tiger Athletics offerings, we also provide students with the opportunity to join various after-school clubs and organizations, such as:
- American Sign Language Club
- Art Club
- Book Club
- Campus Ministry
- Diversity Club
- Latin American Youth Association
- Mental Health Club
- Model United Nations Club
- Spectrum Engineering Team
- The Feminist Knitting Club
- Voices of Black Youth
It is vital to our school’s mission that students have equitable access to a robust selection of extracurricular programming to provide them with additional opportunities to engage with their peers and hone their skills.
Juggling extracurricular activities with a rigorous academic curriculum can pose vital developmental challenges to students approaching adulthood. However, we firmly believe that students benefit from engaging in diverse programs to broaden their horizons and learn effective coping and time management strategies that will serve them well in their future academic and professional endeavors.
2. A Foundation in Faith
At the heart of our community is our Catholic, Dominican faith. Subsequently, the campus culture at St. Agnes Academy provides students a supportive environment to explore their spirituality and deepen their relationship with God. Here are some of the ways the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching permeate campus life at St. Agnes.
Theological Education
Theology courses are a vital component of our core academic curriculum. Our theology courses serve as a cornerstone of the St. Agnes education experience, and our faith-based extracurricular offerings and programs are designed to build upon the spiritual foundation laid by our theology curriculum.
Faith in Action
Faith-based activities play a major role in day-to-day life at St. Agnes Academy:
- Mass is held on campus each week on Thursday mornings.
- The priest is available for confession before and after each service.
- The St. Agnes community observes all Holy Days of Obligation.
- We host Feasts that celebrate our Dominican Heritage, often in school-wide liturgical celebrations.
Students are also presented with various faith-centered extracurricular opportunities throughout their time at St. Agnes, which may take place both on and off campus.
For example, students are invited to attend spiritual retreats each year that are designed to complement the focus areas of each grade level’s theological courses. Additionally, students may choose to serve as Campus Ministers or join the Dominican Preaching Team to dive more deeply into their faith practice while serving the members of their community.
Servant Leadership
Service is a cornerstone of Catholic education, and St. Agnes takes this commitment seriously. All students are required to complete a servant leadership project as a condition of graduation.
For this project, students are expected to complete 100 hours of meaningful service through a local organization that aims to serve the poor and vulnerable. These service projects take place between students’ junior and senior years and are designed to complement the teachings of their theology courses.
Overall, this project structure encourages students to put their faith into practice while gaining a new and deeper understanding of the people and communities around them.
3. Comprehensive Student Support Services
At St. Agnes, we have a responsibility to provide students with comprehensive support inside and outside the classroom. That’s why we offer a robust assortment of student support services to help meet the ever-changing needs of the young women who make up our community. Here is an overview of our support services at St. Agnes Academy.
The Wellness Center
The Wellness Center at St. Agnes provides ongoing programming centered around students’ physical and mental well-being. Through preventative programming, small group meetings, and individual counseling sessions, our wellness counselors provide students with life skills and self-care strategies to help them cope with the demands of high school and beyond.
Freshman and sophomore students primarily receive academic advising from our Wellness Counselors. Throughout their freshman and sophomore years, students receive counseling centered around helping them plan their courses, prepare for their future studies, and develop time and stress management skills to help them more easily navigate their coursework.
The Wellness Center also offers hands-on physical and mental health workshops to equip them with the information they need to stay safe and healthy throughout high school. This type of programming may focus on various subjects – from substance use prevention to stress management and self-care.
Our wellness team is also available to support students with personal challenges like interpersonal relationship struggles, self-esteem issues, and concerns related to current and upcoming life transitions.
The Student Success Center
At St. Agnes Academy, we recognize that all students learn differently and have different support needs. In fact, we believe that all members of our community were created in the image of God, and should therefore be provided with any support, care, or services they may require to achieve their highest potential.
For students with documented disabilities and specific learning needs, the Student Success Center is responsible for providing students with the accommodations and academic support they need to thrive. Specialists in this department work directly with students and their parents to help implement approved accommodations and use these accommodations to help maximize student success.
The Student Success team is also dedicated to helping students of all backgrounds and abilities hone their executive functioning and time management skills so they can gain independence and build their self-confidence.
Beyond the scope of our standard wellness programming, our specialists in the Student Success Center can also provide students with tailored, accessible resources like organizational apps and planners to help them take a more active role in their academic and personal development.
In our view, accessibility is not just a legal imperative but a moral and spiritual issue. We welcome students of all backgrounds and abilities and are dedicated to empowering all students with the tools they need to thrive across multiple facets of their development.
Many skills students acquire as part of their academic experience can serve them well in various future endeavors, regardless of whether those endeavors are explicitly academic. Subsequently, we aim to meet students where they are and push them forward toward their highest and best good.
College Counseling
As a college preparatory high school, we know quality college counseling is an absolute must-have. That’s why our upper-level students receive dedicated, ongoing support from our top-tier college counseling team.
Our college prep team serves as the primary source of academic advising for 11th and 12th-grade students and plays an integral role in preparing and supporting pupils and their families for the college admissions experience.
Our college counselors have 80+ years of combined experience in higher education advising and are well-equipped to provide tailored counseling to students and parents from all walks of life.
Whether a pupil is a first-generation college student or wants to build upon a long-standing legacy of academic excellence, our counselors are ready to offer the customized support necessary to navigate the college application process with confidence.
In addition to standard academic advising, our college counselors provide:
- Individualized College Guidance: Counselors aid students with their college searches and application efforts to help them maximize their admissions prospects.
- SAT/ACT Support: Students receive resources and advice to help them excel on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, ensuring they are competitive candidates for admission at top colleges and universities.
- Financial Aid Advising: For students looking to offset the cost of college with financial aid, the college counseling team can provide hands-on support and advising for pupils and parents alike. Counselors can help families target relevant scholarships and grants and help parents navigate the federal student aid application process.
Through one-on-one advising, parent meetings, and grade-wide workshops, the College Counseling Center equips students with a broad spectrum of knowledge, resources, and tools to help them understand and initiate the college admissions process. The foundation will be laid for future academic success.
St. Agnes Stands Out Among the Best Catholic Schools in Houston
Choosing the right high school is one of the most important decisions a family can make. St. Agnes offers unparalleled academic rigor, faith-based education, and comprehensive student support to support your daughter during this wonderful time in her life.
Our school’s commitment to excellence ensures that every student is equipped to succeed academically and personally, while forming meaningful connections with their fellow students and community members.
With a history rooted in the Dominican tradition, St. Agnes Academy continues to uphold its mission of educating young women to become leaders who change the world. We recognize that each student is uniquely valuable in the eyes of God, and our faculty and staff work to treat each of our pupils accordingly.
While many traditional high schools embrace a one-size-fits-all approach to education, St. Agnes offers a wide variety of academic, extracurricular, and support offerings to build upon students' existing strengths while helping to address their potential growth areas individually.
Our small class sizes and diverse curriculum offerings make it easier for students to receive the tailor-made care and support they need to achieve their greatest potential and move one step closer to accomplishing their future goals.
Experience the St. Agnes Difference
As you explore the best Catholic schools in Houston, we recommend prioritizing St. Agnes for your daughter. Schedule a visit, meet the faculty, and see firsthand how our school’s holistic approach to education can benefit your child.
We look forward to getting to know you and sharing more about how St. Agnes Academy can prepare your daughter for a bright and successful future.
