How it works
Joining Cathedral, step by step.
Visit us.
Reach Mrs. Debra Weston, our Head of Admissions, at (919) 832-4711 or weston@cathedral-school.net and she will set up a tour around your schedule.
Apply online.
Applications open November 9 for the coming year, through our online application. The application fee is $140.
Send documents.
Birth certificate, plus baptismal and First Communion certificates if applicable. Students applying for grades 1–8 also send their most recent report card and standardized test results.
Hear from us.
The principal reviews complete applications. New students join on a sixty day get-to-know-us basis, so families, teachers, and administrators can all see the fit.
Pre-K students turn 4 on or before August 31 of the entry year and must be potty-trained. Kindergarten students turn 5 on or before August 31.
Admission priority
Students are admitted in this order: children of Cathedral faculty and staff, siblings of current students, registered parishioners of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, parishioners of other Catholic parishes, non-Catholic transfers from Catholic schools, and all other families as space allows. Catholic students receive priority; families of all faiths are welcome, and every student joins religion class and weekly Mass.
Statement of Non-Discriminatory Policy as to Students. As a Catholic school in the Diocese of Raleigh, Cathedral School has a racially non-discriminatory policy for all students and admits students of any race, color and national and ethnic origin to the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. Our school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color and national and ethnic origin in administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics and other school-administered programs.
Tuition & affordability
Tuition, and what it pays for.
We work to keep a premier Catholic education within reach of as many families as we can. Tuition pays for dedicated teachers and the assistants who cut the teacher to student ratio in half. It also funds the extras that make this place what it is.
Are the lifelong benefits of the Cathedral Experience worth $5 an hour?
Come decide for yourself.
Help paying for it
NC Opportunity Scholarship
State-funded, up to $7,942 per year for qualifying families. Apply first at ncseaa.edu.
Cathedral financial aid
Need-based awards through FACTS; applications open February 1.
Diocesan programs
The Diocese of Raleigh endowment, plus assistance for students of African American and Native American heritage.
Fast facts
Founded
1909
Grades
Pre-K – 8
Class size
~25 · teacher + assistant
Recognition
Blue Ribbon 2007
School day
7:30 – 3:00
Aftercare
SPARC, to 6:00
Accreditation
Cognia
Specials
Art, Music, PE, Drama, Spanish, MIT
Uniforms through Flynn O’Hara and Land’s End · lunch through My Hot Lunchbox.
For our youngest families
Little Knights
For families with children not yet old enough to enroll. Join the Cathedral community early: family events, parent groups, and a first look at the school.
Sign up for Little KnightsCommon questions
Questions families ask.
What is a cathedral school?
A cathedral school is a Catholic school attached to a diocese’s cathedral parish. Cathedral School in Raleigh was founded in 1909 beside Sacred Heart Cathedral and today serves students in Pre-K through 8th grade in the Diocese of Raleigh, in the heart of downtown.
What is the tuition for Cathedral School in Raleigh?
Tuition for the 2026-2027 school year is published in the rates sheet linked in the Tuition section above. Financial aid is available through FACTS Grant and Aid, and North Carolina families may qualify for the Opportunity Scholarship, which can cover a large share of tuition.
Is Cathedral School a private school?
Yes. Cathedral School is a private, Catholic, coeducational school for Pre-K through 8th grade in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, established in 1909 and part of the Diocese of Raleigh. Families of every faith background are welcome.