All-Boys School

St. Anselm's Abbey School

#1 in Best Catholic High Schools in District of Columbia

grade A+
Overall Grade
Private, Catholic, All-Boys
6-12
WASHINGTON, DC
Rating 4.53 out of 5 45 reviews

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A+

Overall Niche Grade

How are grades calculated?Data Sources

Academics
grade A+
Diversity
grade A minus
Teachers
grade A
College Prep
grade A+
Clubs & Activities
grade A
Sports
grade B+

saintanselms.org

(202) 281-1650

4501 SOUTH DAKOTA AVENUE NE
WASHINGTON, DC 20017

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About St. Anselm's Abbey School...

Applying

Application Deadline

February 5

Application Fee

$50

Interview Required

Yes

Required/Recommended Tests

Tuition

Yearly Tuition

$29,800

Tuition is for the highest grade offered and may have changed for the current school year. For more information, please contact the school.

Received Financial Aid

40%

Average Financial Aid

$13,500

From St. Anselm's Abbey School

St. Anselm’s Abbey School is a Catholic, Benedictine community that nurtures the spiritual, intellectual, and physical development of young men with demonstrated academic achievement. Rigorous study of the liberal arts and sciences prepares students for the challenges of college and for a life of learning and service.

Upcoming Events

Fall Open House
November 12, 12:00 pm
View Event Description
You and your family are invited to join us during our Fall Open House on Sunday, November 12, from 12 to 3 p.m. Prospective families will have the opportunity to speak with students, teachers, current parents, and alumni about the St. Anselm’s experience. Please join us to see how a 1,500 year tradition guides our students in today’s ever-changing world!

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St. Anselm's Abbey School Rankings

Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.

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Academics

Average Graduation Rate

100%

Average SAT

1400

77 responses

Average ACT

23 responses

Niche College Admissions Calculator

Popular Colleges

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges.

grade A
University of Maryland - College Park
26 Students
grade A+
William & Mary
25 Students
grade A+
Carnegie Mellon University
20 Students
grade A+
Georgetown University
17 Students
grade A+
University of Virginia
17 Students
grade A+
University of Chicago
15 Students
grade A+
Virginia Tech
15 Students
grade A+
Cornell University
13 Students
grade A+
Johns Hopkins University
13 Students
grade A+
Columbia University
12 Students

More About St. Anselm's Abbey School Academics

What is Benedictine Education?

The Benedictine ethos is at the core of our school's unique identity. Founded in 1942 by Benedictine monks, St. Anselm's remains a monastic school to this day and shares a 40-acre campus with the monks of St. Anselm's Abbey. We follow the 1,500 year old teachings of St. Benedict to live a life of prayer, learning, and service to others.

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Culture & Safety

Poll

90%

of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 10 responses

Poll

90%

of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 10 responses

Poll

What are your favorite school events or traditions?

Based on 28 responses

Kairos retreat in 11th grade.
25%
House Day
18%
Basketball Tournament
14%
Field day
11%
Pep rallies
7%
Renaissance Day
7%
School Dances
7%

Students

Diversity

A minus

Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.

Students

256

100%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 10 responses

80%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 10 responses

50%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 10 responses

Teachers

Student-Teacher Ratio

5:1

National

17:1

Poll

91%

of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 11 responses

Poll

91%

of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 11 responses

Poll

100%

of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 11 responses

Map

Homes For Sale

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Clubs & Activities

Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.

Girls Athletic Participation

Boys Athletic Participation

Very High

100%

of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 8 responses

88%

of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 8 responses

88%

of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 8 responses

B minus

Overall Niche Grade

How are grades calculated?Data Sources

Cost of Living
grade C
Good for Families
grade C+
Housing
grade D

Median Household Income

$88,898

National

$69,021

Median Rent

$1,675

National

$1,163

Median Home Value

$515,814

National

$244,900

St. Anselm's Abbey School Reviews

45 reviews

Current parent here. It’s a special place. Really doesn’t feel like there’s anything quite like it in the city. The character development is part of everything that happens there and it’s incredible. Feels like no teacher or administrator ever misses an opportunity to really “dig in” with the boys. You feel that when you first set foot on campus. Academically, it’s wildly impressive. Boys are working hard on very advanced material, but the model and excellent teaching makes it doable. It’s small (40 ish boys per grade) but what’s nice about that socially is that all the boys are friends.

Review St. Anselm's Abbey School

The Abbey has been an absolute gift for our sons. The teachers have been top-notch, and their classmates are interesting, thoughtful young men. This is the first time either son has been truly happy at school since preschool (and they have been in other schools which get high marks on paper). The curriculum is especially rich in the humanities, which is a good fit for our family. As a parent, I especially love that most of the teachers and administrators care as much about helping these boys grow into generous, humble, and courageous young men as they do about their academic achievement.

It was a good middle school until the pandemic. The teachers in high school, however, refused to accept that there was a lag in learning and called my son lazy during his freshman year. Leadership changes especially in the upper school has made this school become adrift with newly hired abusive teachers supposedly being rigorous and having no oversight. Excellent teachers are leaving like rats escaping the ship. If you want your son to be demoralized, this is the place for you. Any sign of mental health problems, the first words from the school counselor was to drug him. I’ve moved him to another school and those problems are quickly disappearing. He is now on the honor roll with no antidepressants taking courses that are not just "rigorous," but rather engaging. This school is too small to offer a variety of courses or courses at different levels of ability, something especially important in a post-pandemic world.

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Fall Open House

St. Anselm's Abbey School Rankings

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Academics

Popular Colleges

What is Benedictine Education?

Culture & Safety

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Students

Teachers

Map

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Clubs & Activities

Living in the Area

St. Anselm's Abbey School Reviews

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