About World Catholic Education Alliance
Faith Has No Tuition Requirement.
We bring free Catholic learning and resources to people worldwide - and unite partners who help make access possible.
An initiative of Your Catholic Voice Foundation.
Every Child Deserves a Way In.
In the early 1960s, U.S. Catholic schools educated more than 5.2 million students in nearly 13,000 schools. In 2025–26, that had fallen to approximately 1.675 million students in 5,829 schools.
Behind those numbers is an urgent question: how will the next generation learn the Faith?
When tuition, distance or limited local resources stand in the way, Catholic formation must remain within reach. In the United States and around the world, families need practical ways to encounter Christ, understand His teachings and live their faith.
Free WCEA membership gives you an organized starting point: a getting-started guide and a directory connecting you with resources across the mission.
World Catholic Education Alliance exists to help open those doors.
Historical figures: USCCB · 2025–26 figures: national Catholic school data
On Mobile, Swipe across the chart.
More Than Half Our Catholic Schools Gone
U.S. Catholic elementary and secondary schools: selected reported years, 1965–1966 through 2025–2026.
Number of schools • On smaller screens, swipe across the chart.
Selected snapshots, not an annual series; reporting periods and coverage differ by source. CARA years generally reflect the beginning of the calendar year. The decline is a net change, not a count of individual closures. Colors emphasize the long-term change. Latest endpoint: 2025–26 school year.
Catholic Learning. Open to Everyone.
Our mission is to provide a free, world-class Catholic education for anyone, anywhere, equip the people who guide it and unite supporters who help sustain it.
Rooted in Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the teaching of the Catholic Church, our work connects learning with prayer, family life and participation in the Church.
We build on the work of Catholic Online and Your Catholic Voice Foundation. Catholic Online School has served 2.2 million student enrollments across 193 countries.
Through courses, printable resources, Catholic information, children’s stories and media, that mission is already reaching people. The Alliance is bringing these strengths together while developing more coordinated programs and partnerships for the communities that need them.
Six Ways to Share One Mission.
STUDENTS
Discover Scripture, Catholic teaching and prayer through accessible learning resources.
FAMILIES
Bring faith into everyday life with stories, lessons, prayers and activities to explore together.
SCHOOLS & EDUCATORS
Find materials to support teaching and discuss the needs of your students and staff.
PARISHES
Support priests, catechists and families with resources that connect parish formation and learning at home.
DIOCESES
Explore partnerships to help schools and parishes address shared educational needs.
SPONSORS & FOUNDATIONS
Help sustain free access, underwrite educational programs and extend the mission to more communities.
Free to Learn. Worth Investing In.
Free access takes lasting support.
Individual donors have helped build and sustain this mission. Sponsors, foundations and major benefactors can help carry it further.
Your support can fund educational content, Catholic review, technology and the work of delivering resources to families and educators. It can also help develop guided programs, language adaptations and new ways to reach underserved communities.
We invite you to explore a defined initiative with a clear purpose, budget, timeline and progress reporting.
Help the next child encounter Christ. Help the next family begin. Help make Catholic learning available to anyone, anywhere.