Welcome to the Catholic High School Honor Roll
General remarks
All Catholic high schools in the United States were invited to apply for inclusion in the Honor Roll by completing three surveys. Approximately 250 schools responded to the surveys.
The overall score is computed by averaging the score from each of the three main honor roll criteria: academic excellence, Catholic identity, and civic education. (Roughly speaking each criterion corresponds with each of the surveys; e.g., Catholic identity score equals theology survey score.) The score from each survey is weighted equally (i.e., academics, Catholic identity, and civic education will each count as 1/3 of total score).
Points are awarded for answers that indicate commitment to or achievement in each of the areas of focus. In most cases, wording for agree/disagree questions was taken directly from authoritative ecclesial documents (papal encyclicals, Catechism of the Catholic Church). In those cases, agreement with the statement (or disagreement with its contrary) is taken to indicate commitment to Church teaching on the subject.
Some questions were dropped for scoring purposes. Reasons varied. In some cases, the question seemed widely misunderstood, in others the question was deemed a matter of opinion that should not factor into honor roll determination.
Specific notes
Survey 1 (Principal) 
PSAT scores over two years are averaged. This is the dominant component of the academic excellence score. All schools on the honor roll reported 100% or nearly 100% of juniors taking the PSAT. Alternatively, where PSAT scores were not representative (lower percentages of students taking) or not available, ACT or SAT scores were used. A multiplier, derived from national average scores, equalized ACT and SAT with PSAT scores.
In addition, schools receive points for each year of course work offered and for each AP course offered.
The sum of these three answers represents a school’s academic score. The remaining questions pertain to Catholic identity and their scores are added to those from the theology survey to arrive at a total Catholic identity score.
Schools receive points for high percentages of Catholic students and faculty and for having ministers on staff.
Survey 2 (Theology)
Points are awarded for use of textbooks that appear on the USCCB’s list of texts in conformity with the Catechism.
Survey 3 (Social Studies)
Points are awarded for offering and requiring economics and civics/government courses.
