FAQs

No. A student does not have to be Catholic to apply to Xavier. Students of all religious backgrounds are welcome. 32% of the student body is not Catholic.

Xavier's mission calls us to educate "intelligent, motivated young men of diverse backgrounds and means," and we take that call seriously. Forty-five percent of our student body is composed of young men of color. The religious, cultural, socioeconomic, and geographic diversity of our students further enriches our community.

The admissions office typically receives 1,000 applications every year, and we seek to enroll a class of 260. Due to our extremely high number of applicants and our limited space, it is very important that students applying to Xavier adhere to all deadlines. 

Making a Xavier education affordable and accessible is one of our top priorities. Please visit our Affording Xavier page for detailed information.

Our 2026 Open House will take place on October 17. If you are unable to attend and submit an admissions application, you may sign up for an in-person tour (available after Open House).

Please see detailed steps to apply to the Xavier below and visit our Apply page for more information on applying to Xavier.

Xavier students are known for being well-rounded. We expect our students to participate in our various clubs, activities, and organizations and to learn to lead during their time at Xavier. With that in mind, the most mission-appropriate applicants are those who show a desire for being active, engaged participants in various aspects of their lives. If the applicant has been on any teams, belonged to any clubs or organizations, has been an active member of a church community, or performed any volunteer work, be sure to list these things on his application.

Xavier will attempt to ensure that all students with, or the potential for, a diagnosed learning disability or impairment receive appropriate academic support during their tenure at the school. Students with unique learning needs who meet the high level of academic standards necessary for academic success at Xavier will receive appropriate accommodations through the ongoing development of their learning profile and the support of the the Learning Specialist, the Dean of Academics, the students' guidance counselor, and classroom teachers. Although Xavier does not modify its college preparatory curriculum or offer remedial courses, students with documented learning disabilities or impairments will work closely with the individuals listed above to meet their individual academic needs.

In order to be considered for accommodations, students must meet all regular admissions requirements and parents must submit a complete psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation that has been completed within the last three years. The accommodations that Xavier can offer are limited by the nature of the school. It grants only one diploma and does not have a tracking system for students who have been diagnosed with a learning disability or impairment. Therefore, Xavier does not modify its college preparatory curriculum, but it does help students develop strategies for accommodating their learning differences. The learning specialist, in conjunction with the the Dean of Academics, and the student's guidance counselor, determines the accommodations to be offered after reviewing diagnostic documentation and after meeting with the student and parents. Failure to disclose information regarding your student's learning needs seriously hinders our ability to support him properly and failure to do so may result in his dismissal. Xavier does not discriminate on the basis of learning and/or other disabilities. Admissions decisions are not based on learning needs.

We will not consider any IEP, IESP, 504, psycho-educational, or neuropsychological report when making an admissions decision. Should you disclose any of this information throughout the application process, any such disclosure will not play a factor when we make an admissions decision. If you are admitted, we will formally gather such information only as part of the registration process.

For non-Catholic school students, we accept scores from any of the following exams: TACHS, HSPT, SSAT, and ISEE. Our hope is to reduce the amount of entrance tests students need to take, especially if Xavier is the applicant's only Catholic school choice. All students must also submit a complete application in addition to the standardized test of their choice from the options above. Students currently enrolled in a Catholic middle school must take the TACHS exam regardless of whether they also choose to take the HSPT for scholarship consideration.

As long as we are one of your three choices, it does not matter where you list Xavier. We understand that some schools require you to put them first or second, but Xavier's policy is that once we receive the scores, we do not consider the applicant's choice. Last year, almost 20% of students who matriculated into Xavier who took the TACHS listed us as their third choice. You can't list as an option on the NJ COOP/HSPT, nor can you list us as a choice on the ISEE or SSAT, but we do accept those exam results. All students must also submit a complete application regardless of where you have placed Xavier on any tests that require ranking.