Join the Cougars
Kolbe Cathedral welcomes families from across Fairfield and New Haven Counties, and beyond. Here's why families choose Kolbe — and exactly how to apply, afford it, and visit.
Open House
Kolbe Cathedral welcomes you to join our Open House being held on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 2:00pm.
Why Kolbe?
Cost
Kolbe is one of Connecticut's most affordable private high schools — and that's before aid. Generous scholarships and need-based aid put a Catholic college-prep education within reach for families across Fairfield and New Haven Counties.
Size
About 325 students and a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio mean every student is known by name — mentored, challenged, and never lost in the crowd.
Mission
Kolbe was built to serve a diverse, multicultural Bridgeport community as a genuine pathway to college — and it delivers: 100% graduation and 100% college acceptance, year after year.
Admissions
Five steps to becoming a Cougar
Freshman Admission
Apply online, or download the application and follow the paper steps. Either way, the $50 application fee covers your submission and the entrance exam.
Fastest option
Apply online
Complete the application and pay the $50 application fee online through SchoolAdmin. The fee covers your submission and the entrance exam.
Prefer a printed application? Follow the five steps below.
The $50 application fee can be paid using cash, card, money order, or official bank check, and covers both your submission and the entrance exam.
Upcoming exam dates are Saturdays, October 24 and November 7, 2026, both at 8:00 a.m. Additional sessions are offered once a month from December through May. Reserve the date that works for your family.
Download the Release/Recommendation form and have your 8th-grade school complete it and return it to the Admissions Office.
Submit a copy of the complete 7th-grade report card, most recent 8th-grade report card, and most recent standardized test scores on file to admissions@kolbecaths.org.
Apply for aid through FACTS at the same time you submit your application. One FACTS form opens the full menu of scholarships and need-based aid.
Decision timeline
Initial Letters of Acceptance go out by email and mail in December and January. After that, decisions are issued on a rolling basis by month of application.
Registration deposit
A $1,000 non-refundable registration deposit is due within 30 days of acceptance to secure your seat, scholarship awards, Honors placement, and Shepherds, Incorporated eligibility. Applications for Shepherds, Incorporated are reviewed during the months of January and February and will continue until eligible spots are filled.
One exam, multiple options
Freshman applicants are required to take an Entrance Exam (High School Placement Test). The cost of the exam is included in the application fee. Entrance Exams are used to assist with overall admissions reviews, scholarship selection and curriculum placement. Exams start at 8:00am and are completed by 12:00pm. If your student requires accommodations, please contact the Admissions Department prior to the testing date.
Kolbe is part of the Diocese of Bridgeport Testing Cooperative. Take the exam at Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame Fairfield, St. Joseph's, Immaculate, Cardinal Kung, or Kolbe Cathedral, and have your scores sent to up to three additional Cooperative schools at the time of testing.
Exam calendar
Saturday, October 24, 2026
8:00 a.m.
Saturday, November 7, 2026
8:00 a.m.
December – May
One session each month
Reserve a date that works for your family — seats fill as exam dates approach.
Transfer Admission
Kolbe Cathedral welcomes and encourages applications from students who wish to transfer from other high schools. Students may submit applications with a $50 fee, a copy of the student's high school transcripts and most recent report card, and a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor or administrator of their current high school. Only students with a 2.0 grade point average or better and who leave their high school in good standing will be considered. Eligible applicants will be contacted for an interview.
Transfer applications will be accepted for September during the summer months of June, July, and August. Transfer applications will be accepted during December and January for the spring semester that begins on the last Monday in January.
Fastest option
Apply online
Complete the transfer application and pay the $50 application fee online through SchoolAdmin.
Prefer a printed application? Follow the five steps below.
The $50 application fee can be paid using cash, card, money order, or official bank check.
Have a teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator of your current school complete the Release/Recommendation form.
Email a copy of your high school transcripts and most recent report card to admissions@kolbecaths.org.
Contact the Admissions Office by phone at (203) 335-2554 ext. 4, or by email at admissions@kolbecaths.org, to schedule your interview.
Apply for aid through FACTS at the same time you submit your application.
International Students
Kolbe Cathedral welcomes applications for international students. We look forward to sharing our diverse cultures and providing a pathway to secondary education in America.
Please note that Kolbe Cathedral does not offer an ESL program and all applicants must be proficient in English. In addition, Kolbe Cathedral is a day school and does not assist in the process of securing homestay or dorm options for international students. Kolbe Cathedral will assist in the process of securing an I-20.
International tuition for the 2027–2028 school year is $15,000.
In order to retrieve the steps to apply and information regarding international studies, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@kolbecaths.org.
Tuition & Financial Aid
2027–2028 Tuition
$12,500
Domestic
$15,000
International
Tuition includes textbooks, a Chromebook, and a Greater Bridgeport Transit monthly bus pass for those who live two or more miles away. Scholarships and need-based aid are applied for through FACTS alongside your application.
Accepted: credit/debit, money order, official bank check, or cash. Personal checks are not accepted for tuition, deposits, or fees.
Awards from $1,000 to $12,500 a year, based on academic promise.
Institutional aid for families who demonstrate financial need through FACTS.
Full sponsorships for qualifying students.
Up to 80% of tuition for the children of Bridgeport-area and Fairfield County hospital-based nurses, firefighters, and police officers.
Additional support available through the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Aid is applied for through FACTS at the same time as your admissions application — no separate form required.
Visit / Open House
This year’s Open House is Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. for students in grades 7 and 8 — the best way to walk the building, meet faculty and current students, and see classrooms in action. Prefer a closer look? Individual visits and shadow days can be arranged anytime.
Admissions Office
Antonnea Robinson
Director of Admissions
Register for Open House
Kolbe Cathedral welcomes you to join our Open House being held on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 2:00pm.
Questions? Call (203) 335-2554 ext. 4 or email admissions@kolbecaths.org.
Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, disability, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of our admission policies, educational policies, tuition assistance or any school administered programs.
