Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
Aerial view of De Sales High School
Aerial imagery: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). USGS

Catholic high school

De Sales High School

  • LocationLouisville, KY
  • Type and sizeDiocesan school · Grades 9–12 · 298 students

All-male

Official website

DeSales High School is a Catholic school for young men in Louisville, Kentucky, run by the Carmelite tradition. Class Masses and all-school Masses are held on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation, a program of retreats is offered to all students, and each grade has a service-learning requirement tied to its theology course.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of De Sales High School, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miSaint Thomas More Catholic Church: 0.5 mi1Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church: 1.1 mi2Saint John Vianney Catholic Church: 1.2 mi3Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church: 1.4 mi4Saint Benedicts Traditional Roman Catholic Church: 1.4 mi5Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church: 2.3 mi6Campus Ministry, DeSales High School: 0.1 miDe Sales High School (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Thomas More Catholic Church — 0.5 mi · 6105 South 3rd Street, Louisville
  2. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church — 1.1 mi · 5505 New Cut Road, Louisville
  3. Saint John Vianney Catholic Church — 1.2 mi · 4841 Southside Drive, Louisville
  4. Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church — 1.4 mi · 4335 Hazelwood Avenue, Louisville
  5. Saint Benedicts Traditional Roman Catholic Church — 1.4 mi · 1240 Matha Avenue, Louisville
  6. Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church — 2.3 mi · 3509 Taylor Boulevard, Louisville

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Faith scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ASacramental life: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Sacramental life

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    All-school or class Masses during the school yearA few times a year (Class Masses and all-school Masses are confirmed on Feast Days and Holy Days.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Faith & Service | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/faith · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Class Masses and all-school Masses are held throughout the year on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation.”
      Class and all-school Masses are held on Feast Days and Holy Days.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Daily Mass available to students on campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Confession offered to students during the school yearNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Eucharistic adoration offeredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain serving the schoolVisiting or shared priest (Masses are confirmed.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Faith & Service | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/faith · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Class Masses and all-school Masses are held throughout the year on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation.”
      Class and all-school Masses are held on Feast Days and Holy Days.
N/ATheology and curriculum: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Theology and curriculum

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Years of theology or religion requiredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Theology courses follow the USCCB Curriculum FrameworkNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Philosophy, apologetics, or ethics course offeredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Faith integrated across the curriculum (stated in the program of studies or mission)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
N/ACampus culture: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Campus culture

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    RetreatsA retreat for every grade (Freshmen and sophomores attend mandatory days of renewal; junior and senior retreats are offered (optional).)
    Sources (2)
    1. Faith & Service | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/faith · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “A program of retreats is provided for all students at DeSales.”
      Retreats are offered to all students.
    2. Retreats | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/retreats · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “All sophomores are required to attend the sophomore retreat”
      Sophomores attend a required retreat.
      “The Junior Retreat is an inner-city service experience through Crossroads Ministry.”
      The junior retreat is a service experience.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Campus ministry staffOne (One campus ministry director is named.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Service Program | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Director of Campus Ministry, Inclusion & Diversity”
      The director of campus ministry is named on the service page.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Faith-based student groups or clubsNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Daily prayer and liturgical life built into the school dayNot enough information: not found in official sources.
N/AService and Catholic social teaching: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Service and Catholic social teaching

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Required service hoursNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic social teaching taught in theology coursesYes (Juniors take a Catholic Social Teaching course in theology.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Service Program | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Juniors will be required to complete 8 hours first semester with Social Justice Agencies.”
      Juniors' Catholic Social Teaching course includes required service.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Pro-life engagement (club, March for Life, or similar)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Justice and solidarity programs (immersions, service trips, justice clubs)Yes (The junior retreat is an inner-city service experience through Crossroads Ministry.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Retreats | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/retreats · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “The Junior Retreat is an inner-city service experience through Crossroads Ministry.”
      The junior retreat is a service experience.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • Retreats are offered to all students, and freshman and sophomore days of renewal are required.
    Sources (2)
    1. Faith & Service | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/faith · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “A program of retreats is provided for all students at DeSales.”
      Retreats are offered to all students.
    2. Retreats | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/retreats · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “All sophomores are required to attend the sophomore retreat”
      Sophomores attend a required retreat.
  • Service learning is a graduation requirement, and juniors take a Catholic Social Teaching course.
    Sources (1)
    1. Service Program | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “yearly participation in the Service Learning Program is a graduation requirement”
      Service learning is a graduation requirement, completed each year.
      “Juniors will be required to complete 8 hours first semester with Social Justice Agencies.”
      Juniors' Catholic Social Teaching course includes required service.

Concerns

None recorded.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Campus ministry home

Campus Ministry, DeSales High School

  • Address: 425 W. Kenwood Dr, Louisville, KY 40214
  • Distance from campus: 0.1 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: desaleshighschool.com, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

2 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 1 off campus, 1 location not published

Retreats 2

  • Junior Retreat (Crossroads Ministry)Off campus
    Junior year
    Inner-city service experience through Crossroads Ministry.
    desaleshighschool.com
  • Senior Retreat
    Optional three-day retreat for seniors, held at a retreat center in Indiana.
    desaleshighschool.com

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Campus ministry

Sources (2)
  1. Faith & Service | DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com/apps/pages/faith · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “A program of retreats is provided for all students at DeSales.”
    Retreats are offered to all students.
  2. DeSales High Schooldesaleshighschool.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “425 W. Kenwood Dr, Louisville, KY 40214”
    The school's address is 425 W. Kenwood Drive, Louisville.

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Academic Excellence

AAcademic Excellence: Strong (grade A): 85 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
93 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduates going to four-year colleges 75% of scoreThis measure counts for 75% of the Academic Excellence score.100%
  • Students per teacher 25% of scoreThis measure counts for 25% of the Academic Excellence score.11.5 to 1

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed. Federal data on private high schools is limited to these two measures.

Source: NCES Private School Survey (2023–24 school year)

School facts

TypeDiocesan school
DioceseArchdiocese of Louisville, KY
Grades9–12
Students (all grades)298
Students in grades 9–12298
Coed or single-sexAll-male
Student–teacher ratio11.5 to 1
Graduates going to 4-year colleges100%
SettingCity

Source: NCES Private School Survey 23-24 public-use file (school year 2023–24). The college-going rate and student–teacher ratio feed Academic Excellence; nothing here changes the faith grades.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Louisville

The Most Reverend Shelton J. Fabre, Archbishop of Louisville

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is De Sales High School a Catholic high school?
Yes. De Sales High School is a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Louisville.

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