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

Catholic high school

DeSales Catholic High School

  • LocationWalla Walla, WA
  • Type and sizeDiocesan school · Grades 7–12 · 129 students
Official website

DeSales Catholic High School in Walla Walla, Washington, is part of Walla Walla Catholic Schools and serves students in grades 6 through 12. Its theology courses run through all four high school years, and the school says faith is integrated into all areas of the school.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of DeSales Catholic High School, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSt. Patrick Church: 1.1 mi1St. Francis Church: 1.3 mi2DeSales Catholic High School (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. St. Patrick Church — 1.1 mi
  2. St. Francis Church — 1.3 mi

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.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    All-school or class Masses 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.
    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.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain serving the schoolNot enough information: not found in official sources.
ATheology and curriculum: 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.

Theology and curriculum

100 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Years of theology or religion requiredFour years (Theology is listed for each high school year, freshman through senior, on the school's theology page. This is recorded from the course list.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Freshmen Theology First Semester: Faith and Revelation”
      Theology is offered in the freshman year.
      “Senior Theology The Christian Life and Service Project”
      Theology is offered in the senior year.
  • 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.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Philosophy, apologetics, or ethics course offeredYes (The junior-year Morality course covers the moral teachings of the Catholic Church, which is an ethics course.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “This class aids the formation of our consciences by presenting an overview of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.”
      The junior-year Morality course is an ethics course.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Faith integrated across the curriculum (stated in the program of studies or mission)Yes (The school's mission and philosophy statement says faith is integrated into all areas of the school.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Our Mission, Virtues, and Beliefs | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/mission-and-values · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “The educational experience is further deepened by the integration of faith into all areas of the school.”
      The school's philosophy statement says faith is integrated into all areas of the school.
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.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    RetreatsNot 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.
    Campus ministry staffNot 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-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.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Required service hours40 or more hours over four years (Students must complete at least 20 hours of service each semester, well over 40 hours across four years.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Students are required to engage in a minimum of 20 hours of service per semester.”
      Senior students must complete at least 20 hours of service per semester.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic social teaching taught in theology coursesNot 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.
    Pro-life engagement (club, March for Life, or similar)Not 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.
    Justice and solidarity programs (immersions, service trips, justice clubs)Not enough information: not found in official sources.

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

Strengths

  • Theology courses are listed for every high school year, from freshman through senior.
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Freshmen Theology First Semester: Faith and Revelation”
      Theology is offered in the freshman year.
      “Senior Theology The Christian Life and Service Project”
      Theology is offered in the senior year.
  • A junior-year Morality course covers the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “This class aids the formation of our consciences by presenting an overview of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.”
      The junior-year Morality course is an ethics course.
  • The school's philosophy statement says faith is integrated into all areas of the school.
    Sources (1)
    1. Our Mission, Virtues, and Beliefs | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/mission-and-values · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “The educational experience is further deepened by the integration of faith into all areas of the school.”
      The school's philosophy statement says faith is integrated into all areas of the school.

Concerns

  • The service requirement is stated as 20 hours per semester, with no total published across the four years.
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Walla Walla Catholic Schoolswallawallacatholicschools.com/high-school-theology · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Students are required to engage in a minimum of 20 hours of service per semester.”
      Senior students must complete at least 20 hours of service per semester.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Catholic clubs and student life

1 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 1 off campus

Service 1

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

Reach out

Contact details for Fr. Jeff Lewis (President and Board Member) and the campus ministry are available to signed-in users.

Sign in Create a free account

We keep campus ministers’ emails behind sign-in to protect them from spam.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

Academic Excellence

FAcademic Excellence: Minimal (grade F): 0 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
13 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.45%
  • Students per teacher 25% of scoreThis measure counts for 25% of the Academic Excellence score.13.6 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
DioceseDiocese of Spokane, WA
Grades7–12
Students (all grades)129
Students in grades 9–1286
Coed or single-sexCoed
Student–teacher ratio13.6 to 1
Graduates going to 4-year colleges45%
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

Diocese of Spokane

The Most Reverend Thomas A. Daly, Bishop of Spokane

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes

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

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is DeSales Catholic High School a Catholic high school?
Yes. DeSales Catholic High School is a Catholic high school in the Diocese of Spokane.

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

More in Washington · Washington rankings