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Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School: Gwynedd Mercy
Photo: Montgomery County Planning Commission, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Catholic high school

Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School

  • LocationGwynedd Valley, PA
  • Type and sizeIndependent Catholic school · Grades 9–12 · 439 students

All-female

Official website

Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School is an all-girls Catholic high school in Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1861. Theology is a graduation requirement, one course in each of grades 9 through 12, and students complete 20 hours of service-learning. The school says it holds liturgies and prayer services for the school year and offers retreats.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miSaint Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church: 2.8 mi1Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School (campus)N2 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church — 2.8 mi · 259 Forest Avenue, Ambler

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 (The school states that a ministry group plans all of the liturgies and prayer services for the school year.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Ministry and Service | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/mercy-mission/ministry-and-service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Liturgical Planning is a ministry group that assists with all of the liturgies and prayer services for the school year.”
      A student ministry group helps plan the school's liturgies and prayer services.
  • 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 (School liturgies are planned each year.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Ministry and Service | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/mercy-mission/ministry-and-service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Liturgical Planning is a ministry group that assists with all of the liturgies and prayer services for the school year.”
      A student ministry group helps plan the school's liturgies and prayer services.
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.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Years of theology or religion requiredFour years (The 2025-26 school profile, the newest edition found, lists 4 credits of theology required to graduate. Each theology course is 1 credit and is taken in grades 9 through 12; theology is taken in every grade.)
    Sources (2)
    1. School Profile 2025-26 (PDF) | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/fs/resource-manager/view/6c759038-99dd-4680-a14d-1bde59aa5bac · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Theology 4 credits”
      The school profile lists 4 credits of theology required to graduate.
    2. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Grade 9 During Freshman Theology, students will explore what it means to be a follower of Christ through Scripture.”
      Theology 9 is a one-credit course for grade 9.
      “Grade 10 The first semester of this course is designed to introduce students to the major events and doctrines in the history of the Catholic Church”
      Theology 10 is a course for grade 10.
      “Grade 11 This course seeks to provide students with an introduction to the fundamental principles of Catholic moral teachings”
      Theology 11 is a course for grade 11.
      “Grade 12 This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in the basic concepts of Catholic spirituality”
      Theology 12 is a course for grade 12.
  • 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.

  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    RetreatsRetreats for some grades (The wellness page says the school provides retreats for spiritual self-reflection without listing grades.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Wellness Program | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/wellness · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “provides opportunities for spiritual self-reflection through retreats”
      The wellness program offers retreats for spiritual self-reflection, and reflects the celebration of liturgy as a community.
  • 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.
BService and Catholic social teaching: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Service and Catholic social teaching

81 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Required service hoursFewer than 40 hours (The service-learning page, the more specific and more recent source, states 20 hours of service are a graduation requirement. The ministry page says the school has no service requirement; this conflict is recorded in gaps.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Service-Learning | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/service-learning · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “These 20 service hours are a GMAHS Graduation Requirement.”
      Twenty hours of service-learning are a graduation requirement.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic social teaching taught in theology coursesYes (The grade 11 theology course, Catholic Morality and Social Teaching, covers Catholic social teaching.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “while also exploring the rich social teaching of the Church on political, economic, ethical, and cultural matters as they relate to the common good”
      The grade 11 theology course covers Catholic social teaching.
  • 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 required service-learning course moves students from service to analysis of social justice and advocacy on a Critical Concern of Mercy.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Students engage in the circle of social action by first developing awareness through their service hours, then moving into analysis as they connect their experiences to issues of social justice”
      Service-learning moves students to analysis of social justice.
    2. Service-Learning | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/service-learning · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Students are also required to do at least 5 hours of advocacy work on a particular issue”
      Junior students must complete five hours of advocacy work.

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

Strengths

  • Theology is a graduation requirement, one course in each of grades 9 through 12.
    Sources (2)
    1. School Profile 2025-26 (PDF) | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/fs/resource-manager/view/6c759038-99dd-4680-a14d-1bde59aa5bac · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Theology 4 credits”
      The school profile lists 4 credits of theology required to graduate.
    2. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Grade 9 During Freshman Theology, students will explore what it means to be a follower of Christ through Scripture.”
      Theology 9 is a one-credit course for grade 9.
      “Grade 10 The first semester of this course is designed to introduce students to the major events and doctrines in the history of the Catholic Church”
      Theology 10 is a course for grade 10.
      “Grade 11 This course seeks to provide students with an introduction to the fundamental principles of Catholic moral teachings”
      Theology 11 is a course for grade 11.
      “Grade 12 This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in the basic concepts of Catholic spirituality”
      Theology 12 is a course for grade 12.
  • Service-learning moves students from service to analysis of social justice, with a required advocacy component.
    Sources (2)
    1. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Students engage in the circle of social action by first developing awareness through their service hours, then moving into analysis as they connect their experiences to issues of social justice”
      Service-learning moves students to analysis of social justice.
    2. Service-Learning | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/service-learning · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Students are also required to do at least 5 hours of advocacy work on a particular issue”
      Junior students must complete five hours of advocacy work.
  • The grade 11 theology course covers Catholic social teaching.
    Sources (1)
    1. Theology | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/departments/theology · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “while also exploring the rich social teaching of the Church on political, economic, ethical, and cultural matters as they relate to the common good”
      The grade 11 theology course covers Catholic social teaching.

Concerns

  • The required service is 20 hours, which is fewer than 40 hours over four years.
    Sources (1)
    1. Service-Learning | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/academics/service-learning · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “These 20 service hours are a GMAHS Graduation Requirement.”
      Twenty hours of service-learning are a graduation requirement.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Catholic clubs and student life

6 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 2 off campus, 4 location not published

Service 4

  • Manna on MainOff campus
    Once a month
    Students visit a soup kitchen to serve meals.
    gmahs.org
  • Women of HopeOff campus
    Once a month
    Students visit Women of Hope, a residence for women, to plan and run activities.
    gmahs.org
  • Project Mercy
    The school's yearly service program for children from Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, with a Halloween event, a Christmas party, a Valentine visit and a spring carnival.
    gmahs.org
  • Mercy Effect
    A student group that engages students with the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy and runs an annual community fundraiser.
    gmahs.org

Liturgy and prayer 1

  • Liturgies and prayer services
    Planned for the school year
    A student ministry group helps choose the themes, music, readings and messages for the school's liturgies and prayer services.
    gmahs.org

Retreats 1

  • Retreats
    The wellness program provides retreats for spiritual self-reflection.
    gmahs.org

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 (1)
  1. Ministry and Service | Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Schoolgmahs.org/mercy-mission/ministry-and-service · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Liturgical Planning is a ministry group that assists with all of the liturgies and prayer services for the school year.”
    A student ministry group helps plan the school's liturgies and prayer services.

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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.
90 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.96%
  • Students per teacher 25% of scoreThis measure counts for 25% of the Academic Excellence score.9.0 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

TypeIndependent Catholic school
DioceseArchdiocese of Philadelphia, PA
Grades9–12
Students (all grades)439
Students in grades 9–12439
Coed or single-sexAll-female
Student–teacher ratio9.0 to 1
Graduates going to 4-year colleges96%
SettingSuburb

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 Philadelphia

The Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

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

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School a Catholic high school?
Yes. Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School is a Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

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