Rosary Academy

Overview

Rosary Academy is a Catholic high private school in Fullerton, California, serving grades 9-12, founded in 1965, with about 457 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $21,990 to $23,290, which puts it in the middle range among Orange County private schools at this level. Religion classes are required, so confirm your family is comfortable with that before applying. Average class size is about 17. The school offers 20 AP courses. The school accepts F-1 international students and issues the I-20 needed for a student visa. Bus service is available, covering Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Orange, Fullerton, Hacienda Heights, Whittier, La Habra, Corona, Los Alamitos, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Chino Hills, San Dimas.

Admissions

The HSPT (Catholic high school placement test, offered once each January) is required.

Applications typically open in the fall and close in January or February; check the school website for the current year’s dates.

For schools whose main entry point is grade 9, the target list should be settled before the fall of grade 8: attend open houses and shadow days in the fall, submit applications and sit the entrance test between November and January, and expect decisions in March. The summer after grade 7 is a realistic time to start ISEE or HSPT preparation.

Tuition and fees

$21,990 per year for Catholic families, with diocesan verification required, and $23,290 per year for non-Catholic families (2026-27, school website, Tuition & Fees page)

Academics and programs

• 20 AP courses (Art History, Biology, Calculus AB/BC, Chemistry, CS Principles, English Lang/Lit, Environmental Science, European History, French, Government, Human Geography, Physics 1, Psychology, Spanish, Statistics, Studio Drawing, Studio Art 3D, US History) (2025-26 Academic Profile)
• Seven Pathways: computer science, engineering, medicine, sports medicine, law, performing arts and leadership (2025-26 Academic Profile, school website Pathways page)
• Royal Rebel Robotics, which the school website describes as Orange County’s first all-girls FIRST robotics team (2025-26 Academic Profile)
• The Trinitas Arts Conservatory stages theater productions jointly with brother school Servite; Red & Gold, a schoolwide student-written and student-performed musical tradition, has run for more than fifty years (2025-26 Academic Profile)
• The Rosary Support Program (RSP) supports students with learning differences; there are also Wellness & Enrichment, Mock Trial, the Inspire Her women’s career series and the Royal Advantage internship and job-shadow program (2025-26 Academic Profile)
• The world languages department offers four-year programs in three languages, Spanish, French and American Sign Language (ASL); the school website reads “Rosary offers four year programs in Spanish, French and American Sign Language,” with no Chinese (school website, World Language department page)

How this school compares

These are the nearest schools at the same level and a comparable price. Select a name to open that school’s admissions guide:

School	City	Grades	Tuition	Entrance test	Class size	Distance
Rosary Academy	Fullerton	9-12	$21,990	HSPT	17	—
Servite High School	Anaheim	9-12	$20,710	HSPT	—	4.3 mi
Orange Lutheran High School (Lutheran High School of Orange County)	Orange	9-12	$20,800	None	—	5.6 mi
Whittier Christian High School	La Habra	9-12	$19,193	On-campus assessment	—	5.4 mi
Fairmont Preparatory Academy	Anaheim	9-12	$34,435	None	—	4.6 mi

Where graduates go

100% of the class of 2025 was admitted to college; 87% enrolled at four-year institutions and 13% at two-year institutions, with 32% at California State University (CSU) campuses, 14% at University of California (UC) campuses, 15% at Catholic institutions and 27% at public institutions; the class earned $23 million in academic and athletic scholarships combined (2025-26 Academic Profile). The same Profile also reports that in 2025, 182 students took 345 AP exams with 151 scoring 3 or higher, an average SAT of 1116 from 46 test takers (math 536, reading and writing 580) and an average ACT of 25.

For college applications from this school, EDUBUS can begin with course selection in grade 9.

Total tuition through graduation

At the 2026-27 rate of $21,990, 4 years covering grades 9-12 come to roughly $87,960 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $93,000. Neither number includes registration fees, deposits, uniforms or activity fees. A California 529 plan can cover up to $10,000 per child per year of K-12 tuition.

Getting there from Irvine

These are straight-line distances from neighborhoods where many Irvine families live. Actual drive times will be longer, and a morning rush-hour trip typically takes 1.5 to 2 times as long as an off-peak one:

Neighborhood	Straight-line distance
Woodbury	15.5 miles
Northwood	13.0 miles
Turtle Rock	17.9 miles
Portola Springs	16.4 miles

The school runs bus service, covering Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Orange, Fullerton, Hacienda Heights, Whittier, La Habra, Corona, Los Alamitos, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Chino Hills, San Dimas.

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Whether religion classes and chapel are required, and how many families are not members of the faith
• Whether the ISEE is required above grade 5, and roughly where the score bar sits
• How many mid-year openings come up in a typical year, and how the waitlist works
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track Rosary Academy’s admissions calendar, prepare students for the HSPT, and review application materials before they are submitted. Book a school-selection consultation or read the Chinese version of this page.