« Back

Notre Dame Announces Mission Expansion to Include the Admission of Young Women

April 3rd, 2024 by Karen Pellegrino


Committed to Maintaining Holy Cross Tradition and Educational Model

West Haven, Connecticut - Notre Dame High School is pleased to announce that in the Fall of 2025, it will begin welcoming young women as students. This is the result of the decision of the Board of Corporate Members to accept the unanimous recommendation of Notre Dame’s Board of Directors to begin admitting women. The Board of Corporate Members includes Notre Dame High School alumnus Brother Tom Dziekan ‘66, CSC, Superior of the Moreau Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. In making its recommendation, the Board of Directors relied heavily on the work of its Strategic Planning Committee over the last year.

In his 1856 treatise entitled Christian Education, Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross wrote, “How we educate the mind will change with the times; how we cultivate the heart is and will remain timeless.” Later in his same mission-defining work, he wrote, “Education is the art of helping young people to completeness.”

As a result of today’s announcement, nineteen of the twenty-two Congregation of Holy Cross-sponsored secondary and post-secondary academic institutions in the United States are now co-educational.

This decision allows Notre Dame to sustain and expand its mission and offer the distinctive academic opportunities of a Holy Cross education to talented young women as well as young men. The strong, value-based education Notre Dame has offered for over 75 years is complemented by Signature Academic Programs including the International Baccalaureate Program, a rigorous academic offering known worldwide; an Engineering Program; a Sports, Exercise, and Health Science Program; and NDXL, Notre Dame’s Experiential Education Program. This furthers the mission outlined by Moreau nearly two centuries ago.

As Notre Dame becomes a co-ed school, one of the highest priorities will be maintaining the Holy Cross tradition and the four pillars of our educational model, which will benefit both male and female students:

  • Bringing Hope
  • Educating Hearts and Minds
  • Building Respect
  • Being Family

Notre Dame immediately welcomes inquiries for admission in Fall, 2025 from all students. The Notre Dame website will be frequently updated with information about visit opportunities in the spring and summer. For admissions information, please contact the Admissions Office at [email protected].

For additional information on Notre Dame High School, please contact Karen Pellegrino, Director of Communications at [email protected].

Archive