Xavier High School

Since founding, Xavier has educated intelligent, motivated young men from Manhattan and far beyond, sending them forth with grateful hearts to transform the world for God’s greater glory. That mission has never been more important than it is today.

Founded in 1847, Xavier High School is an academically rigorous, Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school in New York City that educates intelligent, motivated young men of diverse backgrounds and means. Xavier teaches students to take responsibility for their lives, to lead with integrity, to act justly in service of others, to pursue excellence in every endeavor and to deepen their relationship with God. Ultimately, Xavier forms young men who will go forth to transform the world for God’s greater glory.

Wonderful opportunities await you on 16th Street! We've embarked upon our 172nd year as a school community. Our student have had access for the last two years to the state-of-the-art Fernandez-Duminuco Hall and they are taking full advantage of our robust offerings in dramatics, instrumental music, computer science, and robotics. A Jesuit education in the heart of New York City that prepares its students for the future while remaining rooted in the best practices of our Jesuit educational tradition: that’s the animating vision we have for Xavier!

Here’s what our alumni often say about how Xavier kindled that vision within them. Some talk about the how much self-discipline they learned during their commutes, in the classroom, or on the field. Others speak of the intellectual risks they took and curiosity they developed in their math or science classes, while others discuss the athletic or artistic interests they discovered during their four high school years. Many mention the profound relationships that they developed with their teachers—passionate educators who challenged them to broaden and deepen their intellectual and spiritual horizons. Frequently, graduates speak about how they received care and support from a guidance counselor or homeroom advisor, how they experienced a spiritual “a-ha” moment on one of our student-led retreats, how they developed friendships over lunchtime conversations in our Quad or Cafeteria, or how they felt themselves becoming a “Man for and with Others” on one of our many service or immersion trips. Not surprisingly, regardless of how they began their answer, it frequently ends with the sentiment that—during their time on 16th Street—Xavier was their second home, a place where they were both cared for and challenged.

Xavier’s educational methods are rooted in the pillars of the Profile of the Graduate at Graduation—one of the foundational documents of Jesuit education—which means that Xavier graduates become Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Loving, Religious, and Committed to Doing Justice. This is why, by the time they step out of St. Patrick’s Cathedral onto 5th Avenue, Sons of Xavier are no longer boys, but young men who have become more conscientious, competent, compassionate, committed, and creative—ready to be of service to our city, our nation, and the world.

Xavier takes to heart one of the foundational documents of Jesuit education, the Profile of the Graduate at Graduation. “The Grad at Grad,” as it is more commonly known, reflects the tradition and ideals of Jesuit schools and who our graduates aspire to become. At the time of graduation, the product of a Jesuit education should be:

• Open to Growth: The graduate seeks opportunities to develop one’s mind, imagination, feelings, and religious consciousness. He takes responsibility for his own growth, accepting his own talents and limitations.
• Intellectually Competent: Having mastered the academic requirements for graduation, the graduate is characterized by a love of learning, intellectual inquiry, and integrity in one’s quest for religious truth and response to issues of social justice.
• Religious: The graduate understands the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Having been introduced to Ignatian spirituality, the graduate has examined his views and beliefs with a view to fundamentally orienting himself toward God and establishing a relationship with a religious tradition or community.
• Loving: By graduation, the Jesuit high school student is forming his own identity and moving beyond self-interest or self-centeredness in his relationship with others. He is beginning to risk some deeper levels of relationship in which one can disclose self and accept the mystery of another person—and cherish that person.
• Committed to Doing Justice: At the time of graduation, the graduate has considerable knowledge of the many needs of local and global communities, and he is preparing for the day when he will take a place in these communities as a competent, concerned, and responsible member. The graduate has been inspired to develop the awareness and skills necessary to live in a global society as a person for and with others.