The latest WA census results confirm the enduring appeal of Catholic schools to families as enrolments grew for the sixth consecutive year.
In the year to February 2026, enrolments increased by 1.5 percent with more than 84,500 students now enrolled.
The growth was recorded in both metro and country schools, across primary and secondary year levels.
First Nations students account for 4.7 percent of students in Catholic schools, the fourth year in a row that proportion has been maintained.
Catholic Education WA’s Executive Director, Annette Morey said the Catholic education sector was proud that more families continued to place their trust in Catholic schools to educate their children.
“Catholic schools are committed to providing a modern, affordable, values-based education to those families who seek one,” she said.
“We continue to look at ways to improve our schools and curriculum so that we are preparing young people to succeed in the modern workforce.”
The results add to a sustained period of growth for WA Catholic schools over the last five years whereby enrolments have grown by 8.3 percent.
