Saint Peter's Preparatory School (also known as Saint Peter's Prep or simply Prep) is an independent, preparatory, and all-male day school located in Jersey City, in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Archdiocese of Newark.Hudson County Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed June 16, 2023. Listed under all-boys schools as a "private/religiously-affiliated school" Founded in 1872 by the Jesuits, it is operated as part of the Jesuit East Province.Ministries: Education - Middle & High Schools, Jesuits USA East. Accessed June 16, 2023. The school has been accredited by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.Saint Peter's Prep, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed January 5, 2023.
Students enroll from counties in Central and Northern New Jersey, as well as from nearby New York City. The school has a faculty of 83 that includes two Jesuits, 71 lay teachers, and 10 counselors, seven of whom work on college placement. Tuition for the 2025–26 school year is $24,551, while mandatory fees total $1,300.Tuition for 2025-2026 is $24,551.... The mandatory annual fees, which are not included in tuition for the academic year, are due in full on June 1st. These fees are an activity fee of $750, a book fee of $300, and a technology fee of $250."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 863 students and 76.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. The school's student body was 45.4% (392) White, 26.3% (227) Hispanic, 11.5% (99) Asian, 9.7% (84) Black 6.6% (57) two or more races and 0.5% (4) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander.School data for St Peters Preparatory School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
History
Origins Saint Peter's Prep was established in the Paulus Hook section of Jersey City as a department within Saint Peter's College (since renamed as Saint Peter's University) by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 3, 1872. Along with the Preparatory department were the Collegiate and Grammar departments. As a school for young men, Saint Peter's opened in September 1878 with seventy-one students in the Preparatory department. Academic degrees were first conferred in June 1889. At this time the only building on the campus was Shalloe Hall at 144 Grand Street. Mulry Hall, on the corner of Grand and Warren Streets, was built around the turn of the century as a local social club, before being acquired by the school.
Separation from the college In 1918 Jesuit Superiors decided to close the college division in order to focus more attention on other universities in the Northeast. It remained closed until 1930; during this time, however, the Preparatory division remained open. The college division reopened in another location in 1930 and in 1936 settled at its current location. The college and Preparatory departments were officially incorporated separately on February 10, 1955. Although Saint Peter's College has not been located at 144 Grand for over eighty years, at an entrance to the original building, Shalloe Hall, a window pane above the door still reads "Saint Peter's College."
Recent history On June 22, 2009, the board of trustees voted unanimously to approve phase one of the Campus Master Plan."Prep's Master Plan: A Green Light for a Grand Vision", St. Peter's Preparatory School. Accessed November 4, 2010
The remaining phases of the Master Plan were to be approved by the Board once funding for the remainder of the project was secured. Prep introduced a campaign, "Imagine: The Fund for Saint Peter's Prep," for the financing of the Master Plan projects. Total gifts, as of September 29, 2010, were over $13.6 million.Imagine: The Fund for Saint Peter's Prep Accessed November 4, 2010
Hogan Hall was renovated in summer 2017, and renovation of Mulry Hall was completed soon after.
To commemorate its sesquicentennial anniversary, a statue of Saint Peter was revealed at the start of the 2022–2023 school year during the school's annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. Designed and created by sculptor Brian Hanlon, the statue depicts a young Peter and "represents us: imperfect and imperfect-able, someone with the entire world in front of him.” The statue is situated at the intersection of York and Warren Streets.
Athletics
The St. Peter's Prep MaraudersSaint Peter's Prep High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic League, which is composed of public and private high schools in Hudson County, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. The school's teams wear maroon and white. With 1,416 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 in that grade range (equivalent to Group IV for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the National Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group A (equivalent to Group III/IV/V for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 738 to 1,404 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
Saint Peter's offers 18 sports and 38 teams, including football, soccer, cross country, basketball, bowling, fencing, indoor track, wrestling, swimming, ice hockey, baseball, golf, volleyball, outdoor track, lacrosse, tennis, and rugby.
The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1949 (against runner-up Trenton Catholic High School in the playoff final), 1951-1953 (vs. Trenton Catholic all three years), 1954 (vs. St. Peter of New Brunswick), 1955 (vs, Trenton Catholic), 1956 (vs. St. Peter of New Brunswick) and 1959 (vs. Trenton Catholic). The program's eight state group titles are tied for seventh-most in the state and the streak of six state titles from 1951 to 1956 is the second longest.Boys Basketball Championship History 1919-2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024. In front of a crowd of 2,000 at the Dillon Gymnasium at Princeton University, the 1956 team won its sixth consecutive Parochial A state title with a 65–48 win against New Brunswick's St. Peter in the championship game."St. Peter's Trounced, 65-48, in Catholic A Title; St. Peter's (JC) Wins Sixth Straight Crown With Last Period Drive", The Home News, March 17, 1956. Accessed February 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Peter's Prep of Jersey City used a leech-like defense and a slick fast break manipulated by a trio of magicians to knock over St. Peter's of New Brunswick 65-48 in the Catholic Schools Class A championship game here last night.... When the final buzzer sounded there was hardly a murmur from the 2,000 brave customers who had beaten snowy trails to the inviting lights of Princeton University's gymnasium.For one thing, nearly all the onlookers were New Brunswick rooters. And for those visitors from Hudson County a State Tournament title is something short of stimulating--this being the sixth straight year they've won the crown."
The boys track team won the Non-Public Group A spring / outdoor track state championship in 1952 and 1953.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
The ice hockey team won the Handchen Cup in 1986.NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. In the 2006–2007 season, they advanced to the final round after defeating Christian Brothers Academy 2–0. They played St. Augustine College Preparatory School in the NJSIAA championship, but fell 3–1.2007 Ice Hockey Tournament - Non-Public, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed March 24, 2007.
The football team won the NJSIAA Non-Public A North state sectional championship in 1989 and in Non-Public Group IV in 1994 and 2005, 2014 and 2019.NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. In 1994, the Saint Peter's Prep football team finished the season with an 11–0 record was ranked 6th in the nation by USA Today after upsetting top-ranked Bergen Catholic High School with a 26–24 win in the Non-Public Group IV championship game at Giants Stadium."High School Football; Bergen Catholic Is Upset by St. Peter's for Title", The New York Times, December 4, 1994. Accessed November 25, 2020. "Fred Stengel, the coach of New Jersey's No. 1-ranked high school team and the No. 5-rated football squad in the nation, knew his Bergen Catholic team might be in for a long afternoon even before the Parochial Group 4 championship game with St. Peter's began at Giants Stadium today.... St. Peter's, the state's No. 4-ranked team, upset the Crusaders, 26-24, before 10,000 fans. On St. Peter's (11-0) second possession, running back Paul Que, who scored 3 touchdowns, capped a 12-play, 64-yard drive with a 1-yard leap over the goal line with 11 minutes 12 seconds left in the half.""Year-by-year final football rankings", USA Today, June 20, 200. Accessed January 30, 2021. The team won the 2005 Non-Public Group IV state championship defeating Don Bosco Prep 22–15.2005 Football - Non-Public, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 1, 2006. Saint Peters won the Non-Public Group IV championship in 2014, with a win over Paramus Catholic High School.Lanni, Patrick. "Video Replay: St. Peter's Prep over Paramus Catholic in the 2014 football final, plus the chat archive", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 5, 2014, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed October 31, 2020. "Stadium was buzzing Friday night when St. Peter's Prep, No. 1 in The NJ.com Top 20, earned a 34-18 victory over No. 2 Paramus Catholic in the Non-Public, Group 4 final." The team won the 2019 Non-Public Group IV title at MetLife Stadium with a 21–14 win against Don Bosco Preparatory High School.Mattura, Greg. "Inside St. Peter's Prep football's dramatic championship win over Don Bosco", The Record, November 30, 2019. Accessed October 31, 2020. "St. Peter’s Prep will be replacing Don Bosco Prep as New Jersey’s No. 1 football team. The Marauders of Hudson County rallied to defeat the Ironmen of Bergen County, 21-14, in the Non-Public Group 4 final Saturday night at MetLife Stadium."