Holy Cross Preparatory Academy (Top Ranked 草榴社区 School for 2026-27)

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

Top Ranked NJ School
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 300 students
Yearly Tuition: $12,600
Average class size: 17 students
Application Deadline: Nov. 1 / rolling
Source: 鉁�Verified school update

School Rankings

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy ranks among the top 20% of private schools in New Jersey for:

School Facts

Religious Affiliation

Catholic

Grades Offered

Grades 9-12

Students By Grade

View Data

Distribution of Students By Grade
Grade	Holy Cross Preparatory Academy
9	70
10	75
11	70
12	85

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ADD/ADHD Support

Yes

Learning Difference Programs

Yes

Year Founded

1957

School Calendar

Campus Size

75 acres

School Motto

Sapientia Sanctitas

Student Body

Total Students

300 students

Student Body Type

Co-ed

% Students of Color

21%

State avg.: 40%

Academic Profile

Total Classroom Teachers

24 teachers

Student-Teacher Ratio

13:1

National avg.:

% Faculty w/Advanced Degree

40%

Average Class Size

17 students

Classroom Dress Code

Formal

Seasonal uniforms

Number of AP Courses

14 courses

Advanced Courses

AP BiologyAP Calculus AB

AP Calculus BCAP Chemistry

AP Computer Science PrinciplesAP European History

AP Language & CompositionAP Literature & Composition

AP MacroeconomicsAP PreCalculus

AP PsychologyAP Statistics

AP United States History

School Membership(s)School Assoc.

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)

Tuition & Financial Aid

Admission Deadline

Nov. 1 / rolling

Yearly Tuition Cost

$12,600

View national tuition avg.

Tuition Notes

Includes fees.

% on Financial Aid

45%

College Acceptance Rate

100%

Admissions Director

Mrs. Deb Eckenhoff

Admissions Associate

Ms. Anastasia Korbal

Application URL

Sports

Total Sports Offered

18 sports

Sports

BaseballBasketball

CheeringCross Country

SwimmingTrack and Field

VolleyballWeightlifting

Winter TrackWrestling

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Colors

White, Grey, Maroon

School Mascot

Lancers

Extracurriculars

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.

24 extracurriculars

ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.

Club or Organization:

Campus MinistryDebate

Key ClubMock Trial

Multicultural ClubNational Honor Society

RecyclingSocial Media Club

Special OlympicsSports Management

Student GovernmentYearbook

Arts and Music Programs:

Art ClubComputer-Aided Drawing

Dance (I, II, III, and IV)Dance Team

Fall PlayGraphic Design (I and II)

Honors ArtPep Band

PhotographySpring Musical

Studio Art (I, II, III, and IV)Theater Program

School Notes

Vision: To serve as the premier Catholic institute for education and leadership in South Jersey and beyond.

Mission: To inspire young men and women to become resilient leaders and lifelong learners through wisdom and holiness.

12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
Collegiate Block Scheduling
20 Dual Enrolled Courses via partnership with:
- Holy Family University
- Seton Hall University
- Rowan College at Burlington County
14 Advanced Placement Courses
44 Academic Electives
Over 95% Co-Curricular Activity Participation
16 Interscholastic Varsity Athletic Teams
94 Acre Campus
100% Graduation Rate
1:1 Technology Program

Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- J. Mark Baiada '65 - Ten years after graduating from Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, Mr. J. Mark Baiada '65 invested his life savings of $16,000 in a belief that people deserve a safe home life with comfort, autonomy, and dignity. Today, more than 28,000 employees have answered the call to serve with BAYADA Home Health Care. BAYADA Home Health Care serves as an international nonprofit home health care provider, with more than 360 offices in 23 states, with locations in Germany, India, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Korea.
- Mel Baiada '76 - Mr. Mel Baiada '76 is an investor, board member and entrepreneur. He founded Bluestone, Inc. in 1989 to provide technology expertise to Fortune 1000 companies and government organizations. Under his direction, Bluestone rapidly grew to a multi-million dollar company, earning its inclusion in the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the U.S. for three straight years, from 1994 to 1996. The software arm underwent a successful IPO in 1999, and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2000. Through his generous contributions, Drexel University was able to add the Laurence A. Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship in Technology to its campus.
- Michael Giacchino '86 - A Grammy-Award Winning Composer of music for films, television and video games. Mr. Michael Giacchino '86 composed the scores to the television series Lost, Alias and Fringe, the video game series Medal of Honor and Call of Duty and many films such as The Incredibles (2004), Star Trek (2009), Up (2009), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), Jurassic World (2015), Inside Out (2015), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) and Coco (2017). He earned an Academy Award for Up (2009), an Emmy for Lost (2004), and three Grammy Awards.
- Anthony Giacchino '88 - Mr. Anthony Giacchino '88 wrote and directed the 2007 documentary film The Camden 28, which was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay. In 2020, he directed the documentary film Colette, co-produced by Oculus and Respawn Entertainment as part of the documentary gallery for the virtual-reality video game Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Colette won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards.
- Joe Hudson '88 - Mr. Joe Hudson '88 is a former relief pitcher in the MLB who played from 1995 through 1998 for the Boston Red Sox (1995鈥�97) and Milwaukee Brewers (1998). Mr. Hudson '88 was selected by Boston in the 1992 MLB Draft after a career at West Virginia University.
- Kevin Hickman '89 - Mr. Kevin Hickman '89 was drafted in the 6th round of the NFL Draft and competed as a tight-end for the Detroit Lions from 1995 to 1998. After his NFL career he returned to school a received a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in 2001, a master's degree from American InterContinental University in 2007, and doctorate in education from Northcentral University in 2016. Mr. Hickman has worked as a high school athletic administrator at schools in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Ohio.
- Gregg Murphy '89 - Mr. Gregg Murphy '89 is an American sports broadcaster and reporter who currently serves as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network broadcast team. He formerly worked for NBC Sports Philadelphia from 2008 to 2020, and was also part of CN8's sports coverage.
- Lance Bangs '90 - Mr. Lance Bangs '90 is an American filmmaker and music video director. He directed the David Cross film Let America Laugh. Bangs has also been heavily involved in the filming and production of MTV's Jackass television series and its subsequent movies.
- Michelle Kosinski '92 - Mrs. Michelle Kosinski '92 is an American journalist, host, and public speaker. She most recently wrote and hosted the podcast The Perfect Scam. Previously she was a Senior Diplomatic Correspondent for CNN and White House Correspondent for CNN until 2019. In 2009, she won a national Emmy award for live reporting during NBC News' special coverage of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. She was a foreign correspondent for NBC News based in London (2010鈥�2014); before that, she was a correspondent based in Miami (2005鈥�2009). She has covered numerous international news stories, including the US war in Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Haiti earthquake, the BP oil spill, the Virginia Tech shootings, the Obama White House, and the tenure and firing of Rex Tillerson.
- Kevin Landolt '94 - Mr. Kevin Landolt '94 played in the NFL as a defensive tackle. He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL draft. Following graduation at Holy Cross, he attended and played football at West Virginia University before making his NFL-debut.

Source: Verified school update

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Holy Cross Preparatory Academy cost?

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy's tuition is approximately $12,600 for private students.

Who are famous alumni from Holy Cross Preparatory Academy?

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy famous alumni include: J. Mark Baiada '65, Mel Baiada '76, Michael Giacchino '86, Anthony Giacchino '88, Joe Hudson '88, Kevin Hickman '89, Gregg Murphy '89, Lance Bangs '90, Michelle Kosinski '92 and Kevin Landolt '94.

What sports does Holy Cross Preparatory Academy offer?

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy offers 18 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cheering, Cross Country, Dance, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Track and Field, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Winter Track and Wrestling. Holy Cross Preparatory Academy is ranked as one of the top 20% of private schools in New Jersey for most sports offered.

What is Holy Cross Preparatory Academy's ranking?

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy ranks among the top 20% of private schools in New Jersey for: Largest student body, Most sports offered and Most extracurriculars offered.

When is the application deadline for Holy Cross Preparatory Academy?

The application deadline for Holy Cross Preparatory Academy is Nov. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Nov. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

School Reviews

5.00 out of 5 (2 reviews)

5 4/14/2013

We made the choice to have all of our children enter into this private high school for many reasons. Safety, curriculum, size and ease of transport along with a variety of activities and sports for all. Although the facilities are aging, the programs were well balanced and we were able to budget for each of our 4 children. They each had issues with school, like any teen, but all really have loved what the school had to offer for them. Classes of ''07,''09, ''13, and soon to be ''17!

- Posted by Parent - kate.

5 10/27/2012

Mr. Guida (now principal) always has a smile on his face and is willing to help ALL students in anyway he possibly can. During my tenure at Holy Cross I passed the AP economics exam, the class he taught. My parents and I were ecstatic as this saved us thousands of dollars in college, how can you beat that? He is a wonderful teacher and I highly recommend him and the Holy Cross education. Currently I am employed full time in the economics field and a big thanks goes out to Mr. Guida!

- Posted by Parent - matth

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Burlington County, NJ is $8,135 for elementary schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).

The average acceptance rate in Burlington County, NJ is 82% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).