Why Choose Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, New York?
Christian Brothers Academy is a private, coeducational, Lasallian Catholic, college preparatory school serving students in grades 7 through 12 from throughout Syracuse and Central New York.
Founded in 1900, CBA combines exceptional academic achievement with a close, relationship centered community where students are known, challenged and supported.
CBA students pursue rigorous academics while participating in championship athletics, performing and visual arts, clubs, service, retreats, leadership programs and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities. The entire experience is grounded in the Lasallian Catholic tradition and an intentional commitment to developing the whole person.
Families choose CBA from throughout Central New York, including communities served by some of the region's highest performing public school districts, such as Fayetteville Manlius, Jamesville DeWitt, Skaneateles, Westhill, Baldwinsville, North Syracuse and others.
Many of those families already have access to very good public schools.
They still choose CBA.
Why?
Because the most important question is not simply where a child can receive a good education.
It is:
Where will my child be challenged to become the very best version of himself or herself?
At CBA, families do not have to choose between exceptional academic achievement and an education focused on faith, values, character, leadership, relationships and personal growth.
They can have both.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
How Strong Are the Academic Results at CBA Syracuse?
CBA students achieve at an exceptional level.
On the 2025 New York State assessments, CBA's eighth grade students achieved 95% proficiency in English Language Arts and 92% proficiency in mathematics.
Those results were higher than every public school district in Central New York in both English Language Arts and mathematics.
CBA's English Language Arts proficiency rate was also 42 percentage points higher than the New York State average.
These results are particularly significant because CBA families frequently compare the school with some of the strongest public school districts in the Syracuse area, including Fayetteville Manlius, Jamesville DeWitt, Skaneateles, Westhill, Baldwinsville and North Syracuse.
In 2025, CBA students outperformed them all on both Grade 8 New York State English Language Arts and mathematics assessments.
- 95% ELA Proficiency
- 92% Math Proficiency
- Highest performance in Central New York among public school districts and CBA in both subjects
- 42 percentage points above the New York State average in ELA
CBA's academic strength is not defined by a single test or a single year. It is reflected in sustained academic achievement, Advanced Placement opportunities, National Merit recognition, college outcomes, standardized assessment results and the accomplishments of CBA graduates.
But the 2025 results demonstrate something important for families considering CBA:
Choosing CBA does not mean sacrificing academic performance to gain the benefits of a private, Catholic education. CBA students are achieving at the highest level in Central New York.
CBA COMPARED WITH THE BEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS
How Does CBA Compare Academically with Fayetteville Manlius, Jamesville DeWitt and Other Top Public Schools?
Families considering CBA often live in communities with excellent public schools. That makes this a reasonable and important question.
CBA's academic results do not simply compare favorably with the strongest public schools in Central New York. On the 2025 Grade 8 New York State assessments, CBA students achieved higher proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and mathematics than every public school district in Central New York.
That includes highly regarded districts such as Fayetteville Manlius, Jamesville DeWitt, Skaneateles, Westhill, Baldwinsville and North Syracuse.
The distinction matters.
Families choosing CBA are not being asked to trade academic achievement for faith, values, personal attention, athletics, arts, leadership opportunities or a smaller school community. They can choose outstanding academic performance and all of those things. That is one of the most compelling differences of a CBA education.
CBA AND PUBLIC SCHOOL RANKINGS
Where Would CBA Rank Among the Best Public High Schools in the Syracuse Area?
National school rankings frequently separate public and private schools, making direct comparisons difficult for parents. Because Christian Brothers Academy is a private school, CBA is not included in the U.S. News & World Report Best Public High Schools rankings.
However, CBA tracks many of the same measures that U.S. News uses to evaluate public high schools. When CBA's academic results are evaluated using the same applicable academic measures used to rank Syracuse area public high schools, CBA would rank first among the schools in the region.
That comparison is consistent with other measures of achievement, including CBA's New York State assessment performance, National Merit recognition, Advanced Placement success, college outcomes and national academic recognition.
CBA was also recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019, one of the nation's most respected recognitions of school excellence.
For families researching the best schools in Syracuse or the strongest academic schools in Central New York, CBA deserves to be part of the comparison.
NATIONAL MERIT ACHIEVEMENT
Does CBA Have National Merit Recognized Students?
Yes.
CBA students consistently earn recognition through the National Merit Scholarship Program, one of the country's most respected measures of academic achievement.
CBA has a higher percentage of National Merit recognized students than any public school district in Central New York.
This is especially meaningful because CBA's graduating classes are significantly smaller than those of many large public high schools.
When academic achievement is considered proportionally, CBA's National Merit results demonstrate the extraordinary level at which its students perform.
National Merit recognition provides another important measure for families comparing CBA with Fayetteville Manlius, Jamesville DeWitt, Skaneateles, Westhill, Baldwinsville, North Syracuse and other highly regarded schools.
WHY PAY TUITION?
Why Choose CBA If You Already Live in One of Central New York's Highest Performing Public School Districts?
This may be the most important question for many families.
If your child can attend a strong public school without paying tuition, why choose CBA?
Because choosing a school is about much more than choosing where your child will take mathematics, science, English and history.
You are choosing the community that will help shape who your child becomes.
You are choosing the adults who will teach, coach, mentor, challenge and support your child.
You are choosing the values that will surround your child during some of the most formative years of his or her life.
And you are choosing the expectations that will help determine how much your child grows.
CBA offers families something unusual.
Students receive an education that produces the strongest academic results in Central New York, while also attending a smaller, relationship centered school where they are personally known and challenged to grow academically, spiritually, socially and personally.
For families who want the very best for their child, who want their child challenged academically, surrounded by high expectations and encouraged to grow into a thoughtful, confident, compassionate and capable young adult, a CBA education is worth the investment.
IS CBA WORTH THE TUITION?
Is Christian Brothers Academy Syracuse Worth the Tuition?
For families seeking the very best educational experience for their child, CBA offers a distinctive value.
CBA tuition is an investment not simply in classes, textbooks or a diploma.
It is an investment in the six formative years between grades 7 and 12.
It is an investment in exceptional academics.
It is an investment in teachers who know students personally.
It is an investment in faith, values and character.
It is an investment in college preparation.
It is an investment in leadership.
It is an investment in athletics, arts, service, relationships and experiences that help students discover who they are and who they are capable of becoming.
For families who want their child to be challenged academically while growing holistically as a person, CBA provides an educational experience difficult to replicate elsewhere.
The value of a CBA education is ultimately measured by more than where a student attends college.
It is measured by who that student becomes.
WHAT MAKES CBA DIFFERENT?
What Makes CBA Different from an Excellent Public School?
CBA does not need public schools to be unsuccessful for CBA to be exceptional. Central New York has many strong public schools. CBA offers something different.
Students receive the opportunities of a comprehensive college preparatory school within a community small enough for relationships to matter deeply.
Teachers know their students.
Counselors know their stories.
Coaches become mentors.
Administrators know their names.
Classmates become part of a community that extends well beyond graduation.
Students are expected to work hard, use their talents well, treat others with dignity, serve those around them and accept increasing responsibility for their own growth.
Academic excellence matters tremendously at CBA.
But education does not stop there.
CBA is concerned not only with what students know, but with who they become.
THE LASALLIAN DIFFERENCE
What Does It Mean That CBA Is a Lasallian Catholic School?
Christian Brothers Academy is part of the worldwide Lasallian educational tradition inspired by St. John Baptist de La Salle, the patron saint of teachers.
For more than three centuries, Lasallian schools have understood education as something deeply personal.
A student is not simply a test score, an athlete, a musician, a GPA or a college application.
Each young person has dignity, potential, gifts and a responsibility to use those gifts well.
At CBA, the Lasallian mission is lived through rigorous academics, meaningful relationships, faith, service, character, leadership and care for the individual student.
Students are challenged to strive for excellence while recognizing that their talents should ultimately be used in service to others.
In practical terms, being Lasallian means something parents immediately understand:
Students should be known.
Students should be challenged.
Students should be supported.
Students should be expected to grow.
COLLEGE PREPARATION
How Does CBA Prepare Students for College?
College preparation at CBA begins long before senior year.
Students pursue a rigorous college preparatory curriculum while developing the writing, critical thinking, communication, organization and study skills necessary for success in higher education.
CBA students have opportunities for advanced coursework and are supported by faculty, counselors and administrators who help them identify colleges that match their aspirations, interests and abilities.
College counseling supports students and families through course selection, college research, applications, financial aid, scholarships and the transition from high school to college.
The objective is not simply to help students get into college.
It is to prepare them to succeed when they arrive.
COLLEGE ACCESS
What Colleges and Universities Visit CBA Syracuse?
CBA students have direct access to representatives from many of the nation's most selective colleges and universities.
Recent college engagement has included representatives from institutions such as:
- Harvard University
- Yale University
- Princeton University
- Brown University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Notre Dame
- Boston College
- Syracuse University
and many other colleges and universities from across the country.
CBA students have had access to representatives from all eight Ivy League institutions, giving students opportunities to learn directly from some of the most selective universities in the United States.
These visits are part of a broader college preparatory culture that encourages students to think ambitiously while finding the institution that is the right fit for them.
NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL
Is CBA Syracuse a National Blue Ribbon School?
Yes.
Christian Brothers Academy was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2019.
National Blue Ribbon recognition honors schools demonstrating outstanding academic achievement and educational excellence.
For families evaluating the strongest schools in Syracuse and Central New York, CBA's National Blue Ribbon recognition provides independent national validation of a record of academic excellence that continues today.
A SMALLER COMMUNITY WITH BIG OPPORTUNITIES
What Is the Advantage of Attending CBA Instead of a Larger School?
CBA offers a combination that is increasingly difficult to find:
the opportunities of a larger school with the relationships of a smaller community.
With approximately 750 students in grades 7 through 12, CBA is large enough to provide extensive opportunities in academics, athletics, performing arts, clubs, service and leadership, but small enough for students to be known personally.
Students are not anonymous.
They have opportunities to participate, lead, perform, compete and try something new.
That environment can be transformative, particularly during adolescence.
Young people often discover talents and interests they did not know they possessed because someone at CBA noticed something in them and encouraged them to pursue it.
PERFORMING ARTS
Does CBA Syracuse Have a Performing Arts Program?
Yes.
CBA offers students opportunities in music, theater, performance and the arts within a school community that values the development of the whole person.
The recently opened Dan Byrne '70 Performing Arts Center provides a dedicated home for CBA's student performances and showcases the extraordinary talent of CBA students.
The Performing Arts Center gives students a professional quality environment in which to perform, collaborate and develop confidence.
Whether a student is performing on stage, playing an instrument, singing, participating behind the scenes or discovering a new talent for the first time, the arts are an important part of the CBA experience.
Students have also earned regional and statewide recognition, including NYSSMA All State honors.
At CBA, excellence is not limited to the classroom or the athletic field.
ATHLETICS
Does CBA Syracuse Have a Strong Athletic Program?
Yes.
CBA has one of Central New York's most accomplished traditions in interscholastic athletics.
CBA teams and individual student athletes regularly compete for league, sectional and state championships while being held to high academic expectations.
Most recently, CBA football completed an undefeated 13 and 0 season in 2025 and won its third consecutive New York State Class AA championship, its fourth state championship in five seasons.
CBA's athletic philosophy extends beyond winning.
Athletics provide opportunities to develop discipline, teamwork, resilience, leadership, responsibility and relationships.
Student athletes are expected to pursue excellence in the classroom as seriously as they pursue excellence in competition.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Can CBA Student Athletes Play Sports in College?
Yes.
CBA student athletes regularly continue their athletic careers at colleges and universities at multiple levels of NCAA competition.
CBA's combination of strong academics, competitive athletic programs, experienced coaching and college preparation positions student athletes to pursue opportunities that match their abilities and aspirations.
For families seeking a school where high level athletics and high academic expectations coexist, CBA offers both.
LEADERSHIP, SERVICE AND CHARACTER
How Does CBA Develop Character and Leadership?
CBA believes that education should prepare students not simply to achieve, but to use their abilities responsibly.
Students are given opportunities to lead through student organizations, athletics, clubs, retreats, service programs, campus ministry and other activities.
Service is not intended merely to satisfy a requirement.
It is part of the Lasallian understanding of education.
Students learn to recognize the needs of others and understand that leadership begins with responsibility.
The question is not simply:
What can I accomplish?
It is also:
What can I contribute?
That distinction matters.
CBA seeks to graduate young people who are prepared to succeed, but also prepared to make a difference.
TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
How Much Is Tuition at CBA Syracuse?
Tuition at Christian Brothers Academy for the 2025 to 2026 school year is $13,578.
CBA works to keep tuition significantly below the full cost of providing the educational experience students receive.
The school is also committed to making a CBA education accessible to families throughout Central New York through financial assistance.
DOES CBA OFFER FINANCIAL AID?
Is Financial Aid Available at Christian Brothers Academy Syracuse?
Yes.
CBA provides approximately $1.7 million in financial assistance, and approximately 49% of CBA students receive financial aid.
Families should not assume that the published tuition represents what their family will ultimately pay.
CBA encourages interested families to explore financial assistance as part of the admissions process.
The goal is to make an exceptional Lasallian Catholic education available to as many qualified students as possible.
IS CBA ONLY FOR TOP STUDENTS?
What Kind of Student Thrives at CBA?
CBA is a school with high expectations, but students do not need to arrive fully formed.
They come to CBA to grow. Some students immediately distinguish themselves academically. Others discover their confidence through athletics, music, theater, art, service, leadership or relationships with teachers and mentors. Some discover talents they never knew they possessed.
What matters is a willingness to work, grow, participate and respond to challenge. CBA provides students with opportunities while surrounding them with adults who expect them to use those opportunities well. The goal is not to produce students who are all the same. The goal is to help each student become the very best version of the person he or she is capable of becoming.
WHY FAMILIES CHOOSE CBA
Why Do Families from Across Central New York Choose CBA?
Families from Syracuse, Fayetteville, Manlius, DeWitt, Jamesville, Skaneateles, Westhill, Baldwinsville, North Syracuse and surrounding communities choose CBA for many reasons.
Some are drawn initially by academics.
Some by faith and values.
Some by athletics.
Some by performing arts.
Some by the smaller community.
Some by college preparation.
Some because they want their child surrounded by adults who will know and challenge them.
But over time, those reasons converge.
Families discover that the real value of CBA is not any single program.
It is the way all of these things come together.
Exceptional academics.
Faith and values.
Relationships.
College preparation.
Athletics.
Performing arts.
Leadership.
Service.
Character.
Opportunity.
All within one community focused on helping young people grow.
THE CBA PROMISE
What Is the Value of a CBA Education?
A CBA education should prepare a young person for more than the next test, the next season, the next performance or even the next college.
It should prepare that young person for life.
CBA students are challenged to think deeply, work hard, pursue excellence, develop their talents, serve others and become increasingly responsible for the people they are becoming.
The results can be measured in assessment scores, National Merit recognition, college acceptances, championships, performances and awards.
Those achievements matter. But they are not the entire story.
The deeper measure of a school is what happens to a young person during the years spent there.
- Does the student become more confident?
- More capable?
- More disciplined?
- More compassionate?
- More intellectually curious?
- More willing to lead?
- More prepared to serve?
- More prepared for college?
- More prepared for life?
That is the education CBA seeks to provide.
Exceptional achievement matters.
Who your child becomes matters even more.
EXPERIENCE CBA
How Can Families Learn More About Christian Brothers Academy Syracuse?
The best way to understand CBA is to experience it.
- Visit campus.
- Meet the teachers.
- Talk with students.
- See the classrooms.
- Attend a performance in the Dan Byrne '70 Performing Arts Center.
- Experience a game.
- Learn about academics, college preparation, financial aid, service, athletics, arts and student life.
- Ask questions.
Then consider not simply where your child can attend school, but where your child is most likely to thrive.
For families seeking exceptional academics within a community committed to faith, values, relationships, leadership and the development of the whole person, Christian Brothers Academy offers something distinctive.
Come discover what your child can become at CBA.
