Rosary High School was established in 1962 by the
Dominican Sisters of
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...
, as a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
, all-girls, college-preparatory,
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
,
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
located in
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is a city in northeastern Illinois, United States. It is located along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River west of Chicago. It is the List of municipalities in Illinois, second-most populous city in Illinois, with a popul ...
. It is ranked as one of the top private schools in the state of Illinois as students achieve on average 5 points higher on the ACT and 43 points higher on the SAT. In addition, Rosary offers 22 various clubs and organizations and 13 sports teams. There is a very high participation rate where 82% of the student body plays in sports with an average GPA of 3.47. Because many of the sports teams reach sectional and state finals, 12 NCAA scholarships are awarded on average each year. Currently, one of Rosary's swimmers, Alexis Yager, has qualified for the Olympic Trials in 3 events. The Beads, Rosary's swim team, has won the Illinois state swim title 9 times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023 and 2024). The Beads have also been runner-up for the title four times (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2014) and have placed third four times (1999, 2001, 2010 and 2011).
Academics
Rosary provides a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that teaches to the individual student. Graduation requirements: Rosary High School requires that each graduate complete 4 credits each in
English and
Theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
, 3 credits in
Mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
,
Science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
, and
Social Science
Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among members within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the ...
, 2 credits of a foreign language, 1 credit of physical education, 0.5 credits of Health, and 3.5 credits of electives. In foreign languages, Rosary offers classes in Spanish, Latin, and French. It is also one of the only high schools in the state to have a dedicated Student Success Center where students on a daily basis receive individualized tutoring. This ensures that students at all levels are able to be successful and excel through all subjects.
As a college preparatory school, 100% of students attend college post-graduation. Rosary High School is an exceptional investment and value because students can earn up to 28 hours of college credit through dual-credit courses offered via
Waubonsee Community College on Rosary's campus.
This saves parents approximately over $200,000 in college tuition each semester. In addition, graduates earn approximately $16 million in scholarships for college each year.
Rosary High School maintains a relationship with
Marmion Academy
Marmion Academy (formerly Marmion Military Academy) is a grade 9–12 Roman Catholic high school for boys in Aurora, Illinois, United States. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford.
The academy is owned and operated by the Benedictin ...
, its brother school. There are many joint activities and social clubs between the two schools, though mostly
music
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
al groups such as the
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
programs and the
marching band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who play while marching. Historically they were used in armed forces and many marching bands remain military bands. Others are still associated with military units or emulate a military sty ...
.
Students are required to complete a total of 30 service hours per year.
Notes
External links
Rosary High School's Website
{{authority control
School buildings completed in 1963
Dominican schools in the United States
Girls' schools in Illinois
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford
Catholic secondary schools in Illinois
Educational institutions established in 1963
Education in Aurora, Illinois
1963 establishments in Illinois