Fact Sheet

Verbum Dei High School (“Word of God” in Latin) is an all-male, Archdiocesan four-year college preparatory in the Jesuit tradition located in the heart of Watts in southern Los Angeles.

The Mission of Verbum Dei High School centers upon empowering its students to help themselves attain intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual maturation toward becoming gentlemen who serve “with and for others”. As a member of the national Cristo Rey Network of schools, The Verb is committed preferentially to serving students and families who could not afford otherwise the opportunity of a private, parochial college preparatory education. If a family can afford the higher tuition of another Catholic or private school, Verbum Dei's mission normally would not be the appropriate fit.

The school is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and co-sponsored by the California Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

It was founded in 1962 by Bishop Joseph Francis and his companion Society of the Divine Word Missionaries to provide young men with financial need from Watts and surrounding areas a quality college preparatory education.

Since 2002, an innovative Corporate Work Study Program is the primary means of financial support for the school. Parents are asked to contribute $2500.00 a year in tuition, plus a $200.00 registration fee, and $100.00 S.O.A.R. fee for the mandatory summer session for all new students. No student is denied admission for financial reasons.

The work study program requires all students to work five days per month, as a member of a four-student team employed by local firms who pay the school for services rendered. Students perform entry level clerical work in professional environments such as law, accounting, financial service firms, health care, etc. The money earned by each student ($6250.00) goes directly to the school to help fund his education at Verbum Dei.

The current per pupil cost of education is approximately $12,000. The additional $3,000.00 it costs for each student has to be raised through our Mission Advancement Office and is allocated to each student as a scholarship. This amounts to an annual scholarship fund drive of approximately $1,000.000.00 in addition to about $275,000 needed for tuition assistance for families who cannot afford the family contribution portion.

An extended class scheduling format has been instituted to improve our educational program and enable our students to work while meeting all curriculum requirements for the University of California/California State University systems.

The student body population is approximately 340. Of these students, approximately 60% receive financial aid to subsidize their tuition costs. Of those who receive some financial aid, the average total household income is approximately $27,000, with an average household size of 4.34.

The student body is 50% African American and 50% Latino, and the Catholic population is approximately 50%.

The school primarily serves students from Watts, Lynwood, Compton, Gardena, Carson, Inglewood and South Los Angeles.

The school employs over 50 full-time faculty and staff persons; the teacher student ratio is 1 to 12, enabling very beneficial personal attention and care to each student. The average class size is 17.8.

Verbum Dei normally graduates 100% of its students and consistently sends over 95% of its graduates on to higher education.