Mission
Ozark Catholic Academy engages students in a rigorous, integrated education that enables them to behold the fullness of reality through both faith and reason and to live the virtues that make one fully human and truly free.
Philosophy
Ozark Catholic Academy's philosophy is to foster an educational culture of discipline and excellence that cultivates the whole person, intellectual, spiritual, moral and physical, and inspires a dedication to what is true, good, and beautiful. Essential to this human and truly free. Essential to this culture are dedicated teachers who serve as mentos to their students as wll as assist parents in their role as the primary educators of their children. Through an intimate community of parents, students and teachers, the young men and women of Ozark Catholic are prepared not only to become excellent professionals and leaders of service in their communities, but also to be come all God intends them to be.
Curriculum
The academic program at Ozark Catholic Academy engages students in critical thinking and teaches them to become self-regulated learners in preparation for success in college and in life. Our faculty actively engage with students and course material to promote better understanding and to develop the skills to form and articulate valid opinions. Through the Socratic teaching method, OCA students learn to hear and be open to different ideas. We are committed to an interdisciplinary view of education. This is evident in both our Humane Letters course, a combined study of History and Literature, and in our Math and Science curriculum, which encourages students to think creatively and across disciplines.
Ozark Catholic Academy has an A/B Day schedule with students attending five class periods per day. OCA prides itself on its faculty's ability to offer an upper-level elective curriculum that is inquiry-driven and conceptually challenging. Ozark Catholic Academy currently offers five AP classes: AP Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Human Geography, and AP Psychology. Additionally, students can “self-study” and take AP tests on their own, and they can take an AP exam after they finish a class of a similar subject. OCA students can also take concurrent classes through Northwest Arkansas Community College as well as online classes through Red Comet, and Virtual Arkansas.
Accreditation
Ozark Catholic Academy is fully accredited by the Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association. OCA is also a member of the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education.
House System
Students, faculty, and staff are placed in one of four houses: House of the Elk, House of the Mountain, House of the Oak, and House of the Water. Each House is derived from the shield on the school’s coat of arms and features a particular virtue as its motto. The Houses cultivate camaraderie, leadership, and a healthy competition among the students.
Athletics
OCA has a number of athletic teams, including: archery, baseball, basketball, cheer, cross country, dance, golf, tennis, track, volleyball, and quiz bowl. Varsity athletics involve 90% of the student body.
Clubs
OCA students can get involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, including but not limited to Griffin Crew, Sustainability, DECA, Corporal Works of Mercy, HOSA, ProLife, Men’s Group, Women’s Group, Robotics, Archives, Art, and Letters of Love.
Leadership
Students at OCA have several opportunities for leadership, including:
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Spiritual Leaders—Two students each year, a boy and a girl, are chosen to be the Spiritual Leaders at OCA. The Spiritual Leaders assist in organizing weekly spiritual activities for the school and lead students in the Catholic faith.
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Head Boy/Head Girl—These two seniors serve together in the highest student leadership position at OCA as representatives and role models of the student body. Their responsibilities include collaborating with the President and Principal about upcoming school events, communicating with prospective OCA students and families at information sessions, speaking at school assemblies, and much more.
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House Leadership–House Presidents and Vice Presidents are chosen each year to lead their respective Houses (a quarter of the student body comprising all grades) by example in spirituality, academics, and athletics and to encourage their fellow students. They also lead their respective houses with philanthropy and fundraising initiatives. Students are also selected to serve as House Captains, Prefects, and Spiritual Leaders.
Grading Scale
Ozark Catholic Academy calculates a non-weighted cumulative GPA at the conclusion of each of two semesters.
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A- 90-100
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B- 80-89
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C- 70-79
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D- 60-69
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F- <60
GPA Distribution for the 2024-2025 Student Body
81% of the student body earned a 3.0 GPA or Higher
Community and School
Ozark Catholic Academy is the only private Catholic high school in Northwest Arkansas. Located in Tontitown, OCA is part of the larger metropolitan area of northwest Arkansas that is home to over half a million people and is the world headquarters of several Fortune 500 companies, inlcuding Walmart Inc., Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transportation Services. Northwest Arkansas is also the site of several world-renowned cultural institutions such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Walton Arts Center. OCA attracts students and families from across the northwest Arkansas region, extending as far as into the Fort Smith community.
Ozark Catholic Academy is a four-year private high school serving 121 students in grades 9-12 with 40% of the student body identifying as a minority. Ninety-nine percent of students participate in the Arkansas LEARNS Program. Seventy six percent receive the reduced Continuing Catholic Education tuition rate. Twenty two percent of students participate in the ACE Scholarship program.
Faculty / Staff
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Full-Time Faculty: 16
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Part-Time Faculty: 2
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Full-Time Staff: 6
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Part-Time Staff: 6
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Volunteer Coaches: 5
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44% of Faculty hold a Master’s
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17% of Faculty hold a Doctorate
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Graduation Requirements
Students are required to complete 28.5 credits minimum:
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Humane Letters (English): 4 credits
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Mathematics: 4 Credits
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Science: 3 Credits
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Computer Science: 1 Credit
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History: 4 Credits
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Foreign Language: 3 Credits
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Religion: 4 Credits
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Fine Arts: ½ Credit
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Philosophy: 2 Credits
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Wellness and Physical Education: 1 Credit
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Oral Communications: ½ Credit
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Senior Capstone: ½ Credit
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Additional Courses: 2 Credits
Graduation Honor Distinctions:
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Summa cum laude—4.0 GPA
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Magna cum laude—3.75-3.99 GPA
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Cum laude—3.5-3.74 GPA
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Valedictorian
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Salutatorian
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Order of the Gownsmen
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National Honors Society
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Arkansas Governor’s School
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Arkansas Boys State
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Arkansas Girls State
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Docilitas Award
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Veritas Award
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Libertas Award
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Sanctificate Award
Class of 2025 Statistics
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85% are attending a four-year college
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15% are serving in the seminary, military, or workforce
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Class of 2025 Acceptance List
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Arkansas State University
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Ave Maria University
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Auburn University
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Belmont Abbey College
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Benedictine College
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College of Charleston
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Creighton University
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Franciscan University of Steubenville
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John Brown University
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Louisiana State University
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Marquette University
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Missouri State University
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Newman University
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Oklahoma State University
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Ouachita Baptist University
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Rockhurst University
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Saint Louis University
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Texas Christian University
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University of Alabama
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University of Arkansas
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University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
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University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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University of Central Arkansas
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University of Dallas
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University of Kansas
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University of Miami
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University of Mississippi
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University of Missouri
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University of Oklahoma
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University of Tulsa
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Xavier University​
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2025 Graduates are Attending
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OCA students earned over $2,745,000 in college scholarship last year!
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