Why Monte Cassino Is the Best Private School

For Tulsa families searching for the best private school experience, the decision comes down to more than test scores and tuition rates. Parents want a place where their child is truly known — challenged academically, shaped morally, and sent into the world ready for whatever comes next. For nearly 100 years, Monte Cassino Catholic School has been that place for families across Tulsa and beyond.

As a Benedictine Catholic school serving Pre-K through 8th grade, Monte Cassino combines rigorous academics, deep values, and a close-knit community that students carry with them for life. Here's a closer look at what makes a Monte Cassino education so distinctive.

Monte Cassino's academic program is anything but one-size-fits-all. With an 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio and an average class size of just 17, every student gets the individual attention they need to thrive — whether they need extra support or want to be pushed further.

The curriculum spans honors-level coursework, world languages including French, Latin, and Spanish, a dedicated arts program, and the new Benedictine Lead Institute — a leadership development program rooted in the values that have guided the school since its founding.

Students also have access to 14 sports and dozens of after-school activities, making Monte Cassino one of the most comprehensive private school options in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The results speak for themselves: 81% of last year's 8th graders were recognized as PreACT Rising Stars, with one in three placing in the top 15% of students nationally. And when it's time to move on, Monte Cassino graduates do so with confidence — the school boasts a 100% acceptance rate to students' first-choice high school.

At Monte Cassino, we believe that real learning happens when students are encouraged to ask hard questions, not just memorize answers. From the earliest grades, our teachers use research-based methods to develop analytical thinking and creative problem-solving skills that serve students well beyond the classroom.

This approach shows up in remarkable ways. In 2026, a Monte Cassino sixth-grader won first place in the statewide Oklahoma Bar Association Law Day essay contest — competing against students from across Oklahoma. Another student designed a flag that was formally proposed for adoption by the City of Owasso. These aren't anomalies; they're the natural result of a school culture that takes student thinking seriously.

Monte Cassino doesn't wait until high school to develop leaders. From student council and community service projects to 14 competitive sports programs, students practice responsibility, initiative, and teamwork every single day.

The school's signature sixth-grade Angel Tree project is a perfect example: each year, 51 sixth-graders are tasked with raising money through acts of service — raking leaves, hosting bake sales, face-painting at events — and recently raised over $12,000 for the Salvation Army Angel Tree. Students manage budgets, set goals, work as a team, and see the direct impact of their effort. That's leadership education in action.

The legacy of this formation is long-standing. Former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating is among Monte Cassino's alumni, graduating from the middle school in 1958. The same values instilled then are alive and well today.

What truly sets Monte Cassino apart from other private schools in Tulsa is its foundation in the eight Benedictine values: community, hospitality, stewardship, respect for persons, love of learning, prayer, work, and integrity. These aren't just words on a wall — they're the operating system of the school.

The Benedictine Sisters who founded Monte Cassino in 1926 still live on campus at St. Joseph Monastery, and their presence is a daily reminder of the school's mission. Faith formation, service, and moral development are integrated into everything — not siloed into a single religion class.

Students come from five different religious faiths and 40 different zip codes across the Tulsa area, yet share a common community built on mutual respect and genuine care for one another. That breadth of background, united by shared values, creates something rare: a school where kindness is the norm, not the exception.

As a Pre-K through 8th grade school, Monte Cassino's version of "college readiness" means making sure every graduate is genuinely prepared to excel in the most competitive high schools in Tulsa and Oklahoma. That's a standard the school meets consistently.

The REACH Program ensures that students at every level — those who need additional academic support and those ready for accelerated work — are met exactly where they are. Honors courses begin in middle school. World language study starts early. And the academic habits formed at Monte Cassino — how to study, how to advocate for yourself, how to think independently — travel with students wherever they go next.

That track record has made Monte Cassino a trusted feeder school for Tulsa's top high schools, year after year.

Perhaps the most consistent thing Tulsa families say about Monte Cassino is that it feels like family. With students coming from 40 zip codes across the region, the school has an unusually wide reach — yet remains deeply personal.

Monte Cassino offers after-school care through Monte After Care, a summer Camp Monte program, counseling services, and a robust extracurricular calendar that keeps students engaged and connected. Parents describe the community as one that shapes not just their children, but their entire family.

As one Monte Cassino parent put it: "If you're looking for education and curriculum, this is your school. If you're looking for faith and stewardship, this is your school. If you're looking for creativity and the arts, this is your school."

For families exploring the best private schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Monte Cassino offers something hard to find: nearly 100 years of proven results, a faculty that knows every student by name, and a community grounded in values that last a lifetime.

Schedule a campus tour today and experience firsthand what makes Monte Cassino School one of Tulsa's most trusted private schools since 1926.

📍 2206 South Lewis Ave., Tulsa, OK 74114 📞 (918) 742-3364 🌐 montecassino.org/admissions/tour-campus