There is a difference at St. Cecilia Academy. The all-girls, Catholic college-preparatory school provides a unique balance of faith and excellence. Since 1860, the Dominican Sisters of the St. Cecilia congregation have believed that when it comes to providing an excellent academic program and a faith-filled environment, neither must be sacrificed for the other. That is the St. Cecilia difference. St. Cecilia is the oldest private school in Nashville. Founded by the Domincian Sisters, it is not supported financially by the Diocese of Nashville.

The Catholic High School Honor Roll recently announced the selection of St. Cecilia Academy as one of the best 50 Catholic secondary schools in America and the only Tennessee school to make the list. Nearly 1,300 Catholic high schools were invited to apply to the Honor Roll by completing surveys that measure academic excellence, Catholic identity, and civic education.

With this high level of competition, St. Cecilia Academy's inclusion on the Honor Roll indicates outstanding success in each of the disciplines examined. This fall seven seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program as semifinalists and commended students for their high scores on the PSAT exam last October. That represents 11% of the senior class being giving the National Merit recognition honor. Seventy-four percent of the St. Cecilia faculty and staff hold advanced degrees and 23% hold doctorate degrees.

Last spring, the Class of 2006 was offered $2.7 million in scholarships, an average of $46,000 per graduate, the highest average of any class to date at SCA. The Campus St. Cecilia sits on The Dominican Campus, 92-acres on Harding Road next to St. Thomas Hospital. It shares the campus with Overbrook School and Aquinas College. Upperclassmen have the opportunity to take classes at Aquinas.

The current educational complex was dedicated on St. Cecilia Day in 1957. In 2001, a new science/administration building was added, featuring new office space, a chemistry lab, biology lab, physics lab, environmental lab, a 90-seat lecture hall, and a new technology center. Also located on the 92-acre campus are a soccer field, softball field, and the state-of-the-art Kane Tennis Center in addition to the regulation size gymnasium. A library wing and fine arts wing were added in 1979. The library now houses over 10,000 volumes and the fine arts wing is complete with an art studio, a 500-seat professional theatre, a chorus room, and individual music rooms.