St. Joseph School is a Jesuit-tradition Catholic K-8 parish school on Capitol Hill, adjacent to St. Joseph Church. Founded in 1907, it is one of very few Jesuit-tradition parish elementary schools in the western United States — the order is much more commonly associated with high schools like nearby Seattle Prep. The school operates under the Archdiocese of Seattle and is staffed by the Jesuits of the USA West Province.
In the Seattle Catholic K-8 landscape, St. Joseph is generally regarded as the academically strongest parish school, drawing both Catholic and non-Catholic families and serving as a steady feeder for Seattle Prep, Holy Names, and Lakeside. Peer K-8s include Villa Academy (Laurelhurst, Cabrinian), St. Anne School (Queen Anne), Our Lady of the Lake, and St. Therese; on the secular side, Bertschi and Spruce Street are common comparisons for Capitol Hill and downtown families. Enrollment runs around 540-575 with a 12:1 ratio and class sizes in the low-to-mid twenties.
The academic program follows Archdiocesan curriculum guidelines layered with Ignatian pedagogy — daily religion, all-school Mass, structured service learning, and reflection practices. Athletics run through the Catholic Youth Organization, and the annual auction is one of the largest fundraisers on Capitol Hill. A 2025 expansion added an Early Learning Center for ages three months through pre-kindergarten.
Open this school on the live map