Founded 1928 by the Catholic Society of African Missions, St Gregory's College is one of the oldest Catholic boys' secondary schools in Lagos. Obalende campus. Nigerian curriculum. Strong academic and sporting tradition. Alumni include multiple senior clergy, ministers, and legal luminaries. Fees higher than pure-government but still far below international tier.
Fee breakdown
Tuition range
₦120.0K–300.0K
/yr · 2025/2026
Estimated first-year total
₦300.0K
tuition + extras
L
Lagos.Cool Editorial
2 May 2026 · 2 min read
About this school — St Gregory's College
St Gregory's College, founded in 1928 by the Catholic Society of African Missions, is one of the oldest Catholic boys' secondary schools in Nigeria. Its Obalende campus sits on land granted by the colonial government, in the Lagos Island heartland where the SMA missionaries built the school as part of a broader Catholic education mission. Alumni include senior clergy, cabinet ministers, chief justices, and business leaders across four generations. The school's academic tradition rests on Latin, mathematics, and rigorous English-language instruction — hallmarks of the Catholic mission model. Fees remain moderate for a school of its historical stature, reflecting the mission tradition of accessible-but-serious education.
St Gregory's was founded in 1928 by the Society of African Missions (SMA), a Catholic missionary organisation that had established itself in West Africa in the mid-19th century. The Obalende site was granted by the colonial government as part of the wider Catholic education mission programme. Alumni across nearly a century include senior clergy (multiple bishops and cardinals), cabinet ministers across the colonial and post-independence eras, chief justices, and legal luminaries. The school's academic tradition — Latin as an optional WAEC subject remains a small but proud feature — reflects the SMA mission ethos. The Gregorian Old Boys Association is one of the more active Lagos secondary-school alumni networks, with international chapters in London, Washington DC, and Houston.
Strengths & trade-offs
✓ Strengths
✓Founded 1928 by SMA missionaries
✓One of oldest Catholic boys secondary schools in Nigeria
JS1 entry via the school's own entrance examination held in April and August, plus consideration of Common Entrance results. Catholic families receive priority. Application fee ₦20,000. SS1 entry available for transfers from other Catholic mission schools or top-performing Common Entrance candidates.
JS1 entrance examination held April and August covering English, Mathematics, Bible Knowledge, and Verbal Reasoning at end-of-primary level. Application fee ₦20,000. Catholic family priority is documented; sibling and Old Boys' children priority applies — approximately 40% of any Year 7 intake is legacy families. Common Entrance results considered supplementarily. SS1 transfer entry available for pupils moving from other Catholic mission schools or top-performing Common Entrance candidates. Interview with the Principal or a designated senior priest for all shortlisted candidates plus a parent interview to confirm alignment with the Catholic ethos.
Extracurriculars
FootballBasketballAthleticsMusic ensembleChoirDebateLatin societyBible studyDramaCommunity service
Tuition is only part of the bill. Here's what families actually pay:
Uniform (day + sports kit)₦40,000–₦70,000
Books + WAEC entries₦40,000–₦120,000/yr
Lunch₦100,000–₦180,000/yr
PTA + development levy₦20,000–₦40,000/yr
Old Boys Association₦5,000/yr
Campus & facilities
The Obalende campus was rebuilt significantly in the 1980s and 2000s while preserving the original 1928 chapel and administrative block. Facilities include four science laboratories, a 400-seat assembly hall, the college library, dedicated art and music rooms, a football pitch, and basketball courts. Day-only school. The Catholic chapel remains the spiritual centre — daily Mass is offered for boarders and staff, though attendance is not compulsory for non-Catholic pupils.
The Obalende campus was significantly rebuilt in the 1980s and 2000s while preserving the original 1928 chapel and administrative block. Facilities include four academic blocks, four science laboratories (physics, chemistry, biology, integrated), a 400-seat assembly hall used for community assemblies and end-of-year prize-giving, the college library with a small heritage collection, a computer laboratory, dedicated art and music rooms, and sports facilities (a football pitch — the site of the annual inter-house football final since 1962 — and basketball courts). The Catholic chapel remains the spiritual centre with daily Mass and Sunday services. Power runs on Eko Electric grid + 100KVA generator + inverter. Water from LSWC pipe with onsite borehole backup.
No, but Catholic families receive admissions priority. Non-Catholic pupils are welcome and are not compelled to attend Mass, though morning assembly with Catholic prayers is compulsory. The Catholic ethos is central to the school's culture.
Yes, day-only. Boarding stopped decades ago as the school evolved into a day institution. Pupils are drawn primarily from Ikoyi, VI, Lagos Island, and Obalende families with historic connections to the school.
85–95% credit-pass in core subjects is typical. The school produces consistent WAEC national prizewinners in mathematics and further mathematics. Latin (offered as an optional WAEC subject at Gregory's) is a small but proud tradition.
Very. The Gregorian Old Boys Association is one of the more active school alumni networks in Lagos, with chapters in London, Washington DC, and Houston. Reunion dinners at the Obalende campus draw hundreds annually.
Both are Catholic boys' schools with strong academic traditions. Gregory's is older (1928 vs 1956), Island-based, and academic-heavy. Finbarr's is Mainland-based (Akoka) with a stronger sports tradition, especially football. Choice comes down to location and cultural fit.