Founded in 1954 as a parish school by Father Joseph Patterson, Seton Catholic Preparatory High School has a long history of providing families with a Catholic education for their children. The school's original purpose was to serve the youth of St. Mary's Church in Chandler, many from migrant and farming families. Opening as a junior high school with 7th and 8th grades, and a 9th grade class of more than 20 students, the first class graduated in 1958. Through the first several decades of its existence, a majority of Seton Catholic's staff was composed of members of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill community. Seton Catholic was named in honor of their patroness, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint and a pioneer in parochial education.

Seton Catholic evolved from a parish school and was named a diocesan school in 1973, operating under the supervision of the Diocese of Phoenix. A tragic fire destroyed the original site of the school in 1980; however, the campus was rebuilt in 1983 at its current site. In 1984, the Irish Christian Brothers ushered in the new era for the school as it began operations at the site located on Dobson and Ray Roads. The Christian Brothers remained at the school until 1995.

Seton Catholic's academic curriculum has evolved as well, striving to match the needs of a changing society with a college preparatory curriculum. It is designed to prepare graduates to continue their education at the undergraduate, post-graduate and professional levels. 99% of Seton graduates go on to post-secondary education. The average SAT and ACT test scores for graduates consistently exceed the overall average scores of college-bound Arizona students and graduation requirements meet or exceed college entrance criteria. Seton Catholic is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, as well as the Western Catholic Education Association.

Today, Seton Catholic serves a diverse student body of 550 young men and women from over 50 parochial, private and public schools, primarily in the communities of Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee and Gilbert. Seton Catholic also draws students from Casa Grande, AZ and the Gila River Indian reservation. These communities have seen explosive growth in the last ten years, with population in Chandler and Gilbert increasing by 95% and 275%, respectively.

In addition to excellent academics, Seton Catholic provides students with a broad array of athletic activities. Seton's athletic teams have distinguished themselves in many sports and earned various Arizona Interscholastic Association awards for the most outstanding extra-curricular program, scholar athletes and student activities leaders. Our coaches and teams are regularly honored with coach of the year and outstanding sportsmanship awards.

Seton Catholic's current capacity is far exceeded by the growing demand for admissions. As the only Catholic high school in the Southeast Valley of metropolitan Phoenix, Seton has added facilities and more than doubled its enrollment since 1990. With a waiting list of students seeking admission, about 20 percent of all applicants are turned away each year. In 2002, 13 additional acres of land were purchased adjacent to the school property, and the school developed a master plan to address the need for expansion and direct its future growth. This will allow the school to construct new buildings and facilities in phases to gradually increase the school's enrollment to a maximum of 1,000 students over the next 5 years. The first building of the new campus, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel, was dedicated on March 11, 2008, and efforts are underway to raise funds for the first of two new classroom buildings.