Students who attend Bishop Fenwick come from over 40 towns and communities in New England, primarily those closest to the campus such as Saugus, Salem, Peabody, Beverly, Marblehead, and Danvers, Massachusetts.

In 2003, the Archdiocese of Boston relinquished control of its "Central High Schools," including Fenwick, in response to financial difficulties in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal.

[4] The Archdiocese still owns the property and is involved in school governance, making appointments to the board of trustees; for that reason it is not considered truly independent.

[5] In the summer of 2018, it was announced that Fenwick will assume sponsorship of St. Mary of the Annunciation School in Danvers, Massachusetts.

[3] Bishop Fenwick's Crusaders have athletic programs in 26 interscholastic sports at a variety of levels, primarily competing in the Boston area's Catholic Central League.