Loughlin was founded in 1851 and was the first high school in the Diocese of Brooklyn (1853), but today is run independently by the Christian Brothers in the Lasallian educational tradition.

In 2018, Loughlin enrolled nearly 650 students, making it the fifth-largest Catholic high school in Brooklyn and Queens.

The new school was built on land originally intended for the diocesan cathedral bounded by Clermont, Greene, Lafayette, and Vanderbilt Avenues.

As a diocesan high school, Loughlin opened its doors to the people of the entire diocese, which included all of Long Island at that time.

The boarding program is only open to male students and was initiated to provide a stable environment for motivated boys whose performance at school has been affected by absent parents, abusive homes, homelessness or drug- and gang-dominated neighborhoods.

In 2016, Loughlin launched a new STEM program[8] in partnership with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a national nonprofit organization that partners with Brooklyn Tech, among other institutions.

[citation needed] The school also has coed teams in handball, indoor and outdoor track, cross country, and bowling.