[1] The college is administered by the Catholic Education Office of the Diocese of Armidale.

For historical reasons[2] the college is named for Irish priest Father Timothy McCarthy[3] who was the first resident priest in the New England Region from 1853 to 1874 and worked for the education of children.

McCarthy's Logo is a combination of a gold Chi Rho and the constellation of the Southern Cross on a navy blue background.

The terms Receive, Worship and Serve are part of the McCarthy Catholic College Mission Statement.

[5] A school was founded on its current site by the Dominican Sister Patricia Rowe.