VCEA is the peak body for Catholic school education in Victoria.  Established as the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) in 1973 by the Archbishop of Melbourne and the Bishops of Ballarat, Sale and Sandhurst dioceses, it was incorporated in 2006.  In 2021 the Bishops of Victoria commissioned an independent review into the role, governance and operations of CECV leading to a renewal process to enhance the governance structure and operating model.  As part of that process, in 2023, its name was changed to the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA).

VCEA works in close collaboration with the Catholic school proprietors across Victoria. These comprise:

• Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (MACS) is responsible for the governance and operation of 290 schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
• Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL) is responsible for the governance and operation of 57 schools in the Diocese of Ballarat.
• Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Ltd (DOSCEL) is responsible for the governance and operation of 44 schools in the Diocese of Sale.
• Catholic Education Sandhurst (CES) is responsible for the governance and operation of 51 schools in the Diocese of Sandhurst.
• In addition to the diocesan school proprietors, there are Catholic Religious Institute and Ministerial Public Juridic Person Schools Proprietors who are responsible for the governance and operation of 51 schools across Victoria. These proprietors are members of Catholic Religious Institute and Ministerial Public Juridic Person Victorian Schools Limited (CRMV)