•Ce/SBA-15 was first used as a heterogeneous catalyst for ozonation of DMP.•Cerium leaching was less than 0.1 mg L−1 (pH 5.7) after Ce/SBA-15 reused.•There was a synergetic effect for DMP mineralization in catalytic ozonation.•The mechanism of DMP degradation and hydroxyl radicals’ generation was suggested.The catalytic activity of cerium-loaded SBA-15 (Ce/SBA-15) for the ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP) in aqueous solution was studied. Ce/SBA-15 was prepared and characterized by a low angle X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflection spectrum (UV–vis DRS). The results showed that the material retained a highly ordered mesoporous structure and processed large surface area. The presence of Ce/SBA-15 slightly accelerated DMP decomposition, but significantly improved its mineralization efficiency. Under the chosen condition, a high mineralization efficiency (88.7%) was achieved by Ce/SBA-15/O3 process at 60 min, 2.6 times higher than SBA-15/O3, 3.5 times higher than O3 alone. The comparison among different process indicated that the combination of Ce/SBA-15 and O3 exhibited a significant synergetic effect. Ce/SBA-15 significantly improved ozone decomposition into hydroxyl radicals in aqueous solution and the oxidation of DMP occurred via the free radical mechanism. The reused experiment verified that Ce/SBA-15 kept a good catalytic activity and stability, and it was a promising heterogeneous catalyst.The cerium-loaded SBA-15 (Ce/SBA-15) was synthesized successfully and first used as a heterogeneous catalyst for ozonation of DMP. It showed high catalytic activity for efficient mineralization of dimethyl phthalate in catalytic ozonation process. Under the optimal conditions, a high mineralization efficiency of 88.7% was achieved by Ce/SBA-15/O3 process at 60 min, 2.6 times higher than SBA-15/O3, 3.5 times higher than O3 alone. Ce/SBA-15 kept a good catalytic activity and stability, and it was a promising catalyst for ozonation process.