We are beyond excited to share the news! Niche.com has named Sacred Heart Academy the Best Catholic High School in Louisville and the Best All-Girls High School in Kentucky! This prestigious ranking reflects SHA’s exceptional performance across numerous factors analyzed by Niche, including academic performance, extracurricular opportunities, dedication of teachers, athletic participation and success, and user input from current students, alumni, and parents.
This significant recognition celebrates everything that distinguishes Sacred Heart from the rest. SHA truly offers a holistic high school experience unmatched in Louisville, and it's hard to sum up in a few words! The combination of academic opportunities available to students (49 college-credit courses!), leadership development, career exploration, national and global travel, academic and social-emotional support, athletics and arts, sisterhood, and community is truly and exceptionally unique. And it's all here on one beautiful 48-acre campus.
Excellence in All-Girls Education for Nearly 150 Years
Mission-driven and built on the teachings of St. Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, SHA has paved the way for all-girls education for generations. As a Catholic school, we are committed to forming compassionate, moral citizens who serve others. The Ursuline Core Values of reverence, service, leadership, and community are fundamental to all we say and do, and our culture empowers our students to navigate their world confidently with the understanding of their intrinsic value as children of God.
International Baccalaureate Curriculum, the Global Gold Standard
As it is internationally recognized as the best practice in education, being an IB school keeps SHA at the forefront of educational innovation, ensures our teachers are continuously learning, our students are building the skills needed for success as they learn, and SHA is always improving.
The Jean Frazier Leadership Institute, the First and Only of its Kind
Unique in Louisville, the JFLI teaches every student how to discover her unique gifts and attributes and find her personal leadership style. It also empowers every student to share her gifts through authentic, experiential, often transformational experiences in real-world settings. This intentional and integrated leadership development programming touches every student and builds throughout her four years at SHA.
New Learn & Lead Career Exploration Pathways
This new flexible and individualized framework provides the opportunity for college credit, career-related skill development, and documentation on the high school transcript. It includes a career immersion program and internship opportunities through the Jean Frazier Leadership Institute. Pathways include medical science, engineering, global business, and public policy.
Individualized, Holistic, Data-driven Student Support System
The H.E.A.R.T. student support system addresses every student's unique academic, emotional, and personal needs through four dedicated school and college counselors, two directors of the Horton Accessible Education Center for students with learning differences, two academic interventionists, and a dedicated student support specialist. Every student receives individualized support.
Katy Brown '83 Endowed Global Hearts Travel Program
SHA's Global Hearts international student travel program is guided by three pillars: Global Service and Advocacy, Education and Leadership, and Ursuline Heritage. The program offers these life-changing travel experiences for Sacred Heart’s students who may not have access to this invaluable educational experience due to financial needs. Trips planned for 2024-25 are a service trip to Belize with Hand in Hand Ministries during Winter Break, a Spring Break trip to Iceland advocating environmental education, a Spanish immersion trip to Costa Rica, and a summer trip to Greece to discover ancient history.
Student-focused Block Schedule
SHA's block schedule is unique in that it consists of four blocks each day and a daily 45-minute TEAM/HEART period dedicated to study hall, teacher meetings, makeup work, group study, assemblies, and more. This structure allows SHA students to get support from teachers and complete work during the school day, and it ensures that assemblies, speakers, pep rallies, and workshops do not take away from any class instructional time because they are scheduled during the TEAM/HEART period. Eight periods also provide more opportunities for electives and college/career pathway interests.
Nationally-ranked Athletic Program, Home to 65% of the Student Body
Last year MaxPreps ranked SHA's athletic program as THE top KY high school athletic program, celebrating our excellence in athletic pursuit. With 65% of our student body involved in formal athletics through 16 sports and intramural opportunities like Pickleball, there is a home for every student in our athletic program. Our athletes succeed in the classroom as well, boasting a 3.79 GPA. SHA ensures they receive academic and athletic support from our student support team, caring teachers, and dedicated athletic coaches and trainers.
Award-winning Performing Arts and Visual Arts programs
We sometimes refer to the performing arts program as our fourth no-cut sport. With three robust choirs (freshmen, A Capella, and Madrigals) and two full-scale musicals each year, with opportunities for acting, stage support, lighting, set-building, and more, there is a place for everyone to be involved. Our choir also travels internationally to places like Italy and Ireland! SHA's visual arts program boasts an entire wing of the school dedicated to every medium of visual arts. We consistently have art students accepted to the Governor's School for the Arts and those who win Scholastic Regional and National Art awards.
Supportive SHA Sisterhood and Student Experience
The bonds of sisterhood that form in our all-girls environment are genuine and long-lasting. We are committed to providing a positive, well-rounded student experience and assisting every Valkyrie in finding her people, her place, her voice, and her home. Our students are consistently told they are unconditionally loved, more than enough, resilient, and strong leaders and that they have the capacity to change the world around them. Once a Valkyrie, Forever a Valkyrie.
Unique Campus Community
The 48-acre Ursuline Campus is home to all student-focused facilities, including academics, athletics, and arts. The Ursuline Arts Center is a 500-seat professional performance venue, and Sacred Heart School for the Arts provides opportunities for dance, piano, guitar, and yoga & barre electives. Our athletics facilities boast on-campus turf and grass fields, five tennis courts, an 8-lane track, a softball field, two gyms, a weight room, and an athletic training room. We also have volunteer and enrichment opportunities at both Sacred Heart Model School and Sacred Heart Preschool. It's simply all here.
To explore SHA’s profile and view the complete list of 2025 rankings, methodologies and data sources, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/sacred-heart-academy-louisville-ky/.