Accreditation and Awards

Bishop Chatard High School has met the criteria for educational quality to be accredited by Lumen, offered through The Catholic University of America. Lumen Accreditation blends Catholic values with academic excellence, providing pathways to integrate the Church’s rich heritage of academic excellence and Catholic philosophy. Lumen Accreditation is recognized by the State of Indiana.

Bishop Chatard was named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School in the Exemplary High-Performing Schools category by the U.S. Department of Education. The prestigious National Blue Ribbon Award is awarded based on results of state assessments and/or nationally normed test results and graduation rates. It .. ‘serves not only as a symbol of exemplary American schools but also as an inspiration for schools across the nation. It affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students thrive.^{1 1}Read more about the Blue Ribbon Program.

Bishop Chatard High School has been named to the 2024 AP College Board Honor Roll, earning the Platinum distinction for the second year in a row. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access and maximizing college readiness.

• Bishop Chatard offers 20 AP courses across 43 sections, taught by a team of 16 teachers
• 28% of Class of 2024 seniors took five or more AP exams
• 83% of the Class of 2024 experienced one AP course before graduating (AP College Board threshold: 80%)
• 56% of the Class of 2024 earned college credit by earning an AP Exam score of 3 (College Board threshold: 50%)
• Bishop Chatard was able to create opportunities for 27% of the Class of 2024 to take a total of five AP courses across their high school years, with at least one taken in 9th or 10th grade (AP College Board threshold: 15%)

Bishop Chatard High School has been recognized as one of the 2026 Best Catholic High Schools by Niche.com, earning an impressive A+ rating. Niche, one of the nation’s leading online review platforms for schools, evaluates K–12 institutions and colleges across the United States based on academic excellence, student life, and parent and student feedback. Only 10% of schools nationwide receive an A or higher rating from Niche, making this distinction a true honor for the Bishop Chatard community.
View our Niche School Profile

Bishop Chatard High School was recognized in 2025 by the Indiana Department of Education as a Purple Star School, honoring its outstanding commitment to service members, veterans, and military-connected students and families. The Purple Star Designation is awarded to schools that go above and beyond in supporting military families by providing dedicated resources, recognition, and assistance during transitions.

This recognition reflects Bishop Chatard’s mission to form students in faith, learning, leadership, and service. The school proudly honors military families through ongoing initiatives such as its annual Veterans Day Mass, recognition of alumni who have served, and connections to community resources for those in active service.
Read about the Military Families Program at BCHS

Bishop Chatard has consistently earned a school accountability letter grade of ‘A’ from the Indiana Department of Education. Indiana’s A-F Accountability Model holds schools and corporations to a higher standard and provides a more accurate picture of their performance by incorporating student academic growth and graduation rates, as well as college and career readiness, as measures of success. (2019-2020 is the most recent school year for which IDOE letter grades were issued. BCHS received the award that year.)

Bishop Chatard High School was named a Four Star School of Indiana for the 2017/2018 school year, the most recent year this designation was awarded. This was the sixth consecutive year BCHS has received this honor.

To receive Four Star designation, a school must be in the top 25th percentile of schools in two ISTEP-based categories (Language Arts and Math), and in the top 25th percentile in each grade tested. A qualifying school must have earned the highest designation (A rating) in the state’s accountability system and be accredited by the Indiana Department of Education. A total of 234 Indiana schools received the award for the 2017/2018 school year.

Diploma strength for the class of 2023 as indicated by the IDOE was 98.1% (State average: 90.6%). 99.4% of the Class of 2023 completed a Graduation Pathway. (Source IDOE GPS)

Bishop Chatard was honored as a School of Excellence by the Catholic Education Honor Roll in 2014, a program of the Cardinal Newman Society. The Catholic Education Honor Roll is a national program recognizing schools committed to a strong Catholic identity. Recognized schools commit to and model the Principles of Catholic Identity in Education.

Bishop Chatard High School presents its Achievement Award at the school’s Annual Fund Dinner to honor faculty, alumni, community members, and volunteers who epitomize the Catholic mission and values lived out daily at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis North Deanery High School. Presented annually since 1994, the Achievement Award is Bishop Chatard’s highest non-academic honor. It recognizes the important role the extended community plays in educating, nurturing, and forming today’s students — tomorrow’s leaders.
View our Achievement Award Honorees