Carmel Catholic High School, located in the heart of Lake County, Illinois, is a Catholic, college preparatory secondary school for young men and women from ninth through twelfth grades. Carmel Catholic High School provides a quality Catholic education and the school is committed to meeting the academic, physical, social, and spiritual needs of each student in a Christ-centered environment. The school strives to instill in its students a lifelong commitment to learning, to Christian values, and to community service. Carmel’s faculty and staff, as partners with parents, play a significant role in the educational ministry as they daily give witness to the meaning of mature faith and Christian living.
Carmel Catholic High School is jointly sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (B.V.M.) and the Order of the Carmelites (O. Carm.) Early in 1960, the Archdiocese requested that these two religious groups build a co-institutional Catholic High School in Lake County. In September 1962, Carmel High School for Boys opened its doors to a freshmen class of 175 students. In September 1963, Carmel High School for Girls began to admit students. In August 1988, the two religious groups decided to bring the two schools together and form a corporation, which owns and operates the school. Today, the school operates at near capacity with over 1,400 students seeking a high-quality Catholic educational experience.
The school occupies a fifty-acre campus with extensive educational and athletic facilities including: 57 academic classrooms, ten science labs, three computer labs, a library with a computer bank, art and music facilities, and premier athletic facilities. The school’s newest addition is a state-of-the-art Science Wing -- one of the largest expansion and renovation projects in Carmel Catholic’s 47-year history. The new wing includes ten classroom laboratories as 90 percent of our Carmel Catholic students take science classes all four years and 25 percent of our Carmel Catholic High School graduates pursue careers in the fields of Science and Engineering.
Carmel Catholic High School is a four-time recipient (1985, 1996, 2002, and 2007) of the prestigious Blue Ribbon School recognition by the U.S. Department of Education. This acknowledgement is a tangible sign of the school’s commitment to maintaining the highest quality academic standards. Across the country, Blue Ribbon Schools are regarded as national models of excellence and the program honors elementary and secondary schools whose students achieve at exceptionally high levels. Carmel Catholic High School is one of only five private and public high schools in the nation to receive this prestigious award four times! In addition to the Blue Ribbon School recognition, The Catholic High School Honor Roll named Carmel Catholic High School one of the “Top 50 Catholic Secondary Schools.” Carmel Catholic was selected based on its high scores in the categories of: Academics, Catholicity, and Civic Instruction. Carmel Catholic also was named to an elite list of 20 high schools in the country that excel in the area of Catholic Identity. In addition, CCHS was selected as the recipient of the 2006 Catholic Schools for Tomorrow Award for Innovations in Education. On an annual basis, this award honors 12 Catholic elementary and secondary schools nationwide that have implemented innovative programs to improve teaching and learning.
The school has a vibrant and visionary Strategic Plan, and the CCHS Board of Directors take a leadership role in directing and leading the school into the future. Catholic education focuses on the development of the whole person -- spiritually, intellectually, personally, socially, and physically. At Carmel Catholic High School we are dedicated to achieving these goals in a supportive Christian community.
Our strong curriculum is a traditional set of college prep courses, and we offer several Advanced Placement and Honors Courses. We take pride in the fact that 99 percent of our graduates choose to further their education by attending college. We strongly encourage our students to participate in extracurricular activities to enhance their Carmel Catholic High School experience. Our primary goal is to offer high quality academic programs, which are integrated with religious truth and Gospel values.
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