College Profile

Our School and Community:  Founded in 1877 in the Franciscan tradition, Sacred Heart Academy is the largest Catholic secondary school for young women in Western New York. We offer a college preparatory curriculum, combining the fundamentals of traditional education with the advanced skills and habits of mind necessary for the challenges of the future. Our innovative coursework prepares our students to be life-long learners. In 2020, Sacred Heart was certified as an International Baccalauerate Diploma World School.  Our first cohort of students graduated in 2023.

Accreditation: Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart is chartered and registered by the Regents of the State of New York. The Academy is accredited by the New York State Department of Education. Sacred Heart is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSNACAC), the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), and One Schoolhouse. In 2020, we were certified as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

Enrollment: Total enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is 370 students from 31 school districts. The faculty is comprised of 50 full and part-time teachers, yielding a student/teacher ratio of 8:1. The Class of 2025 graduated 96 young women.

Graduation Requirements: Sacred Heart Academy requires all students to complete a minimum of 27 credits in grades 9-12. All students are required to take four years of English, social studies, religious studies, physical education; three credits of mathematics, science, foreign language; one credit of computer-based courses; one credit of art and/or music; and one half credit of health. Honors classes are offered to qualified students in English, mathematics, social studies, and science. Each student is required to take one course in Chemistry and Physics.

Required Courses: 2025-2026 School Year
Key: AP= Advanced Placement, H= Course is also offered at the Honors level, CC= College Credit,    E= Extended, IB= International Baccalaureate

Note: course sequence may vary based on previous credits earned

Electives: Creative Writing, Practical Law, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Introduction to Engineering, Anatomy & Physiology, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Chorus, String Ensemble, Instrumental and Vocal lessons, Musical Theatre, Beginning Piano Class, Advanced Piano Class, Intro to Dance, Dance Ensemble, Publications Design, Career Internship, Computer Applications, Advanced Computer Applications, Accounting, Desktop Publishing, 3D Design & Computer Animation I & II, Intro to Art, Studio in Art, Ceramics, Advanced Ceramics, Drawing and Composition, Painting, Advanced Painting, Stained Glass, Advanced Seminar in Art, Digital Photography, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Entrepreneurship.
**Availability of electives offered varies depending upon student enrollment each year

Weighting: Final course grades appear unweighted on the student transcript; course grades are weighted according to course difficulty only in the cumulative average. Honors courses are multiplied by 1.10 and AP and IB courses are multiplied by 1.16. Sacred Heart Academy does not provide class rank for students.

Grading Scale:

Honor Roll: 3.4 

Honor Roll with Distinction: 3.8