Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Indiana rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Career Academy High School

Public, Charter Grades 9-12

340^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 415 Indiana High Schools

Better than 18% of Indiana high schools

Summary

Career Academy High School is a grades 9–12 public high school in South Bend, Indiana, serving 481 students as its own district. It ranks 340th of 415 Indiana high schools (18th percentile, 1 star) in 2025–2026 and 322nd of 374 districts (14th percentile, 1 star). That is a long-term decline from 2018–2019, when it ranked 58th of 389 (85th percentile, 4 stars); it has been in the 1-star range for the last three reported years.

Its standout strength is graduation: Career Academy High School had a 97.2% graduation rate in 2024–2025, above Indiana’s 89.7% and second only to Penn High School’s 97.5% among nearby schools. But test proficiency is low. SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing was 34.95% versus the state’s 51.9%, SAT Math was 3.88% versus 25.6%, and Biology was 23.71%. Math is the most urgent weakness, falling from 21.79% in 2022–2023 to 3.88% in 2025–2026. Biology has improved from 6.93% in 2022–2023 to 23.71%, but it still trails the state’s 45.6% and nearby comprehensive schools such as Penn High School (71.44%), Adams High School (39.42%), and Mishawaka High School (32.01%).

Chronic absenteeism is a major concern: it jumped from 7.3% in 2023–2024 (state 17.8%) to 30.8% in 2024–2025 (state 16.7%). The school spends $16,034 per student and has a 10.2 student-teacher ratio, yet proficiency remains far below Penn High School, Adams High School, and Mishawaka High School. It generally outperforms Washington High School, Rise Up Academy at Eggleston, and Excel Center - South Bend on graduation, absenteeism, and some test subjects, and compares favorably to Riley High School in reading and biology, though Riley High School has higher math. Subgroup performance varies: special education students fell from the 82nd percentile (4 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 31st percentile (2 stars) in 2025–2026, and low-SES students ranked 15th percentile (1 star). Overall, Career Academy High School sits near the bottom of the local academic distribution but is not the lowest-performing nearby school.

481

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,034

Per pupil spending ?

53.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

3801 Crescent Circle
South Bend, IN 46628

(574) 299-9800

District: Career Academy High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.5%

African American:

34.5%

Hispanic:

11.0%

See top rated Indiana high schools

Compare Career Academy High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 85th percentile in 2019 → 18th in 2026

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Indiana average (90%)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Indiana average (21% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (31% vs 17% Indiana)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg21%

Indiana avg39%

340^th of 415

Indiana public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 9 pts since 2016

From bottom 27% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Indiana High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

322^nd of 374Career Academy High School among Indiana districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	18.3	340 of 415	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.5	320 of 429	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.8	328 of 432	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.7	244 of 398	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.2	236 of 409	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.8	201 of 388	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	73.2	58 of 389	85.1%	★★★★☆
2016	36.1	286 of 394	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	8.4	366 of 400	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	0.8	374 of 379	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	27.5	98 of 133	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.7	75 of 132	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.4	85 of 132	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	51 of 125	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.7	46 of 125	63.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	17.1	330 of 395	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.7	293 of 387	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.7	304 of 392	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	35.6	256 of 388	34.0%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	16.6	178 of 194	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	73.6	37 of 181	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	54.2	63 of 184	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	98.6	2 of 164	98.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	20.3	330 of 390	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	31.8	279 of 377	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.0	296 of 377	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	218 of 379	42.5%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	17.6	333 of 397	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.2	319 of 386	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	319 of 392	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.4	228 of 383	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2025	23.2	87 of 111	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	51.0	47 of 104	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.0	57 of 94	39.4%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	33.1	201 of 292	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.1	220 of 298	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	73.0	53 of 289	81.7%	★★★★☆
2023	47.7	129 of 285	54.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Indiana percentile	Rating
2026	34.0	266 of 387	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.3	316 of 377	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	338 of 381	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.7	202 of 375	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.2	250 of 378	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)31st percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)31st percentile+13 vs school

African American (2026)26th percentile+8 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)22nd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)16th percentile~ school

Male (2026)16th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)15th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)8th percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Indiana (2025-2026) ?

Evidence-based Reading and Writing35%-17 vs state

Biology24%

Mathematics4%-22 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Career Academy High School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, February 15, 2017

love love this school, teachers really care about the students. They really want the best for each and every student. The communication between the teachers and parents its wonderful. The support you get from them its amazing! Close Quote

Schools Near Career Academy High School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	ILEARN English Language Arts (2026)				ILEARN Math (2026)				ILEARN Biology (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 6th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 7th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts 8th Grade	ILEARN English Language Arts All Grades	ILEARN Math 6th Grade	ILEARN Math 7th Grade	ILEARN Math 8th Grade	ILEARN Math All Grades	ILEARN Biology End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Career Academy High School	Public, Charter	9-12	3801 Crescent Circle	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Career Academy High School	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 299-9800	481	47	10.2	53.8%	214 (44.5%)	166 (34.5%)	53 (11.0%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (8.7%)	18.3	340^th of 415 public high schools	18.1%		26.5	320^th of 429 public high schools	25.4%	20	35.0	3.9									23.7	$16,034	$5,545	$10,489
Washington High School	Public	9-12	4747 W Washington Ave	South Bend	46619	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5500	795	73	10.8	65.3%	75 (9.4%)	426 (53.6%)	228 (28.7%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.7%)	7.4	397^th of 415 public high schools	4.3%		6.1	408^th of 429 public high schools	4.9%	11	21.9	1.6									9.5	$15,710	$3,323	$12,387
Excel Center - South Bend	Public, Charter	9-12	2721 Kenwood Avenue	South Bend	46628	St. Joseph County	Excel Center - South Bend	Yes	No	No	No	(574) 314-5570	296	8	37.0	11.5%	61 (20.6%)	123 (41.6%)	90 (30.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)								(n/a)												$4,336	$137	$4,199
Clay High School	Public	9-12	19131 Darden Rd	South Bend	46637	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-4900	0	2	.0	—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)												$19,967	$2,944	$17,022
Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend	Public, Charter	9-12	635 S Lafayette Blvd	South Bend	46601	St. Joseph County	Purdue Polytechnic High School South Bend	Yes	No	No	No	(765) 494-7872	138	14	9.8	61.6%	54 (39.1%)	29 (21.0%)	44 (31.9%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.5%)	34.8	283^rd of 415 public high schools	31.8%		19.6	348^th of 429 public high schools	18.9%	65	46.2	7.7										$12,394	$3,495	$8,899
Rise Up Academy at Eggleston	Public	9-12	740 N Eddy Street	South Bend	46617	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-3500	149	22	6.8	67.1%	19 (12.8%)	71 (47.7%)	46 (30.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (8.7%)	5.9	407^th of 415 public high schools	1.9%		4.4	428^th of 429 public high schools	0.2%	21	4.9	2.4									8.3	$21,785	$4,499	$17,286
Riley High School	Public	9-12	1902 Fellows St	South Bend	46613	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5100	1,238	99	12.5	57.4%	319 (25.8%)	492 (39.7%)	302 (24.4%)	10 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	112 (9.0%)	15.5	350^th of 415 public high schools	15.7%		15.9	363^rd of 429 public high schools	15.4%	13	30.2	6.5									19.2	$15,942	$2,472	$13,470
Adams High School	Public	9-12	808 S Twyckenham Dr	South Bend	46615	St. Joseph County	South Bend Community School Corp	No	No	No	No	(574) 393-5300	1,966	130	15.1	48.5%	634 (32.2%)	561 (28.5%)	568 (28.9%)	41 (2.1%)	4 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	158 (8.0%)	44.2	230^th of 415 public high schools	44.6%		41.4	258^th of 429 public high schools	39.9%	28	43.0	20.8									39.4	$12,765	$2,490	$10,275
Cavemen Academy of Virtual Excellence	Public, Virtual	6-12	1402 S Main St.	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(574) 254-4500	162	12	13.5	67.9%	111 (68.5%)	12 (7.4%)	10 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (17.9%)	14.7	353^rd of 415 public high schools	14.9%					(n/a)	29.6	3.7			7.7	16.7			0.0	4.2
Mishawaka High School	Public	9-12	1202 Lincolnway E	Mishawaka	46544	St. Joseph County	School City of Mishawaka	No	No	No	No	(574) 254-7300	1,327	90	14.7	31.3%	849 (64.0%)	190 (14.3%)	150 (11.3%)	8 (0.6%)	9 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	121 (9.1%)	33.4	285^th of 415 public high schools	31.3%		41.5	257^th of 429 public high schools	40.1%	28	38.8	16.5									32.0	$12,758	$650	$12,108

Frequently Asked Questions about Career Academy High School

What is the racial makeup of Career Academy High School?

Students at Career Academy High School are 44% White, 35% African American, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Career Academy High School a good school?

Career Academy High School ranks in the bottom 18.1% of Indiana high schools.

How many students attend Career Academy High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 481 students attended Career Academy High School.

What district is Career Academy High School in?

Career Academy High School

Rate Career Academy High School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

INIndiana High School Rankings

INIndiana District Rankings

Schools in South Bend, IN

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Career Academy High School!

Latest Indiana data All new data »

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 20, 2026

2023–24 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 ILEARN & SAT test scoresSep 25, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 5, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Indiana Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.