Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA) is an all-girls college preparatory private Roman Catholic high school located in Washington Township, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Immaculate Heart Academy has been accredited by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1971 and is accredited until January 2034.Immaculate Heart Academy, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed January 15, 2025. The school is also accredited by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.Member Directory, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed October 24, 2025.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 638 students and 62.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.School data for Immaculate Heart Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
The school colors are blue and white, and the school's athletes are known as the Blue Eagles.
History The school was founded in 1960 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace as the first regional high school for girls in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.Bergen County Catholic High Schools , Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed July 20, 2016. From 1990 to 2008, administration shifted to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.History & Alma Mater, Immaculate Heart Academy. Accessed October 25, 2017. "In 1989, the Sisters of St. Joseph resigned and were replaced in 1990 by the Apostles of the Sacred Heart.... The Apostles if the Sacred Heart were re-assigned in June 2008 but have left an incredible mark on the school."
The school opened in 1960 with 180 students in ninth grade in an interim site at a church in Paramus, having received approval to build a Permanent facility on almost in Washington Township that would accommodate a maximum enrollment of one thousand students."Two Parochial Schools Endorsed By Planners; Township Officials Set Final Decision For Tuesday On R. C. Projects", Bergen Evening Record, September 7, 1960. Accessed April 28, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The other is Immaculate Heart Academy, a County Catholic girls high school, which will be built on a 10.95-acre site off Van Emburgh Avenue. Our Lady will open in temporary quarters in its church and parish house, while Immaculate Heart will use temporary facilities in Our Lady of Visitation R. C. Church in Paramus. About 125 pupils will attend the elementary school, about 180 freshmen the high school.... The Sisters of St. Joseph of Newark will conduct the high school, whose student body represents 42 County parishes. When built here. Immaculate Heart will serve 1,000 students in a 2 1/2 story building off Van Emburgh Avenue, a contemporary-style brick and stone-faced structure."
For the 1996–97 school year, Immaculate Heart Academy was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
Consultative Board The Immaculate Heart Academy Consultative Board began its duties on July 1, 2009. In prior years, a Finance Committee had been established and was effectively providing financial advice and direction to the school.IHA Consultative Board, Immaculate Heart Academy. Accessed January 18, 2022.
Athletics The Immaculate Heart Academy Blue EaglesImmaculate Heart Academy, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. play in the Big North Conference, a super conference that includes 40 public and private high schools in Northern New Jersey and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
Immaculate Heart Academy has a longstanding rivalry with Academy of the Holy Angels.
Immaculate Heart Academy has 17 athletic teams which include basketball, bowling, cross country, dance, field hockey, flag football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, ski racing, soccer, softball, spring track & field, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and winter track & field. IHA added a varsity flag football team to its roster for the 2025–26 season.IHA Adds Varsity Flag Football Team, Immaculate Heart Academy. Accessed October 24, 2025. "Immaculate Heart Academy is thrilled to announce the addition of a Flag Football Team to its impressive athletic program during the 2025-26 school year!"
Softball The softball team won the Non-Public A state title in 1993 (defeating runner-up Paul VI High School in the finals), 1994 (vs. St. John Vianney High School), 1995 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 1996 (vs. Bishop Ahr High School), 1999 (vs. Eustace Preparatory School), 2000 (vs. Bishop Ahr), 2003 (vs. St. John Vianney), 2009 (vs. Bishop Ahr), 2012 (vs. St. John Vianney), 2015 (vs. Pope John XXIII Regional High School), 2016 (vs. Donovan Catholic High School) and 2017 (vs. Donovan Catholic). The program's 12 state titles are the most of any school in the state.NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 1, 2020.
NJ.com / The Star-Ledger ranked Immaculate Heart as their number-one softball team in the state in 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2012."Softball: Every No. 1 team in the state from 1979 to 2015", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2021. "Following are the teams that finished as the NJ.com No. 1 softball team in the state with year and record.... 2012: Immaculate Heart (32-0)... 2009: Immaculate Heart (28-2)... 2000: Immaculate Heart (28-3) 1999: Immaculate Heart (31-1)" The team earned recognition as the top-ranked team in the state on the inaugural "NJ.com Top 50".Schneider, Jeremy; and Evans, Bill. "Softball: The first-ever NJ.com Top 50", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 14, 2016, updated May 16, 2019. Accessed January 7, 2021. "1-Immaculate Heart (31-1) The Blue Eagles repeated as Non-Public A champions, taking down Donovan Catholic in the title game."
The 2017 team won the Non-Public A state title with a victory against Donovan Catholic in the finals.Evans, Bill. "Stars of the Game: Immaculate Heart tops Donovan Catholic in Non-Public A state softball final", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 3, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed January 7, 2021. "No. 18 Immaculate Heart won its third consecutive state Non-Public A softball championship, beating No. 4 Donovan Catholic, 5-1, on Saturday. It was a rematch of last year's final won by IHA, 2-1." In the inaugural softball Tournament of Champions, the team won the first ToC title with a 5–4 victory in extra innings against Immaculate Conception High School of Lodi to finish the season with a record of 30-4.Kensik, Edward. "Immaculate Conception softball team makes history", The Record, June 10, 2017. Accessed January 7, 2021. "You would have thought that Immaculate Conception had won the first state Tournament of Champions final Friday night at Ivy Hill Park on the Seton Hall University campus. Blue Wolves coach Jeff Horohonich was glowing about his team after his squad had just lost a heartbreaking 5-4 game at the hands of fellow Bergen County rival Immaculate Heart in eight innings." For the second straight year, Immaculate Heart was recognized as the number-one softball team in the state on the "NJ.com Top 50".Schneider, Jeremy; and Evans, Bill. "Immaculate Heart is NJ.com's softball Team of the Year, 2017; plus the final Top 50", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 22, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. "Immaculate Heart finished the season exactly where it started it — at No. 1. The Blue Eagles shook off some early season losses and some late hiccups to win a third straight Non-Public A title, its 12th overall, and then took out Cedar Grove and Lodi Immaculate en route to winning the first-ever T of C. The Blue Eagles went 30-4 on the season, with their last victory coming on a walk-off against Bergen County rival Lodi Immaculate."
Swimming The swimming team won the Division A state championship in 1994 and won the Non-Public A title in 1995-2005 and 2008-2020. The program's 24 state titles are the most of any school in New Jersey. The streaks of 13 consecutive titles from 2008 to 2020 and of 12 straight wins from 1994 to 2005 are the longest such streaks in the state.NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 1, 2020.
The 2000 team finished the season with an 11-0 record after winning the program's seventh title in a row with a 114-56 win in the Parochial A final against Bishop Ahr High School (since renamed as St. Thomas Aquinas High School).Fortuna, Nick. "IHA adds to its glory; Rolls to seventh consecutive title", The Record, February 28, 2000. Accessed January 31, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "At Saturday's party, coach Bob Lemley told his team that he expected a 15-point victory over Bishop Ahr at the College of New Jersey on Sunday, a figure that proved to be far too conservative for his powerhouse squad. Instead, the Blue Eagles rolled past the Trojans, 114-56, to capture their seventh straight Parochial A State title and their 87th consecutive victory. 'We were really up for this,' said Lemley, who has coached IHA (11-0) the last 13 seasons."
The 2011 team scored 386 1/2 points at the Bergen Meet of Champions to win its 12th consecutive Bergen County title by a 177-point margin.Esposito, Mike. "Immaculate Heart continues Bergen domination", The Record, January 22, 2011. Accessed November 20, 2011. "Every year a surprise team or two will come out of nowhere, but one thing remains constant in North Jersey swimming — Immaculate Heart will continue to win. At the Bergen Meet of Champions on Saturday, IHA scored 386 1/2 points to win its 12th straight County title by a 177-point margin." Later, the team, seeded #2 in the New Jersey Non-Public Group A Tournament, defeated Holy Spirit High School in the state quarterfinals 118-52, Red Bank Catholic in the state semi-finals 107-63 and top-seeded Bishop Eustace High School 108-62 in the finals to win its fourth straight, and a record 16th, state championship.Bevensee, Rich. "North Jersey girls swimming season in review, 2010-11", The Star-Ledger, April 3, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2011. "Romain, the Immaculate Heart Academy senior bound for Purdue, made the swim team's legacy part of her identity. Since Romain arrived on campus, Immaculate Heart has not lost a single dual meet and has won four straight Non-Public A state championships.... Team of the year: Immaculate Heart Academy rolled up a 9-0 dual-meet record and defeated Holy Spirit (126-44), Red Bank Catholic (107-63) and Bishop Eustace (108-62) en route to its fourth straight Non-Public A state title, the program's 16th overall, a state record."
Tennis The tennis team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1995 (defeating runner-up Notre Dame High School in the tournament's final round), 1996 (vs. Notre Dame), 2005 (vs. Holy Spirit High School), 2006 (vs. Red Bank Catholic High School), 2007 (vs. Holy Spirit) and 2008 (vs. Holy Spirit)Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024.