National Blue Ribbon Award and Process

Since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Award is the highest award bestowed to schools by the United States Department of Education. Recognition such as this can bring welcomed and deserved attention to schools and go a long way to enhance marketing efforts.

As stated on the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) website, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. More than 7,500 schools across the country have been presented with this coveted award. The National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. National Blue Ribbon Schools are honored each fall at a recognition ceremony in Washington, DC. The applications from the award-winning schools are posted on the US Department of Education website.

The 2022 application cycle is now open.

Apply for the 2022 Program

2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools