An EDUBUS College Planning exclusive · In-depth data on five Irvine Unified School District high schools

The student’s high school sets the rules,
and the four-year plan should follow them

The EDUBUS College Planning Department follows these five Irvine Unified School District public high schools year after year. Each school has its own GPA weighting rules, course prerequisites, and grade levels at which AP courses open, so the same grade can mean a different standing at a different school. EDUBUS advisors have verified every item in each school’s four-page guide below, from which course to take in which year to where the student’s grades stand within the school, so that families can plan the next four years as soon as they finish reading.

All data for these five schools is compiled, verified, and updated every year by the EDUBUS College Planning Department

pages of in-depth guides
20
courses documented
908
AP subjects with exam data
126
official UC data points
3,070

EDUBUS College Planning Team

Four pages that settle the key decisions of high school in advance

EDUBUS advisors follow course selection and college admissions at these five Irvine high schools year after year and understand what each school’s weighting rules, placement windows, and AP grade levels mean in practice. This guide turns that knowledge into conclusions families can use directly: where the student’s current grades stand within the school, which course to take next year, whether math acceleration is still possible, which AP courses are worth taking, and which should be completed outside the school. All five schools follow the same four-page structure, so families can begin with the student’s own school.

Overview & UC admissions

Where do this school’s graduates end up?

  • Year-by-year University of California admissions data by source high school: applicants, admits, enrollees, and admit GPA
  • An admit GPA chart in which hovering over a campus highlights it on its own
  • A year-by-year matrix for the top six campuses with five selectable metrics; darker shading indicates a higher value
  • Applications and admissions at all nine campuses for the most recent year, ordered by U.S. News ranking
  • GPA weighting rules, a four-year timeline, and academic clubs and competitions

Courses and Course Selection

Which course to take in which year, and whether the prerequisites are met

  • A complete course map by subject, showing level, grades offered, prerequisites, and UC A-G category
  • Course load limits and deadlines for adding, dropping, and moving down a level
  • A breakdown of the 225-credit graduation requirement that begins with the Class of 2027
  • Whether outside and online courses can appear on the transcript

Math Pathways

The requirement at every step from grade 7 placement to AP Calculus

  • A complete branching diagram of the three math progression routes
  • The grades, common assessment scores, and teacher recommendations required at each decision point
  • Catch-up windows after a missed placement, and what they cost
  • How far community college dual enrollment can take a student

AP Courses and Pass Rates

Which AP courses at this school are worth taking, and which to complete elsewhere

  • Number of exams taken by subject and the share scoring 3 or higher
  • The grades and enrollment requirements for each AP course
  • Four-year AP combinations recommended by intended major
  • How to earn credit and sit for AP exams the school does not offer

Five schools

How much each guide contains

The bars below reflect only how much content each guide has compiled and say nothing about the quality of the school. University of California data begins with each school’s first graduating class; Portola High School opened in 2016, so its data begins in 2020.

Shared by all five schools

District-wide rules

These rules are set by school board policy and apply equally at all five schools. The schools differ in the number of courses offered, the scope of weighting, and the grade levels at which AP courses open, and each school’s guide covers those differences. For the official math placement pathway and the full requirements at every grade-level decision point, see the Irvine Unified School District math pathway, explained.

Graduation credits
Beginning with the Class of 2027, 225 credits; three years of math, including Math II; three years of science
Class rank
The district does not rank students; a percentile range is provided when a college requests it
Math acceleration
Begins in grade 7, with no grade skipping in elementary school; moving from Math I to Enhanced Math II requires two of three criteria: a grade of A, 85% on the final common assessment, and a teacher evaluation
Summer bridge course
The only midpoint route from Math II into AP Precalculus; graded pass or fail and counted as elective credit
Outside coursework
Up to 10 credits per year and 40 credits in total; graded pass or fail, with no honors weighting, and it cannot be used to advance a level
District summer school
Offers no new UC A-G credit; only credit recovery, health and physical education, bridge courses, and free community college courses
School choice
The 2026-27 lottery runs from January 5 to January 23; Portola High School admits siblings only; beginning in 2028, grade 9 students from the Woodbury neighborhood will be zoned to Irvine High School

For Irvine high school students, the first step is a four-year plan

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