University High School College Planning Guide

University High School is the first high school in the city of Irvine. Founded in 1970 and located next to UC Irvine, it mainly serves south Irvine communities including Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon, Quail Hill, and University Park. Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is 2,424 students. In the 2026 U.S. News rankings of California high schools, the school ranks No. 64, second among the five comprehensive high schools in Irvine Unified School District (IUSD). This page does not rate the school; it answers one question: how a student at this school should plan the four years.

College Pathway Profile at University High School

Public data point to three characteristics.

First, the AP program is large and its results are strong. In 2026, 1,024 students took 2,970 AP exams; 94.9% scored 3 or higher, and more than half of all scores were 5s.

Second, standardized test results remain strong. In 2025, the average SAT score was 1358 (650 test takers) and the average ACT score was 30.1. In the Class of 2027, 23 students were named National Merit Semifinalists, one third of the 72 in Irvine Unified School District. The National Merit Scholarship Program selects semifinalists based on 11th-grade PSAT scores.

Third, 53% of graduates enroll directly in four-year universities, and another 44% enroll in two-year colleges. This share is on the low side among the five district high schools, which indicates wide variation within the school: top students are highly competitive, while a substantial share of students in the middle of the class choose to attend community college first and then transfer.

Ten Years of UC Application Data: Applicants, Admission Rates, and GPA

The following data come from UC Infocenter, published by the University of California Office of the President, organized by source high school and updated annually. The data answer two questions: how many University High School students apply and are admitted each year, and where the GPAs of admitted students fall. GPA is the UC-calculated weighted, capped GPA, counting only courses from grades 10 and 11.

Applications and Admissions by Campus, Most Recent Year

Campuses are listed in order of the U.S. News national university rankings. UC leaves a category blank when it has fewer than five applicants or fewer than three admits or enrollees.

GPA Weighting Rules: What Makes University High School Different

This rule shapes course selection. Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, and Enhanced Math II do not raise the school GPA, so the only reason to take them is preparation for later AP courses, not higher grades. Note that UC calculates GPA with its own weighting method, and UC-certified Honors courses can earn extra weight, so these courses still carry value for UC applications even though they do not help with the school’s graduation honors.

Four-Year College Planning Timeline (Based on EDUBUS Experience)

Three milestones determine the direction: 9th-grade course selection in April of 8th grade, which sets the starting point in math and science; the Sophomore Planning meeting in February of 10th grade, which determines the 11th-grade AP combination; and the October 1 deadline to request recommendation letters in 12th grade. The first two milestones are difficult to recover from if missed.

Clubs and Academic Competitions

University High School has 111 registered clubs, and its academic competition clubs are the strongest among the five high schools in Irvine Unified School District.

Science Bowl is the school’s signature program: the team has consistently been a regional champion and ranked in the top ten nationally, and in 2026 it won the Ocean Science Bowl. VEX Robotics and CyberPatriot, a cybersecurity competition, belong to the UNITE program and are guided by dedicated teachers. The school currently does not have FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), DECA (business competition club), Science Olympiad (mentioned at the grade 8 information night, but not on the fall 2026 clubs list), so students who want to take part in these competitions need to do so through outside organizations. Students in 9th grade cannot start new clubs, and Club Kickoff in mid-October is the main opportunity to join clubs.

Signature Programs

• UNITE (UNI Technology & Engineering): A schoolwide STEM and career technical education program: Project Lead The Way (PLTW) engineering courses (Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), followed by Principles of Engineering (POE) or Honors Principles of Engineering, then advanced engineering or aerospace engineering), plus after-school projects (two CubeSats launched, Hydrogen Grand Prix, the CyberPatriot cybersecurity competition, VEX Robotics, autonomous vehicles, and Build-A-Plane). A grade of B or higher in Introduction to Engineering Design earns 6 units of credit at Irvine Valley College (IVC).
• Irvine Valley College (IVC) Dual Credit: Academic-year CCAP courses (College and Career Access Pathways, a partnership between the high school and the community college) are free, and grades are recorded only on the IVC transcript. Summer college courses are free and are open to incoming grade 9 students. The Early College CCAP program accepts applications in the spring of grade 8, requires a four-year commitment, and records grades on the high school transcript as well.
• Honors Distinction: Available to all students in English 1 and World History; students who meet the standard in a given semester receive an honors notation on the transcript. It is a prerequisite for taking AP US History in grade 10.
• AVID 9/10: A selective program for students with GPAs between 2.0 and 3.5; counts toward UC A-G elective credit.

Using the College and Career Center

For the requirements of each course, see Courses and Course Selection; for the math acceleration pathway, see Math Pathway; for choosing AP courses, see AP Courses and Pass Rates.

Data verified on 2026-09-19. Course catalogs are updated each spring; prerequisites follow the school's current Course of Study.