El Toro High School

How to Enroll at El Toro High School

El Toro High School enrolls students by Saddleback Valley Unified attendance area: students who live inside the boundary register by address, with no entrance exam. The district's School Boundaries page is the authority on which school an address is assigned to.

District residents who want a school other than their assigned one must use the School Choice Intra-District Transfer, the only process for changing schools within the district. For 2027-28, the window for students entering grades 7 through 12 runs from November 16 to December 11, 2026; families may list a first and second choice, and some schools may be closed to School Choice because of capacity. Requests are not first-come, first-served: when space is available they are approved by unbiased random lottery, status letters are emailed about one month after the window closes, and no waiting list is kept. Once approved, the choice school remains the student's school through grades 9 to 12 without reapplying, and the district no longer holds a seat at the school of residence.

Students who live outside the district, including Irvine residents, cannot use School Choice. They must start an Inter-District Transfer request with their district of residence; once released, the application is sent to Saddleback Valley Unified, which asks for documents such as the current attendance record and transcript. Inter-district permits are valid for one year and must be renewed annually. Transfers are granted based on space, with priority for students requesting a specific program not available at their resident school and for students in good standing in academics and conduct; approved students are assigned where space is available, and transportation is the family's responsibility.

The El Toro High School website lists no entrance exam or selection process for AP Capstone, the STEAM Academy or Model United Nations. Students join MUN through course selection: incoming freshmen enroll in Geography/MUN, and sophomores who want to join enroll in World History/MUN. STEAM Academy students are placed in CTE-integrated core courses whenever the master schedule allows; if a conflict arises, the Guidance Department may place them in a non-integrated core class.

Courses and Signature Programs at El Toro High School

In the 2026-27 University of California A-G course list, El Toro High School has 181 approved courses, including 26 AP courses, 1 IB courses and 35 UC-approved honors courses (courses that receive extra weight in the UC GPA). See the full A-G list.

AP Capstone

AP is the College Board's program of college-level courses. AP Capstone combines AP Seminar and AP Research with four additional AP courses taken in grades 9 to 12, building research, analysis, collaboration and presentation skills; students who meet the requirements can earn the AP Capstone Diploma or certificate.

STEAM Academy

The STEAM Academy is the high school stage of the district's K-12 STEAM Academy, continuing from Santiago STEAM Magnet and Serrano Intermediate. Students take UC A-G approved core courses that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts and math, such as algebra and geometry with computing and robotics and chemistry with environmental engineering; academy graduation criteria include a two-year STEAM CTE pathway with grades of C- or better, an industry certification, one year of visual and performing arts and one year of an AP course.

Model United Nations (MUN)

Model United Nations is a three- to four-year program in which students represent countries, debate world issues and compete at conferences. Seniors who complete six semesters of MUN receive recognition at graduation, and the School Profile lists MUN honors courses in geography, world history and U.S. history.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways

The school offers seven pathways: Architecture; Arts, Media and Entertainment; Automotive; Computer Science; Digital Media Arts; Engineering; and Photography. Some courses carry college credit, and the Automotive pathway includes Saddleback College dual enrollment courses. Students who earn at least a B in three CTE classes in one pathway receive the CTE Graduation Medallion.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)

AVID is a four-year academic elective scheduled during the school day that helps students succeed in college preparatory and honors course sequences, with support in study and organizational skills, college tours, career exploration, SAT/ACT preparation, and college and financial aid applications.

Academic Results at El Toro High School: CAASPP and Graduation

In the 2024-25 California state tests (CAASPP), 64.5% of El Toro High School 11th graders met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 40% met or exceeded the math standard; the statewide figures for 11th graders were 57% and 30.5%. For the class of 2025, 94.7% of the 475 students in the four-year cohort graduated, and 52.4% of graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU admission.

Twelve Years of UC Application Data at El Toro High School: Applicants, Admit Rates and GPA

The University of California publishes applicants, admits and enrollees for every California high school. Combined 2023–2025, 194 of 343 applications from El Toro High School to the UC system were admitted (57%). Categories with fewer than five students are not published by UC and appear as "—", not zero.

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.

Student Body at El Toro High School

In 2025-26, 52.8% of El Toro High School students were socioeconomically disadvantaged and 9.6% were English learners.

• Hispanic or Latino45.5%
• White30.6%
• Asian10.3%
• Two or more races7%
• Filipino3.9%
• African American1.9%

Other Public High Schools in Lake Forest

El Toro High School is the only public high school listed for Lake Forest.

Compare all public high schools in Lake Forest → · Orange County public high schools by city →