How to Enroll at NOVA Academy Early College High School
NOVA Academy Early College High School is a charter school open to students regardless of the city they live in, and the school notes that current students come from Irvine, Anaheim, Tustin and other communities. There is no tuition, students may apply for any grade from 9 to 12 and may transfer mid-year if space permits, and the published process includes no entrance exam. The Intent to Enroll form for 2027-28 is open, one per student, and can be completed online; forms received after the open enrollment period are considered on a space-available basis.
If any grade has more applicants than seats, admission is decided by public random drawing, with results posted on the school office window and website and not given by phone; students not selected go on a waitlist and are notified if space opens. Selected students must return a complete enrollment packet by the deadline, including government-issued identification, immunization records, proof of residency and unofficial transcripts or an 8th grade report card; incomplete packets are not accepted, and admission is forfeited if the deadline is missed.
Acceptance letters go out within a week of the documentation deadline and are valid only for the year applied. Incoming ninth graders attend the free Summer InNOVAtion transition program, where they begin their individual high school plans. For fall 2026, the school holds an on-campus information session and tour on November 17 and online sessions on December 3.
Courses and Signature Programs at NOVA Academy Early College High School
In the 2026-27 University of California A-G course list, NOVA Academy Early College High School has 70 approved courses, including 9 AP courses and 12 UC-approved honors courses (courses that receive extra weight in the UC GPA). See the full A-G list.
- College Opportunity Program
- Students begin taking Santa Ana College courses in grade 9, with the school covering tuition, books and fees and providing transportation during the school day. Students choose among three routes, an associate degree, university-transferable courses or a career certificate, in areas spanning art and media, automotive and engineering technology, business and paralegal studies, child development and teaching, computer science, math and science, humanities and languages, and public health and safety services.
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- The school's AP page lists AP U.S. History (grade 11), AP Government (grade 12), AP English Literature (grade 11), AP English Language (grade 12) and AP Spanish Language (grades 11 and 12).
- Family
- On enrollment, students are grouped with classmates in their grade into a Family that meets during the school day throughout high school, focusing on student growth and accountability, college planning and goals, and service and compassion.
- College Bound
- A year-round program with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast that provides one-on-one academic advisement, daily academic support, fee waivers for college applications and tests, free college tours and career exploration; participants meet their advisor at least monthly and stay in the program through graduation.
- Academic Support
- All teachers hold office hours, after-school tutoring covers English, history, math and science, students with low reading or math benchmark results take a SOAR class during the school day, and a June Summer Intersession offers credit recovery.
Academic Results at NOVA Academy Early College High School: CAASPP and Graduation
In the 2024-25 California state tests (CAASPP), 31.5% of NOVA Academy Early College High School 11th graders met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 2.2% met or exceeded the math standard; the statewide figures for 11th graders were 57% and 30.5%. For the class of 2025, 97.1% of the 70 students in the four-year cohort graduated, and 86.8% of graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU admission.
| NOVA Academy Early College High School | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 ELA met or exceeded | 31.5% | 57% |
| Grade 11 math met or exceeded | 2.2% | 30.5% |
Twelve Years of UC Application Data at NOVA Academy Early College High School: Applicants, Admit Rates and GPA
The University of California publishes applicants, admits and enrollees for every California high school. Combined 2023–2025, 38 of 54 applications from NOVA Academy Early College High School to the UC system were admitted (70%). Categories with fewer than five students are not published by UC and appear as "—", not zero.
The ten lines are hard to tell apart where they overlap. Hover over any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; click to keep it highlighted, and click again to clear it.Tap any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; tap again to clear it.
| UC campus (fall 2025) | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Admit GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 10 | — | — | — | — |
| UC Los Angeles | 14 | — | — | — | — |
| UC San Diego | 10 | 4 | 40% | — | — |
| UC Davis | — | — | — | — | — |
| UC Irvine | 18 | 4 | 22% | — | — |
| UC Santa Barbara | — | — | — | — | — |
| UC Merced | — | — | — | — | — |
| UC Riverside | 9 | 5 | 56% | — | 3.74 |
| UC Santa Cruz | — | — | — | — | — |
Student Body at NOVA Academy Early College High School
In 2025-26, 89.4% of NOVA Academy Early College High School students were socioeconomically disadvantaged and 22.9% were English learners.
NOVA Academy Early College High School: Frequently Asked Questions
Can Irvine families apply to NOVA Academy Early College High School?
NOVA Academy Early College High School is a charter school open to students regardless of where they live, and the school notes that some current students come from Irvine. There is no tuition, the 2027-28 Intent to Enroll form is open, and any grade with more applicants than seats is filled by public random drawing. The school provides transportation to and from Santa Ana College classes; its website does not mention bus service to campus.
Can students at NOVA Academy Early College High School earn an associate degree, a question Irvine families ask?
NOVA Academy Early College High School students take Santa Ana College courses free of charge from grade 9 and choose among an associate degree, university-transferable courses and a career certificate, with tuition, books, fees and transportation to classes covered by the school. The school notes that many graduates begin college as sophomores; how many units a student earns depends on the route chosen.
Which AP courses does NOVA Academy Early College High School offer, for Irvine families comparing options?
NOVA Academy Early College High School's website lists AP U.S. History, AP Government, AP English Literature, AP English Language and AP Spanish Language, offered in grades 11 and 12. Most college-level coursework at the school is completed through Santa Ana College dual enrollment.
What are the graduation requirements at NOVA Academy Early College High School, for Irvine families planning ahead?
NOVA Academy Early College High School requires 220 credits to graduate, including four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies (world history, U.S. history, government and economics), two years of science (biology and chemistry), one year of the same fine art, two years of the same world language, two years of physical education, one semester of Seminar and 45 elective credits.
Other Public High Schools in Santa Ana
- Advanced Learning AcademySanta Ana Unified School District
- Century High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- Ednovate - Legacy College Prep.Orange County Department of Education
- Foothill High SchoolTustin Unified School District · in-depth guide
- Hector G. GodinezSanta Ana Unified School District
- Magnolia Science Academy Santa AnaSBE - Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana · in-depth guide
- OCSAOrange County Department of Education · in-depth guide
- Saddleback High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- Samueli AcademyOrange County Department of Education
- Santa Ana High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- Segerstrom High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- Valley High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- Vista Meridian Global AcademyOrange County Department of Education
Compare all public high schools in Santa Ana → · Orange County public high schools by city →
Sources19 sources · checked 2026-11-14
Enrollment, student body, CAASPP and graduation data come from the California Department of Education. UC admissions data come from the University of California Information Center public data tables, downloaded Nov 2026.
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