Orange High School

How to Enroll at Orange High School

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

Students who want a school other than their school of residence can apply through the district's Open Enrollment: the online application goes directly to the school of choice, one application per school, and families check its status with that school's office. The district's 2026-27 page states that applications submitted after the closing date are placed on a waitlist and processed as openings become available.

Students who live outside the district, including Irvine residents, must first obtain a signed release from their district of residence and take it to the school they wish to attend; the school verifies space in the school or program, notifies the family, and forwards the request to the district's Office of Student and Community Services. Inter-district requests for 2026-27 began on February 2, 2026. Reasons the district lists for approval include a sibling already attending school in the district, finishing the school year after moving out mid-year, staying with a graduating class, and valid interest in an educational program not offered by the district of residence. Denials can be appealed to the district's Executive Director of Student and Community Services, then the Assistant Superintendent, and finally the Orange County Board of Education.

Orange High School follows an open access policy, so all students may enroll in honors and AP courses. The Early College Academy requires a separate application, and the application link on the school website is marked as coming soon.

Courses and Signature Programs at Orange High School

In the 2026-27 University of California A-G course list, Orange High School has 165 approved courses, including 19 AP courses and 27 UC-approved honors courses (courses that receive extra weight in the UC GPA). See the full A-G list.

Early College Academy

Students enroll concurrently at Orange High School and Santiago Canyon College (SCC), taking SCC courses during the regular school day, taught by SCC professors with support from an Orange High teacher; students take one course per semester, which uses two periods of the schedule. The courses are part of SCC's IGETC program, the general education pattern community college students use to transfer to UC and CSU, and students can potentially earn an associate degree along with a high school diploma.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)

Orange High School is an AVID National Demonstration School. AVID students must want to attend a four-year university, take A-G courses and the AVID class every year, earn a C or higher in all A-G courses, be willing to take honors and AP classes, and take the SAT or ACT.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

The agriculture department combines classroom and lab work, Future Farmers of America (FFA) leadership training and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) projects at the school farm, with five UC A-G courses in animal and plant science; its livestock show teams compete at the Orange County Fair and other shows.

Marine Corps JROTC

JROTC focuses on citizenship, leadership and character; the school states that the program is not for recruiting, that participation is free, and that uniforms are issued at no cost.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways

The school website lists CTE pathways in animal science, automotive systems, digital photography, graphic design, video game design, video production, dance, education, business management, marketing, patient care, sports medicine, public safety and fire service.

Academic Results at Orange High School: CAASPP and Graduation

In the 2024-25 California state tests (CAASPP), 40.4% of Orange High School 11th graders met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 11.4% met or exceeded the math standard; the statewide figures for 11th graders were 57% and 30.5%. For the class of 2025, 98.6% of the 429 students in the four-year cohort graduated, and 43% of graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU admission.

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

The University of California publishes applicants, admits and enrollees for every California high school. Combined 2023–2025, 128 of 197 applications from Orange High School to the UC system were admitted (65%). 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 Orange High School

In 2025-26, 87.7% of Orange High School students were socioeconomically disadvantaged and 19.4% were English learners.

• Hispanic or Latino87.8%
• White5.1%
• Asian2.8%
• Filipino1.3%

Other Public High Schools in City of Orange

• El Modena High SchoolOrange Unified School District

Compare all public high schools in City of Orange → · Orange County public high schools by city →