How to Enroll at Samueli Academy
Samueli Academy is a charter school with no attendance boundary and no fee to apply or attend, and its published process includes no entrance exam. The school admits mainly in grade 7: applications for incoming seventh graders (current sixth graders) for 2027-28 open on December 1, 2026, and the student and parent complete the online application together; applications for other grades go onto the waiting list. For 2026-27, all grades 7 to 12 are full. The school offers individual tours only once admission is offered, and other families can attend Information Nights.
Under the enrollment policy adopted in February 2026, the seventh-grade application deadline is published each year around December and falls in February or March; if applications exceed capacity, a public random drawing is held within two weeks of the deadline, and late applications go onto the waiting list. An application remains valid for every year in which the student is age- and grade-eligible.
Lottery preference runs in this order: Samueli Academy dorm residents; foster youth residing in Orange County; children of Samueli Academy and Orangewood Foundation employees residing in Orange County; siblings of enrolled students residing in Orange County; students in the Riverdale Elementary attendance area (in certain years only); other Orange County residents; and then applicants from outside Orange County. Irvine families are Orange County residents and must provide proof of residency.
Courses and Signature Programs at Samueli Academy
In the 2026-27 University of California A-G course list, Samueli Academy has 73 approved courses, including 7 AP courses and 23 UC-approved honors courses (courses that receive extra weight in the UC GPA). See the full A-G list.
- Engineering Pathway
- The in-house curriculum, taught by veteran engineers, meets UC and CSU A-G requirements and follows a design, build, test and reflect process across electrical, mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering and computer-aided design (CAD), with an Automotive Technology course as well. Students take Introduction to Engineering in their first year; after choosing the pathway in grade 10, levels 2 and 3 are required for graduation and level 4 is optional.
- Design Pathway
- The Design Pathway centers on service-learning design for community needs, cross-disciplinary design practice and emerging technology; Design 3 includes two Santa Ana College Digital Media dual enrollment courses (Digital Media 113 and 122).
- Work-Based Learning
- A six-year curriculum running from grade 7 to 12: career exploration tours in grade 9, biannual Career Ignition Conferences for all grades, a portfolio with resume and cover letter, an internship of at least 45 hours in grade 11, and a Senior Capstone presentation and Virtual Enterprise course in grade 12.
- Santa Ana College Dual Enrollment
- Students take courses taught by college faculty on campus or at Santa Ana College; tuition is free, though students may pay for textbooks and a small student fee for courses at the college. Participants must earn a C or better in all classes and meet with a counselor to plan their course of study.
- Advanced Placement and Honors
- According to the 2026-27 School Profile, the school offers AP Calculus AB, AP English Language and Composition, AP Government, AP Spanish, AP U.S. History, AP Computer Science and AP Psychology. Honors work is integrated into college-prep courses through honors contracts issued each semester, and honors, AP and dual enrollment courses are graded on a 5.0 scale.
- Youth Connected Program (On-Site Foster Care Living)
- The Youth Connected Program is a foster family agency that partners with the school to give Orange County teens in foster care on-campus housing during the school week along with social-emotional and academic support, with collaborative foster families caring for them on weekends and holidays.
Academic Results at Samueli Academy: CAASPP and Graduation
In the 2024-25 California state tests (CAASPP), 57.8% of Samueli Academy 11th graders met or exceeded the English language arts standard and 25.9% met or exceeded the math standard; the statewide figures for 11th graders were 57% and 30.5%. For the class of 2025, 100% of the 137 students in the four-year cohort graduated, and 70.1% of graduates completed the A-G courses required for UC and CSU admission.
| Samueli Academy | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 ELA met or exceeded | 57.8% | 57% |
| Grade 11 math met or exceeded | 25.9% | 30.5% |
Twelve Years of UC Application Data at Samueli Academy: Applicants, Admit Rates and GPA
The University of California publishes applicants, admits and enrollees for every California high school. Combined 2023–2025, 104 of 137 applications from Samueli Academy to the UC system were admitted (76%). 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 | 18 | 3 | 17% | — | — |
| UC Los Angeles | 33 | 4 | 12% | — | — |
| UC San Diego | 35 | 16 | 46% | — | 4.20 |
| UC Davis | 16 | 11 | 69% | — | 4.12 |
| UC Irvine | 39 | 15 | 38% | 8 | 4.14 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 21 | 6 | 29% | — | 4.24 |
| UC Merced | 18 | 17 | 94% | — | 3.96 |
| UC Riverside | 27 | 24 | 89% | 3 | 3.96 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 18 | 13 | 72% | — | 4.07 |
Student Body at Samueli Academy
In 2025-26, 75.7% of Samueli Academy students were socioeconomically disadvantaged and 13.7% were English learners.
Samueli Academy: Frequently Asked Questions
Can Irvine families apply to Samueli Academy?
Samueli Academy is a tuition-free public charter school with no attendance boundary, so Irvine families can apply. When seats run short, a public lottery places Irvine families, as Orange County residents, after the priority groups of dorm residents, foster youth, employees' children and siblings of enrolled students, and ahead of applicants from outside Orange County; proof of residency is required. All grades are full for 2026-27.
Does Samueli Academy admit students only in grade 7, a question Irvine families ask?
Samueli Academy holds a lottery only for incoming seventh graders; applications for grades 8 to 12 go onto the waiting list, and the school calls families when a spot opens. Seventh-grade applications for 2027-28 open on December 1, 2026, the deadline is published around December and falls in February or March, and the lottery takes place within two weeks of the deadline; an application stays valid for each later year the student is eligible.
How do Samueli Academy students choose between the Engineering and Design pathways, for Irvine families considering the school?
Samueli Academy students take Introduction to Engineering and Introduction to Design in their first year and choose the Engineering or Design pathway in grade 10; levels 2 and 3 are required for graduation and level 4 is optional. Engineering is taught by veteran engineers, and Design 3 includes Santa Ana College digital media dual enrollment courses.
What is the Samueli Academy internship requirement, for Irvine families planning ahead?
Samueli Academy requires every student to complete an internship of at least 45 hours with professional mentors between junior and senior years, contributing to a project that supports their academic work. The internship is part of the school's six-year Work-Based Learning curriculum, which ends with a Senior Capstone presentation and a Virtual Enterprise course in grade 12.
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
- Nova Academy Early College High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- OCSAOrange County Department of Education · in-depth guide
- Saddleback High SchoolSanta Ana Unified School District
- 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 →
Sources17 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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