Oxford Academy College Planning Guide

Oxford Academy is a public magnet school in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD). It opened in September 1998 in the city of Cypress and serves grades 7 through 12. In the 2025-26 school year, the school enrolled 1,348 students. In the U.S. News 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings, it placed 3rd in California and 17th in the nation. The largest difference between this school and other public high schools in Orange County is that it admits students only in grade 7, and only by examination. This page does not rate the school. It answers one question: how should a student who wants to enter this school, or who has already entered it, plan the six years?

The College Preparation Structure at Oxford Academy

Public data show three defining features of the school.

First, the course structure is uniform rather than tiered. Oxford Academy has no division between regular and honors classes; core courses are offered only at the honors level. In grade 9, all students take English 1 H, Integrated Math 1-2 H, and The Living Earth H. In grade 10, all students take Chemistry in the Earth’s System H. In grade 11, all students take AP English Language and AP US History. The school also requires every student to complete at least 4 AP courses before graduation and to choose one of four Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways and take it for three consecutive years. Course selection therefore offers far less freedom than at a typical high school. Families do not choose a difficulty level; within a set path, they decide the math starting point, the pathway direction, and the grade 12 combination.

Second, academic indicators are high, but the AP pass rate is not in the very top tier of the county. In the 2024-25 school year, students took 1,604 exams across the school’s 19 AP courses, and 91.5% scored 3 or higher (calculated per exam). On the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), 98.52% met or exceeded the standard in English and 94.38% in math. In the 2024-25 cohort of 206 students, 201 graduated, a graduation rate of 97.6%, with a dropout rate of 0. The share of graduates who completed the University of California and California State University a-g courses was 99.5%. The average SAT score was 1356, and the average ACT composite was 30.5.

Third, 85% of graduates enroll directly at four-year universities and 15% at two-year colleges. This share is clearly higher than at the comprehensive high schools of the Irvine Unified School District, for an evident reason: students who pass the entrance exam are already a selected group, and the school requires a grade of C or higher in every course, so nearly all students complete the a-g courses.

How to Gain Admission

Oxford Academy admits students only once, at entry to grade 7. Of about 270 seats schoolwide, about 200 go to students living within the Anaheim Union High School District boundaries and about 70 go to surrounding areas outside the district. The school takes the top 25 applicants from each of the district’s eight junior high attendance areas, then the top 70 applicants from outside the district. More than 650 students take the entrance exam each year. Transfer admission for grades 8 and 9 has been discontinued, the school states that it does not expect enough openings to resume it, and grades 10 through 12 do not accept applications.

The process has two rounds. First, a written review of report cards and state test results; only applicants who pass receive an exam notice. The entrance exam includes an academic written test and a video interview that assesses communication and other soft skills. All applicants are notified of the outcome, whether or not they are admitted.

Students who live within Anaheim Union High School District boundaries at the time of application and remain there throughout enrollment are treated as in-district applicants; students who live outside district boundaries are treated as inter-district applicants. Both groups must submit proof of residency at registration, and the district may conduct home verification visits. Families can use the district address lookup tool to confirm whether their address falls within district boundaries.

Ten Years of UC Data: Applicants, Admit Rates, and GPA

The following data come from UC Infocenter, published by the University of California Office of the President by source high school and updated annually. The data answer two questions: how many Oxford Academy students apply and are admitted each year, and what GPAs admitted students hold. GPA is the University of California 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: What Is Distinctive at Oxford Academy

This rule shapes course selection in grades 9 and 10. Oxford Academy students do not choose whether to take honors courses, because core courses exist only at the honors level, yet some of those courses are unweighted. All three required grade 9 honors courses are unweighted, and in grade 10 only World History H and Chemistry in the Earth’s System H are weighted. The only way to raise the weighted GPA in grade 9 is therefore to choose the Software Systems and Development pathway, which begins with AP Computer Science Principles. In grade 10, it depends on whether the student takes AP Seminar in English and AP European History in history. Note that the University of California calculates GPA using its own method and counts honors points for at most 8 semesters, so for University of California applications, using all 8 semesters in grades 10 and 11 matters more than accumulating courses.

Six-Year Timeline

Three milestones truly determine the outcome: the math placement in July after admission, which sets the starting point of the six-year math track; grade 9 course selection in February of grade 8, which determines whether the CTE pathway begins a year early or waits until grade 10; and grade 11 course selection in February of grade 10, which determines whether the grade 11 science course is Physics of the Universe H or an AP course. The first two milestones are essentially impossible to recover from once missed.

Clubs and Academic Competitions

The official Oxford Academy club directory lists 52 clubs.

• Science Club
• STEM - Math
• OA Code
• OA Robotics
• Computational Modeling Club
• Cyber Security Club
• Speech and Debate
• Speech Tank
• Model United Nations
• FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
• Youth Investors Society
• HOSA (Future Health Professionals)
• Health Guardians of America
• SkillsUSA
• Solar Cup
• National Honor Society
• Each One Teach One (peer teaching)
• Creative Writing Club
• Key Club
• Environmental Conservation Organization

Academic and competition clubs cover computer science (OA Code, OA Robotics, the Computational Modeling Club, and the Cybersecurity Club), business (FBLA and the Young Investors Society), health care (HOSA and Health Guardians of America), speech and debate (Speech and Debate and Speech Tank), and Model United Nations. In addition, the SkillsUSA career skills competition and the Solar Cup solar-powered vehicle competition connect directly with the four CTE pathways. The school currently has no Science Olympiad, Academic Decathlon, Mock Trial, DECA, so students who want to compete in these events need an outside program.

Special Programs

• Four Required CTE Pathways (Three Consecutive Years): All students choose one pathway in grade 9 or grade 10 and complete three full years. During course selection, students rank the four pathways in order of preference, and the first choice is not guaranteed.
  • Software Systems and DevelopmentAP Computer Science Principles → AP Computer Science A → Mobile Application Development. This is the only pathway that allows students to take an AP course in grade 9, and it is also exempt from the two-AP cap in grade 10.
  • Biomedical ScienceBiotech 1 → Biotech 2 H → Biotech 3 H. The first two courses count toward UC A-G category d laboratory science.
  • EngineeringEngineering 1 → Engineering 2 H → Engineering 3 H.
  • Business / EntrepreneurshipBusiness & Marketing → AP Business with Personal Finance → Business Entrepreneurship H.
• Cypress College Dual Enrollment: The school's 2025-26 School Profile lists 53 Cypress College courses covering administration of justice, business, Chinese, computer information systems, communication, nutrition and public health, journalism, kinesiology, mathematics, music, photography, political science, and sociology. The courses are free, students earn both high school and college credit, and courses are available in the fall, spring, and summer terms. Only six groups are embedded on campus (held during the school day at the school): CHIN 203/204, ENGL 104, ETHS 101, AJ 110 with MUS 113, PHS 107 with ETHS 101, and Multivariable Calculus MATH 250AC with Linear Algebra and Differential Equations 250BC. All others are taken through the district's online courses or after school
• Schoolwide Honors Curriculum: Oxford Academy does not separate regular and honors sections; core courses are offered only at the honors level: English 1 H, Integrated Math 1-2 H, and The Living Earth H in grade 9, and English 2 H, Chemistry in the Earth's System H, and World History H in grade 10. The school does not rank students
• Academic Support: Before- and after-school tutoring, a daily on-campus Connections period, Saturday Academy enrichment courses, writing workshops, and math support; Peer Tutoring is held in the library every Monday from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
• Arts and Athletics: 78% of students take visual and performing arts courses. Band, orchestra, jazz band, and choir are offered at multiple levels, with placement by teacher evaluation. Students in grades 7 to 8 compete in an intramural league, and students in grades 9 to 12 compete in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): fall sports include cross country, tennis, volleyball, and golf; winter sports include basketball and soccer; and spring sports include baseball and softball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, track and field, and golf

How to Use the College Center

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

Data verified on 2026-09-21. Course catalogs are updated each spring; prerequisites follow the school's current Course of Study.