This page covers one topic: how Sage Hill School students fare when they apply to the University of California (UC). All data come from UC Infocenter, published by the University of California Office of the President, reported by source high school under the California private high school category, and cover twelve fall entry years from 2014 to 2025 across nine undergraduate campuses. The college destination lists the school publishes itself appear on the overview page; for UC figures, the official data on this page are authoritative.
| Fall 2025 | Sage Hill School students |
|---|---|
| UC systemwide | 132 applicants, 116 admits, 21 enrollees; admission rate 88% |
| UC Berkeley | 115 applicants, 21 admits; admitted-student average GPA 4.26 |
| UCLA | 123 applicants, 17 admits; admitted-student average GPA 4.29 |
| UC San Diego | 122 applicants, 26 admits; admitted-student average GPA 4.26 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 115 applicants, 64 admits; admitted-student average GPA 4.27 |
| UC Irvine | 107 applicants, 58 admits; admitted-student average GPA 4.24 |
| Data basis | GPA is the UC weighted, capped GPA, counting only A-G courses from grades 10 and 11; the systemwide row counts individuals, so a student who applies to several campuses is counted once |
Twelve-Year Trend: Applicants Doubled, While Admits at UC Berkeley and UCLA Barely Grew
The chart below shows the average GPA of Sage Hill School students admitted to each campus, year by year. It reflects the GPAs that admitted students actually earned; it is not an admission cutoff.
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.
Over twelve years, the number of UC applicants from the school doubled, and the number admitted nearly tripled. In fall 2014, 64 students applied to UC and 42 were admitted; in fall 2025, 132 applied and 116 were admitted. Over the same period, the average GPA of admitted students rose from 3.93 to 4.15, and the average GPA of applicants rose from 3.85 to 4.13.
The most selective campuses changed the most. Combining three years at a time, the admission rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Berkeley was 33% for 2016 to 2018 (181 applications, 60 admissions) and fell to 19% for 2023 to 2025 (297 applications, 56 admissions). Over the same span, UCLA fell from 22% to 13%, and UC San Diego from 32% to 20%. Meanwhile, the UC systemwide admission rate rose from 70% to 80%, and UC Irvine rose from 44% to 53%. Total admissions across the nine campuses grew from 386 to 886, and nearly all of the additional 500 came from the six campuses other than UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego: UC Riverside added 104, UC Santa Cruz added 97, UC Irvine added 92, and UC Santa Barbara added 81. UC Berkeley was the only campus where admissions declined (by 4), and UCLA added only 3.
Year-by-Year Data by Campus
Parents focus most on six campuses: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, and UC Davis. The table below lists, by year, the number of Sage Hill School students who applied to, were admitted to, and enrolled at each campus, along with GPA; use the buttons to switch metrics.
Official UC data · By high school of origin · 2014–2025
Year-by-year data for the top six UC campuses
Darker shading indicates higher values. The bottom row shows the change from 2014 to 2025.
From 2014 to 2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Los Angeles fell from 23% to 14%, and to UC Berkeley rose from 7% to 18%; the rate at UC Irvine rose from 27% to 54%.
This table has five data views. Use the buttons below to view admits, applicants, enrollees, admit GPA, and applicant GPA; the button for the current view is highlighted in yellow.
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 21 (18%) | 17 (14%) | 26 (21%) | 64 (56%) | 58 (54%) | 37 (47%) |
| 2024 | 18 (19%) | 15 (14%) | 20 (20%) | 52 (51%) | 47 (54%) | 23 (32%) |
| 2023 | 17 (20%) | 12 (12%) | 18 (18%) | 42 (44%) | 37 (50%) | 31 (45%) |
| 2022 | 24 (26%) | 11 (11%) | 16 (17%) | 49 (55%) | 46 (71%) | 24 (45%) |
| 2021 | 19 (23%) | 13 (13%) | 19 (21%) | 36 (44%) | 38 (58%) | 16 (30%) |
| 2020 | 20 (28%) | 18 (21%) | 38 (48%) | 42 (58%) | 28 (47%) | 16 (44%) |
| 2019 | 23 (33%) | 13 (17%) | 20 (32%) | 25 (34%) | 13 (29%) | 12 (40%) |
| 2018 | 13 (24%) | 12 (18%) | 12 (22%) | 28 (47%) | 18 (45%) | 10 (37%) |
| 2017 | 19 (33%) | 12 (20%) | 16 (36%) | 16 (39%) | 13 (45%) | 9 (41%) |
| 2016 | 28 (41%) | 17 (28%) | 20 (38%) | 33 (62%) | 19 (43%) | 11 (41%) |
| 2015 | 15 (25%) | 14 (23%) | 19 (39%) | 23 (45%) | 12 (35%) | 7 (25%) |
| 2014 | 3 (7%) | 10 (23%) | 13 (33%) | 14 (42%) | 7 (27%) | 11 (50%) |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 7% → 18% | ▼ 23% → 14% | ▼ 33% → 21% | ▲ 42% → 56% | ▲ 27% → 54% | ▼ 50% → 47% |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 115 | 123 | 122 | 115 | 107 | 79 |
| 2024 | 95 | 105 | 101 | 102 | 87 | 71 |
| 2023 | 87 | 99 | 99 | 96 | 74 | 69 |
| 2022 | 91 | 99 | 93 | 89 | 65 | 53 |
| 2021 | 81 | 101 | 91 | 82 | 66 | 53 |
| 2020 | 72 | 86 | 79 | 73 | 60 | 36 |
| 2019 | 69 | 78 | 63 | 74 | 45 | 30 |
| 2018 | 55 | 66 | 55 | 60 | 40 | 27 |
| 2017 | 58 | 61 | 45 | 41 | 29 | 22 |
| 2016 | 68 | 60 | 52 | 53 | 44 | 27 |
| 2015 | 60 | 62 | 49 | 51 | 34 | 28 |
| 2014 | 43 | 44 | 40 | 33 | 26 | 22 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 43 → 115 | ▲ 44 → 123 | ▲ 40 → 122 | ▲ 33 → 115 | ▲ 26 → 107 | ▲ 22 → 79 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | — | 5 | 3 | — | 6 | — |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | — | 3 | 7 | — |
| 2023 | 6 | 5 | — | 8 | — | 3 |
| 2022 | 9 | 5 | — | 9 | 3 | — |
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | — | 7 | — | — |
| 2020 | 7 | — | 5 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 2019 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 3 | — |
| 2017 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.26 | 4.29 | 4.26 | 4.27 | 4.24 | 4.19 |
| 2024 | 4.25 | 4.26 | 4.26 | 4.26 | 4.25 | 4.24 |
| 2023 | 4.27 | 4.30 | 4.25 | 4.26 | 4.23 | 4.21 |
| 2022 | 4.25 | 4.29 | 4.28 | 4.26 | 4.24 | 4.27 |
| 2021 | 4.21 | 4.26 | 4.25 | 4.21 | 4.14 | 4.20 |
| 2020 | 4.24 | 4.28 | 4.24 | 4.22 | 4.25 | 4.24 |
| 2019 | 4.23 | 4.29 | 4.27 | 4.25 | 4.26 | 4.23 |
| 2018 | 4.14 | 4.20 | 4.16 | 4.15 | 4.10 | 4.17 |
| 2017 | 4.14 | 4.25 | 4.20 | 4.14 | 4.25 | 4.14 |
| 2016 | 4.13 | 4.19 | 4.19 | 4.06 | 4.13 | 4.16 |
| 2015 | 4.16 | 4.17 | 4.19 | 4.10 | 4.16 | 4.13 |
| 2014 | — | 4.11 | 4.12 | 3.97 | 4.08 | 4.07 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | — | ▲ 4.11 → 4.29 | ▲ 4.12 → 4.26 | ▲ 3.97 → 4.27 | ▲ 4.08 → 4.24 | ▲ 4.07 → 4.19 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.15 | 4.14 | 4.14 | 4.13 | 4.13 | 4.12 |
| 2024 | 4.15 | 4.13 | 4.14 | 4.13 | 4.13 | 4.11 |
| 2023 | 4.20 | 4.19 | 4.18 | 4.18 | 4.16 | 4.17 |
| 2022 | 4.23 | 4.21 | 4.20 | 4.21 | 4.20 | 4.21 |
| 2021 | 4.10 | 4.06 | 4.04 | 4.03 | 4.01 | 4.02 |
| 2020 | 4.14 | 4.11 | 4.12 | 4.10 | 4.14 | 4.10 |
| 2019 | 4.07 | 4.03 | 4.05 | 3.99 | 3.94 | 3.95 |
| 2018 | 4.04 | 4.00 | 3.99 | 3.96 | 3.95 | 3.89 |
| 2017 | 4.01 | 3.96 | 3.91 | 3.89 | 3.94 | 3.88 |
| 2016 | 3.98 | 3.96 | 3.96 | 3.90 | 3.88 | 3.89 |
| 2015 | 3.98 | 3.98 | 3.96 | 3.88 | 3.90 | 3.79 |
| 2014 | 3.96 | 3.95 | 3.86 | 3.79 | 3.78 | 3.85 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 3.96 → 4.15 | ▲ 3.95 → 4.14 | ▲ 3.86 → 4.14 | ▲ 3.79 → 4.13 | ▲ 3.78 → 4.13 | ▲ 3.85 → 4.12 |
Five-Year Totals: Admission Rate, Yield, and GPA Gap
In a single year, chance can exaggerate differences between campuses. The table below adds up the counts for the five years from 2021 to 2025 and then calculates admission rates and yield. The last column shows how much higher the average GPA of admitted students is than that of applicants, indicating which part of the Sage Hill School applicant pool each campus selects from.
| UC campus | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Yield rate | Admit GPA minus applicant GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Systemwide | 576 | 438 | 76% | 120 | 27% | +0.04 |
| UC Berkeley | 469 | 99* | 21% | 28 | 28% | +0.08 |
| UC Los Angeles | 527 | 68 | 13% | 22 | 32% | +0.13 |
| UC San Diego | 506 | 99* | 20% | 3 | 3% | +0.12 |
| UC Davis | 325 | 131* | 40% | 3 | 2% | +0.10 |
| UC Irvine | 399 | 226* | 57% | 16 | 7% | +0.09 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 484 | 243* | 50% | 27 | 11% | +0.12 |
| UC Merced | 73 | 72* | 99% | — | 0% | +0.00 |
| UC Riverside | 204 | 184* | 90% | — | 0% | +0.02 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 259 | 176* | 68% | — | 0% | +0.09 |
The table shows three things. First, UCLA is the hardest campus to enter from this school, with a five-year combined admission rate of 13%; UC Berkeley and UC San Diego are at 21% and 20%, respectively. Second, the largest enrollment counts are at UC Berkeley, 28, and UC Santa Barbara, 27, followed by UCLA at 22; UC Irvine admitted 226 over five years but published enrollment totals only 16, and UC San Diego admitted 99 but published enrollment is only 3, all in 2025. Of the 438 students UC admitted over the five years, 120, or 27%, enrolled at UC; most admitted students ultimately attended colleges outside UC. Third, at UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara, admitted students averaged only 0.08 to 0.13 higher in GPA than applicants: the GPAs of this school’s applicants are already concentrated at the high end, and admission to the most selective campuses is not decided mainly by GPA.
Applications and Admits by Campus, Most Recent Year
| UC campus (fall 2025) | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Admit GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 115 | 21 | 18% | — | 4.26 |
| UC Los Angeles | 123 | 17 | 14% | 5 | 4.29 |
| UC San Diego | 122 | 26 | 21% | 3 | 4.26 |
| UC Davis | 79 | 37 | 47% | — | 4.19 |
| UC Irvine | 107 | 58 | 54% | 6 | 4.24 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 115 | 64 | 56% | — | 4.27 |
| UC Merced | 36 | 36 | 100% | — | 4.04 |
| UC Riverside | 74 | 70 | 95% | — | 4.12 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 73 | 60 | 82% | — | 4.17 |
Comparison with Other Orange County High Schools
The chart below compares Sage Hill School students with students from other high schools covered on this site at the same UC campus. It places the 12 Orange County private high schools covered on this site alongside 10 leading public high schools in Irvine and Orange County and lists their three-year combined admission rates for 2023 to 2025, with private high schools first and schools sorted by name. Use the buttons to switch campuses.
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to the UC system as a whole was 80% (281 / 353); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 76%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate82%361 / 439
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate81%245 / 304
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate60%226 / 378
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate60%434 / 729
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate63%221 / 352
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate89%59 / 66
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate79%46 / 58*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate68%97 / 142
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate80%281 / 353
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate66%385 / 586
- Servite High SchoolPrivate61%139 / 228
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate63%48 / 76
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic75%844 / 1130
- Irvine High SchoolPublic76%534 / 703
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic70%549 / 780
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic58%196 / 337
- Northwood High SchoolPublic79%892 / 1135
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic79%619 / 788
- Oxford AcademyPublic77%389 / 503
- Portola High SchoolPublic77%852 / 1103
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic76%680 / 895
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic62%379 / 611
- Troy High SchoolPublic79%916 / 1155
- University High SchoolPublic77%786 / 1022
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic73%608 / 838
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Berkeley was 19% (56 / 297); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 13%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate18%54 / 304
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate16%37 / 226*
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate14%26 / 186
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate10%36 / 357
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate14%20 / 141*
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate18%9 / 50*
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate16%4 / 25*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate19%56 / 297*
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate18%57 / 325
- Servite High SchoolPrivate7%7 / 105*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic13%92 / 719
- Irvine High SchoolPublic10%50 / 491
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic8%26 / 329*
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic13%28 / 209*
- Northwood High SchoolPublic14%121 / 851
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic17%92 / 556
- Oxford AcademyPublic14%46 / 340
- Portola High SchoolPublic12%94 / 808
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic14%75 / 526
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic12%40 / 346
- Troy High SchoolPublic13%107 / 840
- University High SchoolPublic12%94 / 798
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic14%74 / 539
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Los Angeles was 13% (44 / 327); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 8%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate11%39 / 370
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate9%25 / 266
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate13%38 / 283
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate9%52 / 572
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate9%25 / 267
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate10%6 / 58*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate6%6 / 103*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate13%44 / 327
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate13%57 / 455
- Servite High SchoolPrivate9%15 / 164*
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate6%3 / 52*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic7%67 / 922
- Irvine High SchoolPublic8%46 / 597
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic6%32 / 539
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic13%33 / 262
- Northwood High SchoolPublic9%85 / 972
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic17%120 / 692
- Oxford AcademyPublic10%43 / 434
- Portola High SchoolPublic8%75 / 952
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic8%57 / 684
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic8%35 / 466
- Troy High SchoolPublic9%91 / 983
- University High SchoolPublic8%75 / 885
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic10%67 / 678
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC San Diego was 20% (64 / 322); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 21%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate31%122 / 391
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate22%60 / 274*
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate24%64 / 267
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate21%105 / 511
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate19%47 / 245*
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate24%14 / 59*
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate16%6 / 38*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate23%21 / 91*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate20%64 / 322*
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate24%104 / 440
- Servite High SchoolPrivate18%29 / 164*
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate19%10 / 54*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic18%171 / 951
- Irvine High SchoolPublic15%94 / 620
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic34%205 / 599*
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic21%49 / 236*
- Northwood High SchoolPublic16%168 / 1019
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic32%184 / 577
- Oxford AcademyPublic24%98 / 411
- Portola High SchoolPublic15%146 / 981
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic22%161 / 739
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic21%103 / 492
- Troy High SchoolPublic18%177 / 991
- University High SchoolPublic18%165 / 913
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic22%157 / 717
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Irvine was 53% (142 / 268); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 32%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate50%190 / 377
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate29%78 / 273
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate37%67 / 183*
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate28%125 / 454
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate26%61 / 231
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate39%24 / 62*
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate30%11 / 37*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate33%29 / 89*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate53%142 / 268*
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate36%128 / 356
- Servite High SchoolPrivate20%32 / 163*
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate15%10 / 67*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic34%345 / 1016
- Irvine High SchoolPublic29%187 / 647
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic25%182 / 729
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic33%55 / 167*
- Northwood High SchoolPublic32%331 / 1044
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic50%277 / 555
- Oxford AcademyPublic42%195 / 464
- Portola High SchoolPublic32%330 / 1021
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic28%230 / 813
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic29%120 / 419
- Troy High SchoolPublic27%275 / 1030
- University High SchoolPublic31%275 / 885
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic32%227 / 719
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Santa Barbara was 50% (158 / 313); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 28%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate41%134 / 328*
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate29%67 / 232*
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate23%63 / 273*
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate22%107 / 484
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate28%67 / 236*
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate40%20 / 50*
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate32%12 / 38*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate25%19 / 75*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate50%158 / 313*
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate24%103 / 432
- Servite High SchoolPrivate16%22 / 138*
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate24%12 / 49*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic31%242 / 790
- Irvine High SchoolPublic24%122 / 504
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic26%90 / 346*
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic26%65 / 251
- Northwood High SchoolPublic24%212 / 870
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic42%221 / 523
- Oxford AcademyPublic35%97 / 280*
- Portola High SchoolPublic26%220 / 857
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic29%173 / 604
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic28%124 / 448
- Troy High SchoolPublic35%280 / 796
- University High SchoolPublic28%232 / 825
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic31%189 / 603
Combined 2023–2025, the admit rate for Sage Hill School applicants to UC Davis was 42% (91 / 219); the median for the public high schools featured on this site was 35%.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolPrivate61%166 / 271
- Fairmont Preparatory AcademyPrivate42%80 / 191*
- JSerra Catholic High SchoolPrivate36%55 / 151*
- Mater Dei High SchoolPrivate35%83 / 239*
- Orange Lutheran High SchoolPrivate40%51 / 128*
- Pacific Academy IrvinePrivate46%23 / 50*
- Pacifica Christian High School, Orange CountyPrivate59%17 / 29*
- Rosary AcademyPrivate57%28 / 49*
- Sage Hill SchoolPrivate42%91 / 219*
- Santa Margarita Catholic High SchoolPrivate40%106 / 263
- Servite High SchoolPrivate32%29 / 92*
- Whittier Christian High SchoolPrivate29%10 / 35*
- Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolPublic32%201 / 629
- Irvine High SchoolPublic35%160 / 458
- La Quinta High SchoolPublic42%74 / 177*
- Laguna Beach High SchoolPublic32%50 / 158*
- Northwood High SchoolPublic34%259 / 753
- Orange County School of the ArtsPublic49%159 / 323
- Oxford AcademyPublic51%102 / 201*
- Portola High SchoolPublic35%245 / 698
- Sunny Hills High SchoolPublic42%193 / 459
- Tesoro High SchoolPublic34%102 / 302*
- Troy High SchoolPublic39%271 / 699
- University High SchoolPublic32%218 / 687
- Woodbridge High SchoolPublic36%179 / 492
This chart needs careful interpretation. Admission rates reflect the makeup of the applicant pool, including the number of applicants, the grade distribution, and campus choices; they are not a comparison of teaching quality. In 2025, 132 Sage Hill School students applied to UC, while applicant counts at the 12 private high schools ranged from 16 to 261; that year, the average UC GPA of the school’s applicants was 4.13. When an applicant pool ranks high overall, admission rates at the most selective campuses naturally run higher. The chart describes the grade distribution of this school’s applicants; it cannot be read directly as a comparison of teaching quality, and it does not mean that a given student becomes more likely to be admitted by attending this school.
Two Steps for Private High School Students Before Reading These Data
School GPA and UC GPA: Nearly the Same Courses, Different Grading
Of the 46 courses weighted at Sage Hill School (20 AP and 26 non-AP courses), 44 are also UC-approved honors courses. Only two, Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry and Honors Chemistry, are weighted at school but count as regular courses for UC; Honors Chemistry is a grade 9 course and is not counted in the UC GPA in any case. The larger difference lies in grading: the school uses plus and minus marks, counts an A- as 3.67, and includes grade 9 grades; UC ignores plus and minus marks, counts both A- and A as 4, and counts only grades 10 and 11. The same transcript can therefore produce a school GPA and a UC GPA that differ considerably, and not always in the same direction. All admitted-student GPAs on this page follow UC rules, so recalculate under UC rules before comparing.
No More Than 3 Honors and AP Courses per Year Is Enough to Earn the Full UC Honors Bonus
The school strongly recommends that students take no more than 3 honors and AP courses combined each year; more than 3 requires a parent-signed acknowledgment. UC caps honors points: at most 1 point per course per semester, at most 8 points in total across grades 10 and 11, and at most 4 points in grade 10. Three full-year courses produce 6 semester grades in a year, which already exceeds the 4-point cap counted by UC in grade 10, and 12 semester grades across grades 10 and 11 also exceed the 8-point cap. In other words, a student who follows the school’s recommendation, chooses UC-approved honors courses, and earns grades of C or better can receive the full UC honors bonus. Additional honors and AP courses no longer raise the UC GPA.
EDUBUS recommendations: positioning the student with official UC data
- Recalculate the GPA under UC rules: count only A-G courses from grades 10 and 11, ignore plus and minus marks, and add points only for UC-approved honors courses. Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry at Sage Hill School is weighted at school but not by UC
- Compare the recalculated UC GPA with the admitted-student average GPA for each campus on this page: in 2025, admitted-student average GPAs at UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Irvine ranged from 4.24 to 4.29, differing very little from one another, so a GPA in this range is only the entry point for competition
- Then look at five-year combined admission rates: UCLA 13%, UC San Diego 20%, UC Berkeley 21%, UC Irvine 57%, and UC Santa Barbara 50%. At this school, admitted students at the most selective campuses average only 0.08 to 0.13 higher in GPA than applicants, so activities, essays, and choice of major carry more weight
For applications and admissions by campus, this page is authoritative. For the school’s admission, tuition, and courses, see the overview; for honors and AP planning, see Courses and Course Selection and AP Courses; and for the math sequence, see Math Pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine families often ask: how many Sage Hill School students does UC admit each year?
According to official University of California data from UC Infocenter by source high school, 132 Sage Hill School students applied to the University of California for fall 2025, 116 were admitted to at least one campus, and 21 ultimately enrolled. Across the five years from 2021 to 2025, there were 576 applications and 438 admissions, a systemwide admission rate of 76%.
How should Irvine families estimate the difficulty of UC Berkeley and UCLA for Sage Hill School applicants?
Multi-year totals are more reliable than a single year. From 2021 to 2025, Sage Hill School students submitted 469 applications to UC Berkeley with 99 admissions, an admission rate of 21%, and 527 applications to UCLA with 68 admissions, an admission rate of 13%. In 2025, students admitted to these two campuses had average UC weighted, capped GPAs of 4.26 and 4.29, respectively.
Irvine families want to know: which UC campus do most Sage Hill School students ultimately attend?
According to official UC enrollment counts, across the five years from 2021 to 2025 the most Sage Hill School students enrolled at UC Berkeley, 28, and UC Santa Barbara, 27, followed by UCLA with 22 and UC Irvine with 16; UC left the 2025 enrollment counts for UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara blank because each was below 3. Of the 438 students UC admitted over the five years, 120, or 27%, enrolled at UC.
Sage Hill School has a high UC admission rate. Should Irvine families take this to mean that attending the school makes UC Berkeley easier to get into?
No. Admission rates also reflect the makeup of the applicant pool: in 2025, Sage Hill School students applying to UC had an average UC GPA of 4.13. Even within this applicant pool, the three-year combined admission rate at UC Berkeley fell from 33% for 2016 to 2018 to 19% for 2023 to 2025. For an individual student, the more useful reference is where students with similar grades went, and the admitted-student GPA for each campus on this page provides that reference.
Irvine families ask: can a Sage Hill School GPA be compared directly with the UC GPA figures here?
Not directly. Sage Hill School uses plus and minus marks, with an A- counted as 3.67, and includes grade 9 grades; UC ignores plus and minus marks, counting both A- and A as 4, counts only grades 10 and 11, adds points only for UC-approved honors courses, and allows at most 4 honors points in grade 10. Among the courses weighted at school, Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry and Honors Chemistry are not on the UC-approved honors list. The same transcript can therefore yield two quite different GPAs. Recalculate the GPA under UC rules first, and then compare it with the admitted-student GPAs on this page.
