Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in Irvine for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 10 published high schools in Irvine sent 6,569 applicants to the University of California, and 5,022 were admitted to at least one campus (76%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, Crean Lutheran High School had the highest rate, 82% (361 of 439).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
Irvine high schools ranked by UC admit rate
Share of applicants admitted to at least one UC campus, fall 2023 to fall 2025. A school has its own page when the University of California printed both applicants and admits for at least 3 fall terms, including at least 2 falls from 2023 to 2025, and at least 30 applicants in those window years. A city page ranks those schools when the city has at least 3 of them, not counting online schools, and they are not already the whole county. A rate on this page counts only the years in which UC printed both the applicants and the admits.
| Rank | School | Type | Applied | Any UC | Berkeley | UCLA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Academy Irvine | Private | 66 | 89% | 22% | 13% |
| 2 | Crean Lutheran High School | Private | 439 | 82% | 18% | 11% |
| 3 | San Joaquin High School | Public | 35 | 80% | 21% | Not published |
| 4 | Northwood High School | Public | 1,135 | 79% | 14% | 9% |
| 5 | Portola High School | Public | 1,103 | 77% | 12% | 8% |
| 6 | University High School | Public | 1,022 | 77% | 12% | 8% |
| 7 | Irvine High School | Public | 703 | 76% | 10% | 8% |
| 8 | Arnold O Beckman High School | Public | 1,130 | 75% | 13% | 7% |
| 9 | Woodbridge High School | Public | 838 | 73% | 14% | 10% |
| 10 | Tarbut V Torah Middle & Upper School | Private | 98 | 59% | 14% | 11% |
Irvine combined
The 10 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 7 public and 3 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine | Any UC campus | 6,569 | 5,022 | 76% |
| Irvine | UC Berkeley | 4,608 | 597 | 13% |
| Irvine | UCLA | 5,481 | 466 | 9% |
| Orange County | Any UC campus | 38,780 | 27,213 | 70% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
Irvine high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
10 of the city’s published schools have a UC Berkeley figure. A rate built on a handful of applicants moves a long way with one student, so the counts sit beside it.
| Rank | School | Admitted | UC Berkeley |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Academy Irvine | 9 of 41 | 22% |
| 2 | San Joaquin High School | 3 of 14 | 21% |
| 3 | Crean Lutheran High School | 54 of 304 | 18% |
| 4 | Northwood High School | 121 of 851 | 14% |
| 5 | Tarbut V Torah Middle & Upper School | 6 of 43 | 14% |
| 6 | Woodbridge High School | 74 of 539 | 14% |
| 7 | Arnold O Beckman High School | 92 of 719 | 13% |
| 8 | University High School | 94 of 798 | 12% |
| 9 | Portola High School | 94 of 808 | 12% |
| 10 | Irvine High School | 50 of 491 | 10% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Irvine high schools ranked by UCLA admit rate
9 of the city’s published schools have a UCLA figure. A rate built on a handful of applicants moves a long way with one student, so the counts sit beside it.
| Rank | School | Admitted | UCLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Academy Irvine | 6 of 48 | 13% |
| 2 | Crean Lutheran High School | 39 of 370 | 11% |
| 3 | Tarbut V Torah Middle & Upper School | 6 of 57 | 11% |
| 4 | Woodbridge High School | 67 of 678 | 10% |
| 5 | Northwood High School | 85 of 972 | 9% |
| 6 | University High School | 75 of 885 | 8% |
| 7 | Portola High School | 75 of 952 | 8% |
| 8 | Irvine High School | 46 of 597 | 8% |
| 9 | Arnold O Beckman High School | 67 of 922 | 7% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in Irvine for UC admissions?
- By the share of applicants admitted to at least one UC campus from fall 2023 to fall 2025, among schools with at least 100 applicants, the highest in Irvine were Crean Lutheran High School (82%, 361 of 439), Northwood High School (79%, 892 of 1,135) and Portola High School (77%, 852 of 1,103). A school's rate reflects who chose to apply as much as the school itself.
- What is the UC acceptance rate for high schools in Irvine?
- 76%. The 10 published high schools in Irvine sent 6,569 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 5,022 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in Orange County together, as UC counts them, had 70%; 9 of the 10 ranked schools in Irvine were above that.
- Which high school in Irvine gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- Northwood High School, with 121 admitted of 851 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Irvine's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 4,608 applicants and 597 were admitted (13%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, Pacific Academy Irvine had the highest rate, 22% (9 of 41).
- Which high school in Irvine gets the most students into UCLA?
- Northwood High School, with 85 admitted of 972 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Irvine's published high schools together sent UCLA 5,481 applicants and 466 were admitted (9%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Pacific Academy Irvine had the highest rate, 13% (6 of 48).
- Which high school in Irvine sends the most UC applicants?
- Northwood High School, with 1,135 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 10 published schools in Irvine, 7 are public and 3 are private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in Irvine for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/irvine, updated October 31, 2026. Figures from the University of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
A school’s rate is not one student’s chance
These figures average every application a school sent, and they depend on who chose to apply. To read one profile, use Chance Me, start with a Specialist, or ask on the forum.