Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in Palo Alto for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 4 published high schools in Palo Alto sent 2,324 applicants to the University of California, and 1,691 were admitted to at least one campus (73%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, Henry M Gunn Senior High School had the highest rate, 75% (774 of 1,035).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
Palo Alto 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 | Henry M Gunn Senior High School | Public | 1,035 | 75% | 16% | 9% |
| 2 | Palo Alto Senior High School | Public | 1,038 | 72% | 15% | 9% |
| 3 | Kehillah School | Private | 115 | 71% | 24% | 16% |
| 4 | Castilleja School | Private | 136 | 65% | 26% | 11% |
Palo Alto combined
The 4 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 2 public and 2 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | Any UC campus | 2,324 | 1,691 | 73% |
| Palo Alto | UC Berkeley | 1,884 | 313 | 17% |
| Palo Alto | UCLA | 1,985 | 181 | 9% |
| Santa Clara County | Any UC campus | 29,643 | 22,474 | 76% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
Palo Alto high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
4 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 | Castilleja School | 31 of 118 | 26% |
| 2 | Kehillah School | 21 of 87 | 24% |
| 3 | Henry M Gunn Senior High School | 132 of 835 | 16% |
| 4 | Palo Alto Senior High School | 129 of 844 | 15% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Palo Alto high schools ranked by UCLA admit rate
4 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 | Kehillah School | 14 of 89 | 16% |
| 2 | Castilleja School | 14 of 127 | 11% |
| 3 | Henry M Gunn Senior High School | 77 of 880 | 9% |
| 4 | Palo Alto Senior High School | 76 of 889 | 9% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto were Henry M Gunn Senior High School (75%, 774 of 1,035), Palo Alto Senior High School (72%, 746 of 1,038) and Kehillah School (71%, 82 of 115). 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 Palo Alto?
- 73%. The 4 published high schools in Palo Alto sent 2,324 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 1,691 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in Santa Clara County together, as UC counts them, had 76%; none of the 4 ranked schools in Palo Alto was above that.
- Which high school in Palo Alto gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- Henry M Gunn Senior High School, with 132 admitted of 835 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Palo Alto's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 1,884 applicants and 313 were admitted (17%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, Castilleja School had the highest rate, 26% (31 of 118).
- Which high school in Palo Alto gets the most students into UCLA?
- Henry M Gunn Senior High School, with 77 admitted of 880 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Palo Alto's published high schools together sent UCLA 1,985 applicants and 181 were admitted (9%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Kehillah School had the highest rate, 16% (14 of 89).
- Which high school in Palo Alto sends the most UC applicants?
- Palo Alto Senior High School, with 1,038 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 4 published schools in Palo Alto, 2 are public and 2 are private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in Palo Alto for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/palo-alto, 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.