Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in Richmond for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 8 published high schools in Richmond sent 1,151 applicants to the University of California, and 888 were admitted to at least one campus (77%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, Making Waves Academy had the highest rate, 93% (159 of 171).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
Richmond 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 | Making Waves Academy | Public | 171 | 93% | 23% | 13% |
| 2 | John F Kennedy High School | Public | 83 | 86% | 23% | Not published |
| 3 | Richmond High School | Public | 194 | 82% | 17% | Not published |
| 4 | Aspire Richmond Ca College Prep | Public | 109 | 74% | 28% | 27% |
| 5 | Leadership Public School Richmond | Public | 127 | 72% | 29% | 16% |
| 6 | De Anza High School | Public | 223 | 70% | 20% | 13% |
| 7 | John Henry High School | Public | 74 | 70% | 18% | Not published |
| 8 | Salesian College Preparatory | Private | 170 | 69% | 13% | 9% |
Richmond combined
The 8 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 7 public and 1 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | Any UC campus | 1,151 | 888 | 77% |
| Richmond | UC Berkeley | 872 | 183 | 21% |
| Richmond | UCLA | 227 | 30 | 13% |
| Contra Costa County | Any UC campus | 14,561 | 10,526 | 72% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
Richmond high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
8 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 | Leadership Public School Richmond | 28 of 96 | 29% |
| 2 | Aspire Richmond Ca College Prep | 23 of 83 | 28% |
| 3 | Making Waves Academy | 28 of 124 | 23% |
| 4 | John F Kennedy High School | 16 of 71 | 23% |
| 5 | De Anza High School | 34 of 166 | 20% |
| 6 | John Henry High School | 12 of 66 | 18% |
| 7 | Richmond High School | 28 of 162 | 17% |
| 8 | Salesian College Preparatory | 14 of 104 | 13% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Richmond high schools ranked by UCLA admit rate
5 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 | Aspire Richmond Ca College Prep | 4 of 15 | 27% |
| 2 | Leadership Public School Richmond | 3 of 19 | 16% |
| 3 | Making Waves Academy | 11 of 82 | 13% |
| 4 | De Anza High School | 6 of 45 | 13% |
| 5 | Salesian College Preparatory | 6 of 66 | 9% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in Richmond 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 Richmond were Making Waves Academy (93%, 159 of 171), Richmond High School (82%, 160 of 194) and Aspire Richmond Ca College Prep (74%, 81 of 109). 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 Richmond?
- 77%. The 8 published high schools in Richmond sent 1,151 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 888 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in Contra Costa County together, as UC counts them, had 72%; 4 of the 8 ranked schools in Richmond were above that.
- Which high school in Richmond gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- De Anza High School, with 34 admitted of 166 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Richmond's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 872 applicants and 183 were admitted (21%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, Leadership Public School Richmond had the highest rate, 29% (28 of 96).
- Which high school in Richmond gets the most students into UCLA?
- Making Waves Academy, with 11 admitted of 82 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Richmond's published high schools together sent UCLA 227 applicants and 30 were admitted (13%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Making Waves Academy had the highest rate, 13% (11 of 82).
- Which high school in Richmond sends the most UC applicants?
- De Anza High School, with 223 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 8 published schools in Richmond, 7 are public and 1 is private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in Richmond for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/richmond, 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.