Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in San Mateo for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 5 published high schools in San Mateo sent 2,301 applicants to the University of California, and 1,645 were admitted to at least one campus (71%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, San Mateo High School had the highest rate, 77% (393 of 512).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
San Mateo 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 | San Mateo High School | Public | 512 | 77% | 16% | 9% |
| 2 | Aragon High School | Public | 756 | 76% | 13% | 7% |
| 3 | Hillsdale High School | Public | 490 | 69% | 18% | 8% |
| 4 | Junipero Serra High School | Private | 272 | 64% | 16% | 10% |
| 5 | The Nueva School | Private | 271 | 63% | 23% | 9% |
San Mateo combined
The 5 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 3 public and 2 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | Any UC campus | 2,301 | 1,645 | 71% |
| San Mateo | UC Berkeley | 1,658 | 273 | 16% |
| San Mateo | UCLA | 1,777 | 146 | 8% |
| San Mateo County | Any UC campus | 10,375 | 7,387 | 71% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
San Mateo high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
5 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 | The Nueva School | 58 of 254 | 23% |
| 2 | Hillsdale High School | 58 of 324 | 18% |
| 3 | Junipero Serra High School | 16 of 97 | 16% |
| 4 | San Mateo High School | 64 of 404 | 16% |
| 5 | Aragon High School | 77 of 579 | 13% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
San Mateo 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 | Junipero Serra High School | 19 of 187 | 10% |
| 2 | The Nueva School | 24 of 253 | 9% |
| 3 | San Mateo High School | 37 of 406 | 9% |
| 4 | Hillsdale High School | 26 of 342 | 8% |
| 5 | Aragon High School | 40 of 589 | 7% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in San Mateo 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 San Mateo were San Mateo High School (77%, 393 of 512), Aragon High School (76%, 573 of 756) and Hillsdale High School (69%, 336 of 490). 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 San Mateo?
- 71%. The 5 published high schools in San Mateo sent 2,301 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 1,645 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in San Mateo County together, as UC counts them, had 71%; 2 of the 5 ranked schools in San Mateo were above that.
- Which high school in San Mateo gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- Aragon High School, with 77 admitted of 579 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of San Mateo's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 1,658 applicants and 273 were admitted (16%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, The Nueva School had the highest rate, 23% (58 of 254).
- Which high school in San Mateo gets the most students into UCLA?
- Aragon High School, with 40 admitted of 589 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of San Mateo's published high schools together sent UCLA 1,777 applicants and 146 were admitted (8%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Junipero Serra High School had the highest rate, 10% (19 of 187).
- Which high school in San Mateo sends the most UC applicants?
- Aragon High School, with 756 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 5 published schools in San Mateo, 3 are public and 2 are private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in San Mateo for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/san-mateo, 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.