Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in Santa Ana for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 16 published high schools in Santa Ana sent 4,934 applicants to the University of California, and 3,443 were admitted to at least one campus (70%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, Orange County HS of the Arts had the highest rate, 79% (619 of 788).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
Santa Ana 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 | Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Ana | Public | 60 | 83% | 35% | 17% |
| 2 | Orange County HS of the Arts | Public | 788 | 79% | 17% | 17% |
| 3 | Century High School | Public | 204 | 77% | 15% | 15% |
| 4 | Samueli Academy | Public | 137 | 76% | 14% | 14% |
| 5 | Hector Godinez Fundamental HS | Public | 489 | 75% | 18% | 9% |
| 6 | Middle College High School | Public | 237 | 75% | 16% | 12% |
| 7 | Legacy College Preparatory | Public | 208 | 75% | 11% | 9% |
| 8 | Valley High School | Public | 285 | 75% | 20% | 10% |
| 9 | Nova Academy Early College HS | Public | 54 | 70% | Not published | Not published |
| 10 | Segerstrom High School | Public | 423 | 69% | 13% | 8% |
| 11 | Santa Ana High School | Public | 432 | 66% | 20% | 9% |
| 12 | Saddleback High School | Public | 211 | 64% | 23% | 9% |
| 13 | Foothill High School | Public | 550 | 62% | 10% | 10% |
| 14 | Advanced Learning Academy | Public | 55 | 62% | Not published | Not published |
| 15 | Mater Dei High School | Private | 729 | 60% | 10% | 9% |
| 16 | Calvary Chapel High School | Private | 72 | 53% | Not published | 19% |
Santa Ana combined
The 16 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 14 public and 2 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Ana | Any UC campus | 4,934 | 3,443 | 70% |
| Santa Ana | UC Berkeley | 2,119 | 320 | 15% |
| Santa Ana | UCLA | 3,344 | 382 | 11% |
| Orange County | Any UC campus | 38,780 | 27,213 | 70% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
Santa Ana high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
13 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 | Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Ana | 9 of 26 | 35% |
| 2 | Saddleback High School | 7 of 31 | 23% |
| 3 | Valley High School | 28 of 138 | 20% |
| 4 | Santa Ana High School | 32 of 162 | 20% |
| 5 | Hector Godinez Fundamental HS | 30 of 166 | 18% |
| 6 | Orange County HS of the Arts | 92 of 556 | 17% |
| 7 | Middle College High School | 17 of 109 | 16% |
| 8 | Century High School | 9 of 60 | 15% |
| 9 | Samueli Academy | 6 of 43 | 14% |
| 10 | Segerstrom High School | 24 of 179 | 13% |
| 11 | Legacy College Preparatory | 3 of 28 | 11% |
| 12 | Foothill High School | 27 of 264 | 10% |
| 13 | Mater Dei High School | 36 of 357 | 10% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Santa Ana high schools ranked by UCLA admit rate
14 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 | Calvary Chapel High School | 3 of 16 | 19% |
| 2 | Orange County HS of the Arts | 120 of 692 | 17% |
| 3 | Magnolia Science Academy-Santa Ana | 6 of 35 | 17% |
| 4 | Century High School | 19 of 126 | 15% |
| 5 | Samueli Academy | 13 of 91 | 14% |
| 6 | Middle College High School | 19 of 165 | 12% |
| 7 | Foothill High School | 36 of 360 | 10% |
| 8 | Valley High School | 17 of 170 | 10% |
| 9 | Legacy College Preparatory | 14 of 150 | 9% |
| 10 | Saddleback High School | 9 of 97 | 9% |
| 11 | Mater Dei High School | 52 of 572 | 9% |
| 12 | Santa Ana High School | 26 of 294 | 9% |
| 13 | Hector Godinez Fundamental HS | 26 of 304 | 9% |
| 14 | Segerstrom High School | 22 of 272 | 8% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana were Orange County HS of the Arts (79%, 619 of 788), Century High School (77%, 157 of 204) and Samueli Academy (76%, 104 of 137). 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 Santa Ana?
- 70%. The 16 published high schools in Santa Ana sent 4,934 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 3,443 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in Orange County together, as UC counts them, had 70%; 9 of the 16 ranked schools in Santa Ana were above that.
- Which high school in Santa Ana gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- Orange County HS of the Arts, with 92 admitted of 556 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Santa Ana's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 2,119 applicants and 320 were admitted (15%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, Saddleback High School had the highest rate, 23% (7 of 31).
- Which high school in Santa Ana gets the most students into UCLA?
- Orange County HS of the Arts, with 120 admitted of 692 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Santa Ana's published high schools together sent UCLA 3,344 applicants and 382 were admitted (11%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Orange County HS of the Arts had the highest rate, 17% (120 of 692).
- Which high school in Santa Ana sends the most UC applicants?
- Orange County HS of the Arts, with 788 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 16 published schools in Santa Ana, 14 are public and 2 are private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in Santa Ana for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/santa-ana, 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.