Admissions Essentials · UC admissions data
Best high schools in Santa Maria for UC admissions
From fall 2023 to fall 2025, the 4 published high schools in Santa Maria sent 1,276 applicants to the University of California, and 937 were admitted to at least one campus (73%). Among schools with at least 100 applicants, Santa Maria High School had the highest rate, 79% (397 of 504).
SourceUniversity of California Information Center, Admissions by source school, fall 1994 to fall 2025.
Santa Maria 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 | Santa Maria High School | Public | 504 | 79% | 13% | 6% |
| 2 | Ernest Righetti High School | Public | 266 | 75% | 28% | 12% |
| 3 | Pioneer Valley High School | Public | 405 | 70% | 18% | 7% |
| 4 | Saint Joseph High School | Private | 101 | 56% | Not published | 11% |
Santa Maria combined
The 4 schools above added together, fall 2023 to fall 2025: 3 public and 1 private. The county and California rows count every school UC lists, published here or not.
| Applicants from | To | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria | Any UC campus | 1,276 | 937 | 73% |
| Santa Maria | UC Berkeley | 480 | 87 | 18% |
| Santa Maria | UCLA | 661 | 52 | 8% |
| Santa Barbara County | Any UC campus | 3,971 | 2,742 | 69% |
| California | Any UC campus | 393,310 | 283,716 | 72% |
Santa Maria high schools ranked by UC Berkeley admit rate
3 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 | Ernest Righetti High School | 32 of 116 | 28% |
| 2 | Pioneer Valley High School | 31 of 174 | 18% |
| 3 | Santa Maria High School | 24 of 190 | 13% |
How to get into UC Berkeley: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Santa Maria 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 | Ernest Righetti High School | 18 of 146 | 12% |
| 2 | Saint Joseph High School | 3 of 27 | 11% |
| 3 | Pioneer Valley High School | 15 of 222 | 7% |
| 4 | Santa Maria High School | 16 of 266 | 6% |
How to get into UCLA: the GPA and SAT of admitted applicants
Questions
- What are the best high schools in Santa Maria 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 Maria were Santa Maria High School (79%, 397 of 504), Ernest Righetti High School (75%, 200 of 266) and Pioneer Valley High School (70%, 283 of 405). 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 Maria?
- 73%. The 4 published high schools in Santa Maria sent 1,276 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025, and 937 were admitted to at least one UC campus. Every high school in Santa Barbara County together, as UC counts them, had 69%; 3 of the 4 ranked schools in Santa Maria were above that.
- Which high school in Santa Maria gets the most students into UC Berkeley?
- Ernest Righetti High School, with 32 admitted of 116 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Santa Maria's published high schools together sent UC Berkeley 480 applicants and 87 were admitted (18%). Among schools with at least 30 UC Berkeley applicants, Ernest Righetti High School had the highest rate, 28% (32 of 116).
- Which high school in Santa Maria gets the most students into UCLA?
- Ernest Righetti High School, with 18 admitted of 146 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. All of Santa Maria's published high schools together sent UCLA 661 applicants and 52 were admitted (8%). Among schools with at least 30 UCLA applicants, Ernest Righetti High School had the highest rate, 12% (18 of 146).
- Which high school in Santa Maria sends the most UC applicants?
- Santa Maria High School, with 504 applicants from fall 2023 to fall 2025. Of the 4 published schools in Santa Maria, 3 are public and 1 is private.
How to cite
Aristo Scholars, "Best high schools in Santa Maria for UC admissions," https://aristoscholars.com/uc-chances/city/santa-maria, 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.