Private high schools
Entrance exams at private high schools in San Francisco
16 of the 21 private high schools in San Francisco name an entrance exam, or say they require none, on their own admissions pages. By exam: HSPT 3; School's own test 3; None required 5; None posted 5. Each school's wording, test dates and source page are below.
Which private high schools in San Francisco require the HSPT?
3 of the 16 private high schools in San Francisco with an entrance-exam entry use the HSPT: Archbishop Riordan High School, Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, and St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
Which private high schools in San Francisco take the ISEE or SSAT?
None of the 16 private high schools in San Francisco with an entrance-exam entry names the ISEE or the SSAT.
Which private high schools in San Francisco require no entrance exam?
5 of the 16 private high schools in San Francisco require no entrance exam: Bay School of San Francisco, Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, Lick Wilmerding High School, San Francisco University High School, and Stuart Hall High School. 3 give its own placement test: Lycee Francais De San Fran, Proof School, and Rise University Preparatory.
When are the entrance exams and application deadlines at private high schools in San Francisco?
6 of the 16 schools post their test dates, printed beside each school below. 14 have an upcoming application deadline on file; the earliest is St. Ignatius College Preparatory on Nov 16, 2026.
Preparing for one of these? Reach has a guide to the HSPT and a guide to the ISEE, each with the test's structure, dates and the schools that use it.
HSPT (3 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Riordan High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | HSPT | — | Nov 20, 2026 | — |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep | San Francisco | 9–12 | HSPT | December 5, 2026 (archdiocesan HSPT date, 8:30am-12:30pm); December 12, 2026 for the on-campus SHC administration | Nov 19, 2026 | Admissions page |
| St. Ignatius College Preparatory | San Francisco | 9–12 | HSPT | Saturday, December 5, 2026 (HSPT hosted at SI) | Nov 16, 2026 | Admissions page |
School's own test (3 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lycee Francais De San Fran | San Francisco | 9–12 | No HSPT/ISEE/SSAT. School's own review; French Track applicants may be required to take a… | — | — | — |
| Proof School | San Francisco | 6–12 | Own process, no ISEE/SSAT: application on Ravenna includes a math diagnostic test… | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
| Rise University Preparatory | San Francisco | 9–12 | Own high school screening test (required; used to prepare the student's academic program) | — | Dec 18, 2026 | — |
None required (5 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay School of San Francisco | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam | n/a - not required or considered | Jan 5, 2027 | Admissions page |
| Convent of the Sacred Heart High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam | No entrance-exam dates. Required 20-minute student interviews are held after school during the weeks of January 25 and February 1; interview registration opens… | Jan 7, 2027 | Admissions page |
| Lick Wilmerding High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam | n/a - test-free | Jan 5, 2027 | Admissions page |
| San Francisco University High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam | n/a - not required or accepted | Jan 5, 2027 | Admissions page |
| Stuart Hall High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam | — | Jan 7, 2027 | Admissions page |
None posted (5 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew School | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
| Immaculate Conception Academy | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | — | — |
| Jewish Community High School of the Bay | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
| San Francisco Waldorf High School | San Francisco | -1–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
| Urban School of San Francisco | San Francisco | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
The same schools ranked by college outcomes, with tuition and deadlines, are on the San Francisco private high schools page; tuition for every California private school is ranked on the tuition page.
Each exam entry is read from the school's own admissions page and shown only where the school posts one; the wording in "What the school says" is the school's, lightly shortened, and the source link is that page. Test dates and deadlines are as posted for the season the school's page describes and may change; a deadline already past is omitted. A school with no entry here did not state an exam on the pages we read. The list excludes nonclassroom-based online schools and schools the California Department of Education records with no 12th grade.