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High School Rankings
Santa Barbara County · 2025 · ≥50 seniors
What is UC Reach? UC Reach = top-6 UC admits ÷ senior class size,
summing each campus — measured against a school's
entire graduating class, across the six most selective UCs (
Berkeley,
UCLA, San Diego,
Santa Barbara,
Irvine,
Davis). It's a better gauge of school-wide success than admit rate, which only reflects the handful of students who applied.
Why it beats admit rate: if 6 students apply to the top UCs and all get in, that's a 100% admit rate — but at a 1,000-senior school it's a UC Reach Score of just 0.6 (6 ÷ 1,000). By contrast, a school where 250 of 1,000 seniors land a top-UC admit has a UC Reach Score of 25 — far stronger, even though its admit rate is lower.
Why some schools are over 100? Out of every 100 seniors at these schools, the class is generating
more than 100 admissions to the six most selective UCs — meaning the typical strong student is getting in at multiple top campuses (
UCLA +
UCSD, or
Berkeley +
UCSB +
Irvine, for example). It's a rare achievement: fewer than 1% of California high schools clear a UC Reach Score of 100.
This board needs a class of 100+ seniors. Schools smaller than that are ranked on the small-schools board below — which is where California's highest UC Reach Score actually sits.
Ranked separately because they graduate 25–99 seniors — magnet programs, specialized charters and small privates. A class of 60 swings far more year to year than a class of 600, so mixing them into the boards above would compare unlike things. The state's single highest UC Reach Score sits on this board, not the one above it.
▲ Top 10 Small Public + Charter
Santa Barbara County
Not enough schools in Santa Barbara County for this list.
▲ Top 10 Small Private
Santa Barbara County
| 1 |
Santa Barbara · Private
|
63 |
| 2 |
Carpinteria · Private
|
51 |
| 3 |
Santa Barbara · Private
|
40 |
| 4 |
Los Olivos · Private
|
23 |
Top and bottom schools by UC Reach, split public/charter vs private (≥50 seniors).
Scoped to Santa Barbara County — change the County filter above to rescope.
▲ Top 10 Public + Charter
Santa Barbara County
| 1 |
Goleta · Public
|
46 |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
34 |
| 3 |
Orcutt · Public
|
32 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
27 |
| 5 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
21 |
| 6 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
19 |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
15 |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
15 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
14 |
| 10 |
Lompoc · Public
|
12 |
▲ Top 10 Private
Santa Barbara County
| 1 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
17 |
▼ Bottom 10 Public + Charter
Santa Barbara County
| 1 |
Lompoc · Public
|
11 |
| 2 |
Lompoc · Public
|
12 |
| 3 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
14 |
| 4 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
15 |
| 5 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
15 |
| 6 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
19 |
| 7 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
21 |
| 8 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
27 |
| 9 |
Orcutt · Public
|
32 |
| 10 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
34 |
▼ Bottom 10 Private
Santa Barbara County
| 1 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
17 |
Where each UC campus lands its admits, as a share of each high school's senior class. Same 50-senior floor.
Top 10 — UCB Reach
UC Berkeley
| 1 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4 |
| 2 |
Goleta · Public
|
4 |
| 3 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
3 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
2 |
| 5 |
Orcutt · Public
|
2 |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
2 |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
1 |
| 8 |
Lompoc · Public
|
1 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
1 |
| 1 |
Orcutt · Public
|
6 |
| 2 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
3 |
| 3 |
Goleta · Public
|
3 |
| 4 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
2 |
| 5 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
2 |
| 6 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
2 |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
1 |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
1 |
| 9 |
Lompoc · Public
|
1 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
0 |
Top 10 — UCSD Reach
UC San Diego
| 1 |
Orcutt · Public
|
8 |
| 2 |
Goleta · Public
|
7 |
| 3 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
6 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4 |
| 5 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
4 |
| 6 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
4 |
| 7 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
3 |
| 8 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
3 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
3 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
3 |
Top 10 — UCSB Reach
UC Santa Barbara
| 1 |
Goleta · Public
|
12 |
| 2 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
10 |
| 3 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
9 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
9 |
| 5 |
Orcutt · Public
|
6 |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
6 |
| 7 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
5 |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
5 |
| 9 |
Lompoc · Public
|
5 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
4 |
Top 10 — UCI Reach
UC Irvine
| 1 |
Goleta · Public
|
8 |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
5 |
| 3 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
2 |
| 4 |
Orcutt · Public
|
2 |
| 5 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
2 |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
2 |
| 7 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
2 |
| 8 |
Lompoc · Public
|
2 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
1 |
| 10 |
Lompoc · Public
|
1 |
Top 10 — UCD Reach
UC Davis
| 1 |
Goleta · Public
|
12 |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
9 |
| 3 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
9 |
| 4 |
Orcutt · Public
|
6 |
| 5 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
5 |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
5 |
| 7 |
Lompoc · Public
|
4 |
| 8 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
4 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
4 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
3 |
UC Reach measures who gets in. These lenses measure the upstream pipeline (A-G), the downstream outcome (UC graduation), the capacity that drives the pipeline (counselors), reliability over time (consistency), grade-11 academic preparation (CAASPP SBAC ELA & Math), and private-school financial strength. Click any school for its full profile.
Top 10 — A-G Completion
% of graduates meeting UC/CSU course requirements · 2024-25 cohort
| 1 |
Goleta · Public
|
79.5% |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
63.0% |
| 3 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
59.3% |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
57.0% |
| 5 |
Orcutt · Public
|
53.4% |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
50.0% |
| 7 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
47.1% |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
46.8% |
| 9 |
Lompoc · Public
|
45.5% |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
34.3% |
Top 10 — UC 6-Yr Grad Rate
% of UC entrants who finished in 6 years · cohort N ≥ 20
| 1 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
94.1% |
| 2 |
Goleta · Public
|
92.7% |
| 3 |
Lompoc · Public
|
90.5% |
| 4 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
90.5% |
| 5 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
90.0% |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
85.7% |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
85.0% |
Top 10 — Best Counselor Capacity
Lowest students-per-counselor (ASCA target 250:1) · public/charter, ≥500 students
| 1 |
Carpinteria · Public
|
199:1 |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
216:1 |
| 3 |
Santa Ynez · Public
|
243:1 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
253:1 |
| 5 |
Lompoc · Public
|
266:1 |
| 6 |
Santa Barbara · Public
|
270:1 |
| 7 |
Lompoc · Public
|
304:1 |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
309:1 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
312:1 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public
|
320:1 |
Top 10 — Most Consistent
Lowest UC Reach std-dev across 5 years (above-CA-median mean)
| 1 |
avg 25.6 · σ 2.86
|
σ 2.86 |
| 2 |
avg 16.4 · σ 3.31
|
σ 3.31 |
| 3 |
avg 38.7 · σ 5.38
|
σ 5.38 |
| 4 |
avg 35.1 · σ 6.92
|
σ 6.92 |
| 5 |
avg 18.2 · σ 9.53
|
σ 9.53 |
| 6 |
avg 39.0 · σ 10.32
|
σ 10.32 |
Top 10 — SBAC ELA met/exceeded
% Met or Exceeded Standard · Grade 11 CAASPP · public/charter · tested ≥30
| 1 |
Orcutt · n=168 · 2025
|
70% |
| 2 |
Goleta · n=497 · 2025
|
69% |
| 3 |
Santa Ynez · n=191 · 2025
|
61% |
| 4 |
Santa Maria · n=547 · 2025
|
61% |
| 5 |
Santa Barbara · n=465 · 2025
|
56% |
| 6 |
Santa Maria · n=680 · 2025
|
50% |
| 7 |
Carpinteria · n=132 · 2025
|
50% |
| 8 |
Santa Barbara · n=410 · 2025
|
45% |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · n=659 · 2025
|
45% |
| 10 |
Lompoc · n=244 · 2025
|
44% |
Top 10 — SBAC Math met/exceeded
% Met or Exceeded Standard · Grade 11 CAASPP · public/charter · tested ≥30
| 1 |
Orcutt · n=169 · 2025
|
46% |
| 2 |
Goleta · n=489 · 2025
|
46% |
| 3 |
Santa Ynez · n=191 · 2025
|
38% |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · n=462 · 2025
|
35% |
| 5 |
Carpinteria · n=133 · 2025
|
31% |
| 6 |
Lompoc · n=244 · 2025
|
31% |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · n=545 · 2025
|
23% |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · n=694 · 2025
|
21% |
| 9 |
Santa Barbara · n=417 · 2025
|
19% |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · n=652 · 2025
|
16% |
Top 10 — Private Net Assets
Wealthiest CA private high schools · IRS Form 990 · latest fiscal year
| 1 |
Carpinteria · Nonsectarian · FY 2023
|
$193.0M |
| 2 |
Los Olivos · FY 2023
|
$30.8M |
| 3 |
Santa Barbara · Nonsectarian · FY 2023
|
$22.9M |
| 4 |
Los Olivos · Nonsectarian · FY 2023
|
$15.7M |
| 5 |
Santa Barbara · Other religious · FY 2023
|
$4.0M |
| 6 |
Santa Barbara · Nonsectarian · FY 2023
|
$-488,353 |
≥50 seniors · earliest→latest year
Which schools are moving a growing — or shrinking — share of their graduating class into the six most selective UCs. Reflects the current county/type filter.
▲ Biggest gains
| School | Then → Now | Δ |
|---|
|
Goleta · Public
|
29 '18
→ 46 '25
|
+16.8pp |
|
Orcutt · Public
|
16 '18
→ 32 '25
|
+16.5pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
19 '18
→ 34 '25
|
+14.9pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
5 '18
→ 15 '25
|
+9.8pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
19 '18
→ 28 '25
|
+8.5pp |
|
Carpinteria · Public
|
15 '18
→ 21 '25
|
+5.4pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
8 '18
→ 12 '25
|
+4.2pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
11 '18
→ 14 '25
|
+3.0pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
14 '18
→ 15 '25
|
+1.0pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
10 '18
→ 12 '25
|
+0.9pp |
▼ Biggest declines
| School | Then → Now | Δ |
|---|
|
Santa Ynez · Public
|
20 '18
→ 20 '25
|
-0.2pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
10 '18
→ 12 '25
|
0.9pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
14 '18
→ 15 '25
|
1.0pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
11 '18
→ 14 '25
|
3.0pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
8 '18
→ 12 '25
|
4.2pp |
|
Carpinteria · Public
|
15 '18
→ 21 '25
|
5.4pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
19 '18
→ 28 '25
|
8.5pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
5 '18
→ 15 '25
|
9.8pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
19 '18
→ 34 '25
|
14.9pp |
|
Orcutt · Public
|
16 '18
→ 32 '25
|
16.5pp |
grade-12 enrollment Δ vs. county · ≥80 students
The demographic tide is shrinking CA enrollment ~10% over 7 years statewide, so absolute decline alone is noise. The gap vs the county baseline is the actionable signal — schools losing share faster than their demographic floor are the ones to watch. Reflects the current county/type filter.
▲ Outperforming the county the most
| School | School · County | Gap |
|---|
|
Santa Maria · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+23.8% vs +3.2%
|
+20.6pp |
|
Orcutt · Santa Barbara · Public Best in class
|
+22.5% vs +3.2%
|
+19.3pp |
|
Santa Maria · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+21.4% vs +3.2%
|
+18.3pp |
|
Santa Maria · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+15.6% vs +3.2%
|
+12.5pp |
|
Lompoc · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+12.9% vs +3.2%
|
+9.8pp |
|
Carpinteria · Santa Barbara · Public Weak at the gate
|
+0.7% vs +3.2%
|
-2.5pp |
|
Goleta · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-10.2% vs +3.2%
|
-13.4pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-12.3% vs +3.2%
|
-15.5pp |
|
Lompoc · Santa Barbara · Public Material decline
|
-13.6% vs +3.2%
|
-16.8pp |
|
Santa Ynez · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-15.4% vs +3.2%
|
-18.6pp |
▼ Underperforming the county the most
| School | School · County | Gap |
|---|
|
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara · Public Material decline
|
-16.9% vs +3.2%
|
-20.0pp |
|
Santa Ynez · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-15.4% vs +3.2%
|
-18.6pp |
|
Lompoc · Santa Barbara · Public Material decline
|
-13.6% vs +3.2%
|
-16.8pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-12.3% vs +3.2%
|
-15.5pp |
|
Goleta · Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
-10.2% vs +3.2%
|
-13.4pp |
|
Carpinteria · Santa Barbara · Public Weak at the gate
|
+0.7% vs +3.2%
|
-2.5pp |
|
Lompoc · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+12.9% vs +3.2%
|
+9.8pp |
|
Santa Maria · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+15.6% vs +3.2%
|
+12.5pp |
|
Santa Maria · Santa Barbara · Public Strong demand
|
+21.4% vs +3.2%
|
+18.3pp |
|
Orcutt · Santa Barbara · Public Best in class
|
+22.5% vs +3.2%
|
+19.3pp |
11 schools eligible · 2025
Each dot is one school. The diagonal is the per-campus GPA expectation — points above it admit students at higher rates than their GPA mix predicts; points below admit at lower rates. Schools need ≥30 top-6 UC applications and data across ≥3 campuses to appear.
▲ Top 10 outperformers
| School |
GPA |
Actual |
Δ vs exp. |
|
Carpinteria · Public
|
3.99 |
41.7% |
+18.9pp |
|
Orcutt · Public
|
4.13 |
40.5% |
+16.5pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
3.99 |
43.3% |
+15.1pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4.00 |
30.3% |
+9.6pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
3.94 |
30.6% |
+9.2pp |
|
Santa Ynez · Public
|
3.98 |
33.3% |
+8.3pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
3.78 |
28.1% |
+7.1pp |
|
Goleta · Public
|
4.03 |
28.0% |
+6.1pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
3.86 |
25.7% |
+4.4pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4.02 |
24.4% |
+3.3pp |
▼ Top 10 underperformers
| School |
GPA |
Actual |
Δ vs exp. |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
3.78 |
25.1% |
3.1pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4.02 |
24.4% |
3.3pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
3.86 |
25.7% |
4.4pp |
|
Goleta · Public
|
4.03 |
28.0% |
6.1pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
3.78 |
28.1% |
7.1pp |
|
Santa Ynez · Public
|
3.98 |
33.3% |
8.3pp |
|
Santa Maria · Public
|
3.94 |
30.6% |
9.2pp |
|
Santa Barbara · Public
|
4.00 |
30.3% |
9.6pp |
|
Lompoc · Public
|
3.99 |
43.3% |
15.1pp |
|
Orcutt · Public
|
4.13 |
40.5% |
16.5pp |
Sortable by any column. Click a column header to sort. Click any school row to open its profile.
12 schools · 2025 data
· 5 hidden (under 100 seniors)
| # |
School |
County |
Seniors
ⓘ
|
Total Enroll
ⓘ
|
UC Reach Score
ⓘ
|
App Reach Score
ⓘ
|
Admit Rate
ⓘ
|
Yield
ⓘ
|
Selective Reach
ⓘ
|
Elite Reach
ⓘ
|
Raw Apps
ⓘ
|
Raw Admits
ⓘ
|
| 1 |
Goleta · Public Sharp downturn
|
Santa Barbara |
539 |
2,149 |
46
|
163 |
28.0% |
23.6% |
33.8 |
6.9 |
879 |
246 |
| 2 |
Santa Barbara · Public Sharp downturn
|
Santa Barbara |
434 |
1,926 |
34
|
111 |
30.3% |
26.0% |
24.4 |
6.5 |
482 |
146 |
| 3 |
Orcutt · Public Best in class
|
Santa Barbara |
157 |
812 |
32
|
80 |
40.5% |
11.8% |
26.1 |
8.9 |
126 |
51 |
| 4 |
Santa Barbara · Public Material decline
|
Santa Barbara |
557 |
1,924 |
27
|
113 |
24.4% |
26.1% |
18.9 |
4.5 |
628 |
153 |
| 5 |
Carpinteria · Public Weak at the gate
|
Santa Barbara |
145 |
593 |
21
|
71 |
29.1% |
23.3% |
16.6 |
3.5 |
103 |
30 |
| 6 |
Santa Ynez · Public Sharp downturn
|
Santa Barbara |
221 |
801 |
19
|
71 |
27.4% |
7.0% |
14.0 |
3.2 |
157 |
43 |
| 7 |
Santa Maria · Private
|
Santa Barbara |
123 |
512 |
17
|
96 |
17.8% |
— |
13.8 |
2.4 |
118 |
21 |
| 8 |
Santa Maria · Public Strong demand
|
Santa Barbara |
793 |
3,143 |
15
|
60 |
25.1% |
28.6% |
10.1 |
1.5 |
474 |
119 |
| 9 |
Santa Maria · Public Strong demand
|
Santa Barbara |
760 |
3,080 |
15
|
53 |
28.1% |
21.1% |
11.1 |
2.2 |
405 |
114 |
| 10 |
Santa Maria · Public Strong demand
|
Santa Barbara |
576 |
2,416 |
14
|
45 |
30.6% |
24.1% |
11.3 |
2.6 |
258 |
79 |
| 11 |
Lompoc · Public Material decline
|
Santa Barbara |
235 |
1,060 |
12
|
43 |
28.4% |
17.2% |
8.1 |
— |
102 |
29 |
| 12 |
Lompoc · Public Strong demand
|
Santa Barbara |
409 |
1,593 |
11
|
45 |
25.7% |
12.8% |
9.1 |
2.0 |
183 |
47 |
UC Reach = top-6 UC admits ÷ senior class size. Campus admits are SUMMED — UC publishes no
per-school unique-student count, so a senior admitted to more than one of the 6 campuses is counted at each,
and values above 100 indicate strong students winning multiple competitive UC offers.
Schools with fewer than 100 seniors are excluded from the leaderboard by default — a small cohort
with one strong year can otherwise dominate.
See methodology →
