The Nueva School
San Mateo · San Mateo County · Private independent
Compare with peers
Most similar nearby schools
Menlo School → The Head-Royce School → Quarry Lane School → Lick Wilmerding High School → Moreau Catholic High School → Compare all similar →A parent's read
- Where graduates go, as the school itself publishes it. The Nueva School's own list (Classes of 2017 to 2021), : Stanford (45), UChicago (28), UC Berkeley (16), Northeastern (14), Tufts (12).
- The UC pipeline here is real. 70 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 108 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 5% of California high schools.
- 23 National Merit Semifinalists in one class. That's roughly 1 in 5 seniors reaching the top ~1% of the PSAT nationally — a density few schools anywhere can match.
- A deeply UC-focused culture. Seniors here file about 3.8 UC applications each — among the most UC-oriented schools in California. The counseling office lives and breathes this system.
- One question for any counselor: who should still test? Plenty of strong students skip the SAT/ACT now — but merit scholarships at dozens of colleges still key off scores. Ask how the school decides who should still sit for one.
Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.
Where graduates go — as published by the school
The Nueva School publishes the colleges its graduates attend (Classes of 2017 to 2021): 101 colleges with per-college counts — the largest counts attend Stanford University (45), University of Chicago (28), University of California-Berkeley (16). See the full list ↓
At a glance
- Teaches no APCollege-level courses with a national exam each May. A score of 3+ "passes" and can earn college credit; the pass rate tells you whether a school's AP program has substance behind the course list.-designated courses — common among independent schools that run their own advanced curriculum
- 23 National Merit SemifinalistsRoughly the top 1% of PSAT scorers in each state — about 16,000 juniors nationally. A useful gauge of a school's academic top end. (2026)
- ACT avg 34 (25-75: 34–35)
Worth knowing: The school reports test scores for the Classes of 2025 and 2026 together rather than one class at a time.
Composed from the school's own published profile (2026), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
Admissions at a glance
Is The Nueva School a good school for college admissions?
The Nueva School's UC Reach Score is 65 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 95% of California high schools), from 70 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 108 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list with per-college counts.
How hard is it to get into The Nueva School?
The Nueva School does not post an acceptance rate on its admissions pages; no entrance exam is required, applications are due Jan 5, 2027, and tuition is $65,065 for 2026-27.
From the school's own admissions pages and public filings. Dates verified Oct 1, 2026; exams verified September 2026. Full calendar: California private-school admissions tracker · entrance exams. More private high schools in San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley · Entrance exams in San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley · Is The Nueva School worth the tuition?
Private high schools near The Nueva School
Five private high schools within 11 miles of The Nueva School, with tuition and the exam each requires where the school publishes them.
| School | City | Miles | Grades | Tuition | Entrance exam | UC Reach Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame High School | Belmont | 2.1 | 9–12 | $33,730 | HSPT (administered at NDB; must be applying to… | 32 |
| Crystal Springs Uplands School | Hillsborough | 2.3 | 6–12 | $68,600 | No entrance exam | 64 |
| Mercy High School | Burlingame | 5.3 | 9–12 | $30,328 | HSPT (required of all applicants; hosted at Mercy… | 25 |
| Menlo School | Atherton | 8.5 | 6–12 | $67,792 | School's own assessment | 62 |
| Eastside College Prep School | East Palo Alto | 10.7 | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | 26 |
Distances are straight-line miles between school locations. Tuition and exams are from each school's own admissions pages; see the entrance-exam guide.
Their published college list
Colleges the school lists for its graduates (Classes of 2017 to 2021)
The Nueva School publishes a list of colleges for its graduates. What follows is copied from that document — 101 colleges, ordered by the number of students.
The ten largest counts, listed · Classes of 2017 to 2021
Is my kid's college on this list?
The school down the road: Menlo School
| College | The Nueva School | Menlo School |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 45 | 30 |
| University of Chicago | 28 | 17 |
| University of California-Berkeley | 16 | 20 |
| University of Southern California | 12 | 10 |
| Northeastern University | 14 | 6 |
| Tufts University | 12 | 8 |
| University of Michigan | 9 | 10 |
| Washington University, St Louis | 8 | 11 |
Each school's own printed counts (college_list, Classes of 2017 to 2021 vs matriculation, Classes of 2023-2025); spans may differ.
All 101 colleges, as the document prints them
College · Students
and 71 more
These are the colleges the school published for its graduates.
Check your kid's odds at these colleges →We'll load the 10 colleges the school lists for the most graduates — add your name, email and your child's numbers and we'll see where your child lands at each.
As published, source linked As published by The Nueva School — Upper School Profile 2025-2026 (page 4, 'College Matriculations & Acceptances, 2021-2024') ↗. Found at: "College Matriculations & Acceptances, 2021-2024" table, School Profile PDF page 4.
The Nueva School also published an earlier list — 101 colleges (2021-2024)
Their earlier published list
The counted list above is the school's newer publication. This is the earlier list it published before it, names only, in the document's own order — the years as that document stated them: 2021-2024.
and 71 more
As published, earlier document earlier document ↗
From the school
The Nueva School reports that its Class of 2025, the seniors who graduated in June 2025, had 23 National Merit Semifinalists and 34 Commended Students (The Nueva School school profile). Source ↗ (page 1)
What does The Nueva School publish about its class profile?
These figures come from the school's own published profile (as of 2026); each links to that document.
- ACT: mean 34.0; middle 50% 34–35 (as of 2026) Source: resources.finalsite.net ↗
- AP courses offered: none (the school teaches no AP-designated courses) (as of 2026) Source: resources.finalsite.net ↗
- National Merit Semifinalists: 23 (as of 2026) Source: resources.finalsite.net ↗
The school reports test scores for the Classes of 2025 and 2026 together rather than one class at a time.
Keep this page current
Work at The Nueva School? If this page is missing your newest school profile, matriculation list, or college acceptances, send us the links. We read the document, copy the figures exactly as published, and cite it on this page.
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Where grads go — and what it costs & pays
UC admits by campus · Class of 2025
Getting in is step one. The cost above is the average aid-receiving family's net price — yours depends on whether you qualify for aid — and your child's odds depend on their GPA + scores. See your family's real numbers at these campuses:
Get my child's odds + our real costs →Sources: UC Office of the President (admits); IPEDS net price + College Scorecard 10-yr earnings (cost & payoff). Full campus-by-campus breakdown below.
How The Nueva School compares for families
One of California's strongest schools for college outcomes.
- ▸ NationallyACT mean 34.0 (≈ top 1%) · 23 National Merit Semifinalists last year (NMSF is the top 1% of US PSAT scorers) · Top 5% of the 218 curated private schools in our database on ACT mean.
- ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 65 — 46 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 95% of California high schools.
- ▸ Locally🎓 Top 4 in San Mateo County on UC Reach — plus 1 more top-rank.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsRight at the peer median (UC Reach Score 63) across the 5 most similar nearby schools.
For Parents
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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.
No SBAC data for private schools — and that's not the metric you want anyway
California's Smarter Balanced (CAASPP) assessment is administered by the state, by statute, to public & charter schools only. Private schools don't sit for it. That's why the SBAC card is missing on this profile — not a data gap on our side, a deliberate scope of the state's testing program.
For private schools, UC Reach is the stronger academic signal anyway. SBAC measures grade-11 inputs (proficiency on a state standard); UC Reach measures outputs (who actually got into the most selective UCs). For private-school families weighing tuition against college outcomes, the outputs are the relevant signal.
Scroll up to the UC Reach card for The Nueva School's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.
Enrollment trend & projection
If this trend holds (+0.6%/yr, Total enrollment)
At tuition of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Tuition impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2026) | ~958 | +6 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2028) | ~969 | +17 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2030) | ~980 | +28 | $0 |
Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = typical CA independent day schools ($25k–55k). Edit the figure to match your school.
How does The Nueva School really compare on getting kids to college?
We've ranked it #5 of 11 most similar nearby schools on UC Reach. Unlock the full snapshot to see the head-to-head — who's ahead, by how much, and where it's heading.
Your similar-school group includes
Menlo School · Head-Royce School the · Quarry Lane School · Lick Wilmerding High School · Moreau Catholic High School · Crystal Springs Uplands School · +4 more
The Nueva School sent 405 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 17.3% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 65 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 46 points above the California median of 19, higher than 95% of California high schools. The school produces 23.1 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.
19
63
53
65
Higher than 95% of California high schools (1105 ranked, ≥50 seniors)
The Nueva School's UC Reach Score of 65 clears the statewide top-10% cutoff (53) — meaning roughly 64 top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, well above what most California schools achieve.
For context, the elite tier (top 1%) clears 95 — a gap of 30 pp from where this school sits.
Overall, The Nueva School's UC Reach is higher than 95% of California high schools (1105 ranked).
Private-school figures come from the California Private School Affidavit. Per CDE, inclusion in private-school data is not an evaluation, approval, or endorsement of a school.
GPA figures reflect 2024 — UC has not yet released applicant/admit GPA for 2025.
UC funnel — which kids are getting in at what GPA
Combining the school's applicant pool GPA, admit pool GPA, actual admit rate, and statewide CA admit rates by individual GPA band, we can read which GPA tiers tend to get in — and which don't.
| Campus | 4.00+ GPA | 3.70–3.99 GPA | 3.30–3.69 GPA | < 3.30 GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out | Filtered out |
| UCLA | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out | Filtered out |
| UC San Diego | Strong shot | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Santa Barbara | Strong shot | Moderate | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Irvine | Strong shot | Real shot | Long odds | Filtered out |
| UC Davis | Strong shot | Real shot | Moderate | Filtered out |
The numbers behind it
| Campus | Applicant GPA | Admit GPA | Lift ⓘ | Admit rate | vs peer schools @ same GPA ⓘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 4.21 | 4.28 | +0.06 | 26.4% | Peers +0.11 · wider |
| UCLA | 4.22 | 4.28 | +0.06 | 9.9% | Peers +0.13 · wider |
| UC San Diego | 4.21 | 4.27 | +0.06 | 14.5% | Peers +0.12 · wider |
| UC Santa Barbara | 4.21 | 4.28 | +0.07 | 30.7% | Peers +0.12 · wider |
| UC Irvine | 4.21 | 4.22 | +0.01 | 11.5% | Peers +0.07 · wider |
| UC Davis | 4.22 | 4.27 | +0.05 | 25.0% | Peers +0.08 · matches |
Statewide CA admit rates by individual GPA band, 2024 (for reference)
| GPA band | UCB | UCLA | UCSD | UCSB | UCI | UCD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.00+ | 17.1% | 14.4% | 43.5% | 57.3% | 46.0% | 64.1% |
| 3.70–3.99 | 2.8% | 1.5% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 16.5% | 27.5% |
| 3.30–3.69 | 0.8% | 0.9% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 3.4% | 9.1% |
| 3.00–3.29 | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.1% |
| < 3.00 | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
Where The Nueva School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ
Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (19.7% actual vs. 23.9% expected), based on 2024 data.
UC Outcomes Trend — 2018–2025
Class size from CDE grade 12 enrollment. Campus-level data: applicant and admit totals count a student once at EACH campus. A senior admitted to UCLA and UC San Diego adds 2 to the admit total, so the total can exceed the senior class — that is the metric working as defined, not an error. The admit RATE is unaffected: both its numerator and denominator are campus-level.
Campus Breakdown — 2025
| Campus | Applicants | Admits | Enrollees | Admit Rate | UC Reach Score | Yield | Avg GPA (App) '24 | Avg GPA (Adm) '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley → Elite | 81 | 18 | 3 | 22.2% | 17 | 16.7% | 4.21 | 4.28 |
| UCLA → Elite | 79 | 7 | —† | 8.9% | 6 | — | 4.22 | 4.28 |
| UC San Diego → Selective | 72 | 10 | —† | 13.9% | 9 | — | 4.21 | 4.27 |
| UC Santa Barbara → Selective | 65 | 12 | —† | 18.5% | 11 | — | 4.21 | 4.28 |
| UC Irvine → Selective | 50 | 4 | —† | 8.0% | 4 | — | 4.21 | 4.22 |
| UC Davis → | 58 | 19 | —† | 32.8% | 18 | — | 4.22 | 4.27 |
What This Means
At a glance
JSON · Using this page with an AI assistantThe Nueva School is a private high school in San Mateo, San Mateo County, California with 108 seniors in the Class of 2025.
Its UC Reach Score is 65 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 70 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 108, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 95% of California high schools.
In 2025 its students filed 405 UC applications and received 70 offers, a UC admit rate of 17.3% (counted at each campus); 3 enrolled.
More of its graduates enrolled at UC Berkeley than at any other UC campus (3 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 25.
Enrollment was 952 students in 2025, up 3% since 2020.
The Nueva School publishes a list of colleges its graduates attend for the Classes of 2017 to 2021: 101 colleges, with per-college counts; the largest counts are Stanford University (45), University of Chicago (28), University of California-Berkeley (16), Northeastern University (14), Tufts University (12). Source: Upper School Profile 2025-2026 (page 4, 'College Matriculations & Acceptances, 2021-2024').
The Nueva School reports that its Class of 2025, the seniors who graduated in June 2025, had 23 National Merit Semifinalists and 34 Commended Students (The Nueva School school profile).
Sources: University of California Office of the President (admissions), California Department of Education (enrollment, A-G, college-going), and the school's own published documents where named.
Questions families ask
What is The Nueva School's UC Reach Score? The Nueva School's UC Reach Score is 65 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 70 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 108, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 95% of California high schools.
How many students from The Nueva School got into a UC? In 2025 its students filed 405 UC applications and received 70 offers, a UC admit rate of 17.3% (counted at each campus); 3 enrolled.
Which UC campus do The Nueva School graduates attend most? More of The Nueva School's graduates enrolled at UC Berkeley than at any other UC campus (3 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 25.
Where do The Nueva School graduates go to college? The Nueva School publishes a list of colleges its graduates attend for the Classes of 2017 to 2021: 101 colleges, with per-college counts; the largest counts are Stanford University (45), University of Chicago (28), University of California-Berkeley (16), Northeastern University (14), Tufts University (12). Source: Upper School Profile 2025-2026 (page 4, 'College Matriculations & Acceptances, 2021-2024').
How many students attend The Nueva School? Enrollment was 952 students in 2025, up 3% since 2020.
What is the tuition at The Nueva School? At The Nueva School, tuition is $65,065 for 2026-27.
Does The Nueva School require an entrance exam? At The Nueva School, no entrance exam is required.
When is the application deadline for The Nueva School? At The Nueva School, applications are due Jan 5, 2027.
Is The Nueva School a good school for college admissions? The Nueva School's UC Reach Score is 65 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 95% of California high schools), from 70 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 108 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list with per-college counts.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com). These figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
What does AI tell parents about The Nueva School?
When a parent asks an AI assistant about The Nueva School, the answer is built from a handful of sources, and Reach is often one of them. We will send the admissions office a short report on what AI says about The Nueva School and where it comes from. The first report is free.
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