Bentley School

Lafayette · Contra Costa County · Private independent

Private Contra Costa County ~78 seniors
Shareable scorecard →

Top 5% UC Reach in California 7 National Merit Semifinalists

A parent's read

  • Where graduates go, as the school itself publishes it. Bentley School's own list (College Matriculations 2022–2025), enrolled: UC Berkeley (11), UC Santa Cruz (11), UC Santa Barbara (9), Boston University (8), Tufts (8).
  • The UC pipeline here is real. 59 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 78 seniors puts this school in the top handful of schools in California.
  • 7 National Merit Semifinalists in one class. That's roughly 1 in 11 seniors reaching the top ~1% of the PSAT nationally — a density few schools anywhere can match.
  • Elite admits are rare — here and everywhere. Berkeley and UCLA admitted 16 of this class's 252 UC applications. The strong middle campuses — San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Davis — are where most real UC outcomes happen.
  • 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

Bentley School publishes where its graduates enrolled (College Matriculations 2022–2025): 125 colleges with per-college counts — the largest counts enrolled at University of California – Berkeley (11), University of California – Santa Cruz (11), University of California – Santa Barbara (9). See the full list ↓

At a glance

Programs & features
  • 7 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. (2025)

Composed from the school's own published profile (2025), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.

Admissions at a glance

Is Bentley School a good school for college admissions?

Bentley School's UC Reach Score is 76 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 98% of California high schools), from 59 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 78 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list with per-college counts.

How hard is it to get into Bentley School?

Admissions at Bentley School: applicants take the ISEE or SSAT and applications are due Jan 7, 2027.

Grades served
K–12
school site
Enrollment
293
2025 count
Entrance exam
ISEE or SSAT
bentleyschool.org
Application deadline
Jan 7, 2027
Priority application deadline, grades 9-12
Decisions
Mar 12, 2027
Admissions decision notification, grades 9-12

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 East Bay · Entrance exams in East Bay

Private high schools near Bentley School

Five private high schools within 7 miles of Bentley School, with tuition and the exam each requires.

School City Miles Grades Tuition Entrance exam UC Reach Score
Contra Costa Christian High School Walnut Creek 4.4 Preschool–12 $14,994 Own assessment - student assessment administered…
Holy Names High School Oakland 5.7 9–12 $26,015 HSPT — required of all applicants; free, taken… 10
College Preparatory School Oakland 5.7 9–12 $62,760 ISEE or SSAT 77
Maybeck High School Berkeley 6.0 9–12 $51,150 No entrance exam posted 30
The Head-Royce School Oakland 6.5 K–12 $62,900 ISEE 60

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 matriculation list

Where their graduates enrolled

Bentley School publishes where its graduates enrolled. What follows is copied from that document — 125 colleges, ordered by the number of students enrolled.

Years, as the document states them
College Matriculations 2022–2025

The ten largest counts, enrolled

Is my kid's college on this list?

✓ Stanford University · 4 ✓ New York University · 7 ✓ University of Southern California · 5 ✓ University of California, Los Angeles · 8 ✓ University of California, Berkeley · 11 ✓ University of Michigan · 2 ✓ Cornell University · 2 ✓ Boston University · 8 ✓ Northeastern University · 6 — University of Texas at Austin ✓ Georgetown University · 4 — Duke University

The school down the road: College Preparatory School

CollegeBentley SchoolCollege Preparatory School
University of Chicago524
University of California – Berkeley1116
Tufts University813
New York University713
Washington University in St Louis514
Georgetown University415
Swarthmore College216
University of California – Los Angeles89

Each school's own printed counts (matriculation, College Matriculations 2022–2025 vs matriculation, the last five years); spans may differ.

All 125 colleges, as the document prints them

College  ·  Students

McGill University (CAN) 4
University of British Columbia (CAN) 4
and 95 more
Aberystwyth University (UK) 1
San Francisco Conservatory of Music 1
University of St Andrews 1
University of Technology Sydney (AUS) 1

These graduates went on to the colleges above.

Check your kid's odds at these colleges →

We'll load the 10 colleges the class chose most often — add your name, email and your child's numbers and we'll see where your child lands at each.

Independently verified As published by Bentley School — Bentley School College Counseling page ↗. Found at: 'College Matriculations 2022–2025' table (3-column layout, counts in parentheses; no parens = 1).

What does Bentley School publish about its class profile?

These figures come from the school's own published profile (as of 2025); each links to that document.

Keep this page current

Work at Bentley 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 Reach Score
76
Excellent top 6% in California
Top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors in the Class of 2025 — counts each campus admit, so a student admitted to several UCs counts more than once (which is why a strong school can score over 100).

UC admits by campus · Class of 2025

UCB
9 admitted
5 enrolled
Net $13,481/yr avg
Grads earn $92,446 @10yr
UCLA
7 admitted
Net $12,548/yr avg
Grads earn $82,511 @10yr
UCSD
13 admitted
Net $12,470/yr avg
Grads earn $84,943 @10yr
UCSB
17 admitted
Net $16,109/yr avg
Grads earn $74,915 @10yr
UCI
3 admitted
Net $14,251/yr avg
Grads earn $80,735 @10yr
UCD
10 admitted
Net $14,741/yr avg
Grads earn $80,838 @10yr

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.

You've seen Bentley School. What are your child's real college odds? Check any college in 10 seconds — no email needed — then get the free Family Decision Report: Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely + the real cost range for every college on their list. Check odds →

How Bentley School compares for families

One of California's strongest schools for college outcomes.

  • ▸ Nationally7 National Merit Semifinalists last year (NMSF is the top 1% of US PSAT scorers).
  • ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 76 — 57 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 98% of California high schools.
  • ▸ Locally🎓 #1 in Contra Costa County on UC Reach — plus 1 more top-rank.
  • ▸ vs Similar SchoolsBeats the peer median (UC Reach Score 76 vs a 43 median) 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 Bentley School's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment (9–12)
340 (2020) → 293 (2025)
-13.8%
Grade 12 (graduating class)
81 (2020) → 78 (2025)
-3.7%

If this trend holds (-2.7%/yr, Total enrollment)

At tuition of $ / student:

Horizon Projected Total enrollment Change Tuition impact / yr
1 yr (2026) ~285 -8 $0
3 yr (2028) ~270 -23 $0
5 yr (2030) ~255 -38 $0

Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = derived from this school's IRS Form 990 (FY2023) — program-service revenue ÷ enrollment. Edit the figure to match your school.

How does Bentley School really compare on getting kids to college?

We've ranked it #2 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.

The full head-to-head table — every peer school's UC Reach, side by side.
Enrollment trend + 3-year projection — is this school growing or quietly shrinking?
The plain-English read on what it all means for your family.

Your similar-school group includes

College Preparatory School · Contra Costa Christian High School · Drew School · San Francisco Waldorf High School · Tilden Preparatory School · Bay School of San Francisco · +4 more

Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement. We'll email you the snapshot and a few alerts a year. Unsubscribe anytime.

Financial profile — IRS Form 990, FY2023

From 13 years of Form 990 filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (free public IRS data). The school's tax filings show financial scale, fundraising health, and endowment trajectory — signals that drive board-level conversations about tuition pricing, financial-aid capacity, and capital projects.

Total revenue
$32.2M
FY2023
Net assets (endowment + property)
$6.7M
-389.7% since FY2011
Tuition revenue (program)
$29.1M
≈ $99397/student avg
Gifts & grants
$2.7M
fundraising
Total revenue by year ($M)
Net assets by year ($M)

Source: IRS Form 990 via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 941700304). View latest 990 PDF → Tuition-per-student is total program-service revenue divided by latest enrollment — a rough average that includes auxiliary revenue (athletics, food service, etc.); the actual published tuition can differ. Form 990 is filed annually under penalty of perjury, so the financial scale figures are authoritative.

Key takeaway · Class of 2025

Bentley School sent 252 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 23.4% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 76 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 57 points above the California median of 19, higher than 98% of California high schools. The school produces 20.5 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.

UC Reach Score 76 ⓘ 59 admits (counted at each UC) / 78 seniors +33 pts above peer median (43) · #2 of 11 similar schools methodology
Where this sits on the California curve
CA median
19
Peer median
43
Top 10%
53
This school
76
050100
CA median 19 Top 10% ≥ 53 This school 76

Higher than 98% of California high schools (1105 ranked, ≥50 seniors)

What this number means

Bentley School's UC Reach Score of 76 clears the statewide top-10% cutoff (53) — meaning roughly 75 top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, well above what most California schools achieve.

In Contra Costa County — a competitive market where the median is already 25 — this still clears the county top-10% bar (56).

Against similar schools, Bentley School stands out clearly — the peer-group median is 43.

For context, the elite tier (top 1%) clears 95 — a gap of 20 pp from where this school sits.

Overall, Bentley School's UC Reach is higher than 98% of California high schools (1105 ranked).

UC Application Reach Score ⓘ
323
252 applications
Strong UC pursuit. The typical senior is applying to about 3 top-6 UC campuses — a signal of a college-driven student body.
In context: CA median 81 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 240 · Contra Costa Co. Top 10% ≥ 271 · higher than 97% of CA HS.
UC Admit Rate ⓘ
23.4%
59 / 252 applications
In context: CA median 26.1% · Top 10% statewide ≥ 40.4% · higher than 35% of CA HS.
UC Yield Rate ⓘ
8.5%
5 enrolled of 59 admitted
Yield vs. Enrollment Reach: Yield answers "of UC admits, what % chose UC?" — denominator is just the admits. A small admitted cohort can post a low yield even when the school sends a healthy share of its class to UC.
UC Enrollment Reach Score ⓘ
6
5 enrollees / 78 seniors
Enrollment Reach vs. Yield: Reach answers "of the whole senior class, what share ended up at UC?" — denominator is everyone. High Yield with low Enrollment Reach is common at elite privates: most admits matriculate, but the school sends most of its class to non-UC selective colleges.
UC 6-Yr Grad Rate ⓘ
Kids from here finish what they start: 90% of its UC entrants earn the degree within six years — above the norm for CA schools.
90%
55% finished in 4 yrs · N=20 entered 2007
In context: CA median 84.8% · +5.2 pp above.
Selective UC Reach (UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI — incl. the Elite two) ⓘ
62.8
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 16.0 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 42.2 · higher than 98% of CA HS.
Elite UC Reach (UCB + UCLA) ⓘ
20.5
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 3.4 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 10.2 · higher than 99% of CA HS.
Senior Class Size ⓘ
78
Private School Affidavit
Total School Enrollment ⓘ
293
All grades · Private School Affidavit

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.

Avg. Applicant GPA · top-6 UCs ⓘ
4.05
Avg. Admitted GPA · top-6 UCs ⓘ
4.19

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.

Who's actually getting into UC from Bentley School
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
Strong shot = ≥30% statewide admit rate at this band · Real shot = 10–29% · Moderate = 5–9% · Long odds = 1–4% · Filtered out = under 1%. Tiers map this school's likely outcomes by GPA tier using statewide CA admit rates from UCOP 2024.

The numbers behind it

Campus Applicant GPA Admit GPA Lift ⓘ Admit rate vs peer schools @ same GPA ⓘ
UC Berkeley (2022) 4.11 4.23 +0.12 18.2% Peers +0.18 · wider
UCLA (2022) 4.16 4.28 +0.12 10.6% Peers +0.20 · wider
UC San Diego (2023) 4.01 4.28 +0.27 16.3% Peers +0.25 · matches
UC Santa Barbara 4.07 4.23 +0.17 33.3% Peers +0.22 · wider
UC Irvine (2023) 4.01 4.21 +0.20 20.0% Peers +0.21 · matches
UC Davis 4.02 4.11 +0.09 21.7% Peers +0.20 · wider
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%
How we infer the tier labels: Each tier comes from the statewide CA admit rate at that GPA band at that UC. The "vs peers" column compares this school's lift (admit GPA − applicant GPA) to the average lift at ~100–300 other CA schools with similar applicant pool GPA. What this isn't: a guarantee. UC comprehensive review weighs essays, course rigor, demographics, and context-of-opportunity beyond GPA. A 3.9 with strong context can land an admit; a 4.0 with weak essays can be denied. Use as a baseline expectation, not a verdict. Per-campus year is shown when it differs from the headline year (UCOP doesn't always publish admit-GPA for every campus every year).

Where Bentley School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ

Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (21.4% actual vs. 23.4% expected), based on 2024 data.

UC Outcomes Trend — 2018–2025

UC Admit Rate %
UC Reach Score (where available)
UC Admits (count, right axis)

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 43 9 5 20.9% 12 55.6% 4.08 —†
UCLA → Elite 47 7 —† 14.9% 9 — 4.09 —†
UC San Diego → Selective 50 13 —† 26.0% 17 — 4.04 —†
UC Santa Barbara → Selective 47 17 —† 36.2% 22 — 4.07 4.23
UC Irvine → Selective 26 3 —† 11.5% 4 — 4.01 —†
UC Davis → 39 10 —† 25.6% 13 — 4.02 4.11
† = UCOP-suppressed (count below 3 students, hidden for privacy — actual value is 0, 1, or 2, not necessarily zero). Campus-level totals may count one student admitted to multiple UC campuses more than once; Admit Volume metrics are not the same as UC Reach, which is measured against the whole senior class. See methodology →

What This Means

A large share of the senior class applies to UC, indicating strong college-going culture and UC pipeline development.
A large share of the class applies to UC, so the admit rate runs lower than the application volume alone might suggest — expected when many students apply broadly, including to reach campuses. UC Reach (which credits every admit relative to the class) is the truer read of how the class fares: a strong Reach alongside a moderate admit rate is healthy, not a contradiction.
UC Reach is very strong — more than 76% of seniors are earning UC admission. This places the school among California's highest-performing high schools on this metric.
Strong UC Reach paired with very low yield: this school's students are earning UC admission at high rates and then enrolling elsewhere — almost certainly at the most selective private universities (Ivies, Stanford, MIT, the top liberal-arts colleges) or elite out-of-state flagships. UC is functioning as a credentialing-grade backup rather than a destination.
Berkeley and UCLA admit volume is strong — a clear high-end signal for this school's academic preparation.
UC Reach has improved meaningfully compared to the prior year — a positive trajectory worth monitoring and reinforcing.
Note: the UC Reach Score sums campus-level admits across the top-six UC campuses, so a student admitted to both UCLA and UCSD is counted at each. It reflects competitive admit volume relative to class size — admit-events, not distinct students — which is why a Score can exceed 100.
Compare with other schools → See Contra Costa County rankings →

At a glance

JSON · Using this page with an AI assistant

Bentley School is a private high school in Lafayette, Contra Costa County, California with 78 seniors in the Class of 2025.

Its UC Reach Score is 76 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 59 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 78, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 98% of California high schools.

In 2025 its students filed 252 UC applications and received 59 offers, a UC admit rate of 23.4% (counted at each campus); 5 enrolled.

More of its graduates enrolled at UC Berkeley than at any other UC campus (5 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 16.

Of its graduates who enrolled at a UC, 90% earned a degree within six years (cohort entering 2007).

Enrollment was 293 students in 2025, down 14% since 2020.

Bentley School publishes a matriculation list (where its graduates enrolled) for the College Matriculations 2022–2025: 125 colleges, with per-college counts; the largest counts are University of California – Berkeley (11), University of California – Santa Cruz (11), University of California – Santa Barbara (9), Boston University (8), Tufts University (8). Source: Bentley School College Counseling page.

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 Bentley School's UC Reach Score? Bentley School's UC Reach Score is 76 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 59 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 78, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 98% of California high schools.

How many students from Bentley School got into a UC? In 2025 its students filed 252 UC applications and received 59 offers, a UC admit rate of 23.4% (counted at each campus); 5 enrolled.

Which UC campus do Bentley School graduates attend most? More of Bentley School's graduates enrolled at UC Berkeley than at any other UC campus (5 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 16.

Where do Bentley School graduates go to college? Bentley School publishes a matriculation list (where its graduates enrolled) for the College Matriculations 2022–2025: 125 colleges, with per-college counts; the largest counts are University of California – Berkeley (11), University of California – Santa Cruz (11), University of California – Santa Barbara (9), Boston University (8), Tufts University (8). Source: Bentley School College Counseling page.

How many students attend Bentley School? Enrollment was 293 students in 2025, down 14% since 2020.

Does Bentley School require an entrance exam? At Bentley School, applicants take the ISEE or SSAT.

When is the application deadline for Bentley School? At Bentley School, applications are due Jan 7, 2027.

Is Bentley School a good school for college admissions? Bentley School's UC Reach Score is 76 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 98% of California high schools), from 59 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 78 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 Bentley School?

When a parent asks an AI assistant about Bentley 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 Bentley School and where it comes from. The first report is free.

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