Crystal Springs Uplands School
Hillsborough · San Mateo County · Private independent
Compare with peers
Most similar nearby schools
Mercy High School → Notre Dame High School → Castilleja School → Pinewood School → San Francisco Waldorf High School → Compare all similar →A parent's read
- Where graduates go, as the school itself publishes it. Crystal Springs Uplands School publishes where its graduates go (2023-2026): 95 colleges, including Boston College, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Claremont McKenna College.
- The UC pipeline here is real. 51 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 80 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 5% of California high schools.
- 14 National Merit Semifinalists in one class. That's roughly 1 in 6 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 3.6 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
Crystal Springs Uplands School publishes where its graduates enrolled (2023-2026): 95 colleges. 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
- 14 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. (2027)
- ACT avg 34
Composed from the school's own published profile (2027), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
Admissions at a glance
Is Crystal Springs Uplands School a good school for college admissions?
Crystal Springs Uplands School's UC Reach Score is 64 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 95% of California high schools), from 51 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 80 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list without per-college counts.
How hard is it to get into Crystal Springs Uplands School?
Crystal Springs Uplands 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 $68,600 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 Crystal Springs Uplands School worth the tuition?
Private high schools near Crystal Springs Uplands School
Five private high schools within 11 miles of Crystal Springs Uplands School, with tuition and the exam each requires where the school publishes them.
| School | City | Miles | Grades | Tuition | Entrance exam | UC Reach Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Nueva School | San Mateo | 2.3 | PreK–12 | $65,065 | No entrance exam | 65 |
| Mercy High School | Burlingame | 3.0 | 9–12 | $30,328 | HSPT (required of all applicants; hosted at Mercy… | 25 |
| Notre Dame High School | Belmont | 4.1 | 9–12 | $33,730 | HSPT (administered at NDB; must be applying to… | 32 |
| Pacific Bay Christian School | Pacifica | 8.7 | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | 77 | |
| Menlo School | Atherton | 10.7 | 6–12 | $67,792 | School's own assessment | 62 |
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
Crystal Springs Uplands School publishes where its graduates enrolled. What follows is copied from that document — 95 colleges, in the document's own order.
Years, as the document states them
2023-2026
Ivy+ and most selective · 12
Brown University · Columbia University · Cornell University · Dartmouth College · Duke University · Harvard College · Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Princeton University · Stanford University · University of Chicago · University of Pennsylvania · Yale University
University of California · 7
University of California-Berkeley · University of California-Davis · University of California-Irvine · University of California-Los Angeles · University of California-Merced · University of California-San Diego · University of California-Santa Barbara
Cal State · 3
California State University-Monterey Bay · San Francisco State University · San Jose State University
Other California · 13
Chapman University · Claremont McKenna College · Harvey Mudd College · Loyola Marymount University · Mount Saint Mary's University · Occidental College · Pitzer College · Pomona College · Santa Clara University · Scripps College · Skyline College · University of San Francisco · University of Southern California
Out of state · 57
American University · Babson College · Barnard College · Bates College · Boston College · Brigham Young University · Bryn Mawr College · Carleton College · Carnegie Mellon University · Case Western Reserve University · Colgate University · Colorado College · Colorado State University · Emory University · and 43 more below
Not matched to a college page · 3
McGill University · Simon Fraser University · University of St. Andrews
Is my kid's college on this list?
The school down the road: Notre Dame High School (Belmont)
| College | Crystal Springs Uplands School | Notre Dame High School (Belmont) |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College | ✓ named | ✓ named |
| Boston University | — | ✓ named |
| Brown University | ✓ named | — |
| Carnegie Mellon University | ✓ named | — |
| Columbia University | ✓ named | — |
| Cornell University | ✓ named | ✓ named |
| Dartmouth College | ✓ named | ✓ named |
| Duke University | ✓ named | — |
| Emory University | ✓ named | — |
| Georgetown University | ✓ named | ✓ named |
| Harvard College | ✓ named | — |
| Johns Hopkins University | ✓ named | — |
Both schools print names, not counts, so this shows which selective colleges each list names.
All 95 colleges, as the document prints them
and 65 more
These graduates went on to the colleges above.
Check your kid's odds at these colleges →We'll load 10 from the list above — add your name, email and your child's numbers and we'll see where your child lands at each.
Independently verified As published by Crystal Springs Uplands School — Where Crystal Alumni Go to College (college-counseling page) ↗. Found at: "Where Crystal Alumni Go to College" expandable list, college-counseling page.
What does Crystal Springs Uplands School publish about its class profile?
These figures come from the school's own published profile (as of 2027); each links to that document.
- ACT: mean 34.0 (as of 2027) Source: crystal.org ↗
- AP courses offered: none (the school teaches no AP-designated courses) (as of 2027) Source: crystal.org ↗
- National Merit Semifinalists: 14 (as of 2027) Source: crystal.org ↗
Keep this page current
Work at Crystal Springs Uplands 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 Crystal Springs Uplands School compares for families
One of California's strongest schools for college outcomes.
- ▸ NationallyACT mean 34.0 (≈ top 1%) · 14 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 64 — 45 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 95% of California high schools.
- ▸ Locally🎓 Top 5 in San Mateo County on UC Reach — plus 1 more top-rank.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsBeats the peer median (UC Reach Score 64 vs a 34 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 Crystal Springs Uplands School's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.
Enrollment trend & projection
If this trend holds (-0.5%/yr, Total enrollment)
At tuition of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Tuition impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2026) | ~345 | -2 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2028) | ~342 | -5 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2030) | ~339 | -8 | $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 Crystal Springs Uplands School really compare on getting kids to college?
We've ranked it #4 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
Mercy High School · Notre Dame High School · Castilleja School · Pinewood School · San Francisco Waldorf High School · Drew School · +4 more
Crystal Springs Uplands School sent 289 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 17.6% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 64 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 45 points above the California median of 19, higher than 95% of California high schools. The school produces 18.8 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.
19
34
53
64
Higher than 95% of California high schools (1105 ranked, ≥50 seniors)
Crystal Springs Uplands School's UC Reach Score of 64 clears the statewide top-10% cutoff (53) — meaning roughly 63 top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, well above what most California schools achieve.
Against similar schools, Crystal Springs Uplands School stands out clearly — the peer-group median is 34.
For context, the elite tier (top 1%) clears 95 — a gap of 31 pp from where this school sits.
Overall, Crystal Springs Uplands 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 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 | 4.09 | 4.27 | +0.18 | 20.0% | Peers +0.18 · matches |
| UCLA | 4.11 | 4.31 | +0.20 | 12.3% | Peers +0.20 · matches |
| UC Santa Barbara | 4.06 | 4.30 | +0.24 | 25.9% | Peers +0.22 · matches |
| UC Irvine | 4.08 | 4.16 | +0.08 | 11.9% | Peers +0.16 · wider |
| UC Davis | 4.11 | 4.22 | +0.11 | 20.0% | Peers +0.16 · 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% |
Where Crystal Springs Uplands School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ
Overall, this school admits its UC applicants 5.2 points below what their GPAs predict (18.2% actual vs. 23.4% expected), based on 2024 data.
UC Outcomes Trend — 2024–2025
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 | 52 | 9 | —† | 17.3% | 11 | — | 4.09 | 4.27 |
| UCLA → Elite | 55 | 6 | —† | 10.9% | 8 | — | 4.11 | 4.31 |
| UC San Diego → Selective | 51 | 4 | —† | 7.8% | 5 | — | 4.08 | —† |
| UC Santa Barbara → Selective | 45 | 14 | —† | 31.1% | 18 | — | 4.06 | 4.30 |
| UC Irvine → Selective | 43 | 6 | —† | 14.0% | 8 | — | 4.08 | 4.16 |
| UC Davis → | 43 | 12 | —† | 27.9% | 15 | — | 4.11 | 4.22 |
What This Means
At a glance
JSON · Using this page with an AI assistantCrystal Springs Uplands School is a private high school in Hillsborough, San Mateo County, California with 80 seniors in the Class of 2025.
Its UC Reach Score is 64 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 51 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 80, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 95% of California high schools.
In 2025 its students filed 289 UC applications and received 51 offers, a UC admit rate of 17.6% (counted at each campus).
Enrollment was 347 students in 2025, about the same as in 2020.
Crystal Springs Uplands School publishes a matriculation list (where its graduates enrolled) for the 2023-2026: 95 colleges. Source: Where Crystal Alumni Go to College (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 Crystal Springs Uplands School's UC Reach Score? Crystal Springs Uplands School's UC Reach Score is 64 (Excellent, top 6% in California): 51 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 80, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 95% of California high schools.
How many students from Crystal Springs Uplands School got into a UC? In 2025 its students filed 289 UC applications and received 51 offers, a UC admit rate of 17.6% (counted at each campus).
Where do Crystal Springs Uplands School graduates go to college? Crystal Springs Uplands School publishes a matriculation list (where its graduates enrolled) for the 2023-2026: 95 colleges. Source: Where Crystal Alumni Go to College (college-counseling page).
How many students attend Crystal Springs Uplands School? Enrollment was 347 students in 2025, about the same as in 2020.
What is the tuition at Crystal Springs Uplands School? At Crystal Springs Uplands School, tuition is $68,600 for 2026-27.
Does Crystal Springs Uplands School require an entrance exam? At Crystal Springs Uplands School, no entrance exam is required.
When is the application deadline for Crystal Springs Uplands School? At Crystal Springs Uplands School, applications are due Jan 5, 2027.
Is Crystal Springs Uplands School a good school for college admissions? Crystal Springs Uplands School's UC Reach Score is 64 (Excellent, top 6% in California; higher than 95% of California high schools), from 51 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 80 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list without 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 Crystal Springs Uplands School?
When a parent asks an AI assistant about Crystal Springs Uplands 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 Crystal Springs Uplands School and where it comes from. The first report is free.
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