Mater Dei Catholic High School
Chula Vista · San Diego County · Catholic religious-affiliated
Compare with peers
Most similar nearby schools
Saint Augustine High School → Academy Our Lady of Peace → La Jolla Country Day School → Santa Fe Christian School → JSerra Catholic High School → Compare all similar →A parent's read
- Where graduates go, as the school itself publishes it. Mater Dei Catholic High School publishes where its graduates go: 12 colleges, including UCLA, Columbia University, Cornell University, Brown.
- The UC pipeline here is real. 104 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 294 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 22% of California high schools.
- And it's a rising stock. UC admissions per senior have climbed three years running — the trend line, not just the snapshot, is moving the right way.
- Elite admits are rare — here and everywhere. Berkeley and UCLA admitted 14 of this class's 549 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
Mater Dei Catholic High School publishes its college acceptances: 12 colleges. See the full list ↓
At a glance
- 26 AP courses offered (school profile)
- 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. exam pass rate 83%
Composed from the school's own published profile (2024), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
Admissions at a glance
Is Mater Dei Catholic High School a good school for college admissions?
Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach Score is 35 (Above average, top 25% in California; higher than 78% of California high schools), from 104 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 294 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list without per-college counts.
How hard is it to get into Mater Dei Catholic High School?
Admissions at Mater Dei Catholic High School: tuition is $21,750 for 2026-27 and the school serves 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 San Diego County · Entrance exams in San Diego County · Is Mater Dei Catholic High School worth the tuition?
Private high schools near Mater Dei Catholic High School
Five private high schools within 24 miles of Mater Dei Catholic High School, with tuition and the exam each requires where the school publishes them.
| School | City | Miles | Grades | Tuition | Entrance exam | UC Reach Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristo Rey San Diego High School | San Diego | 9.4 | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | 6 | |
| Saint Augustine High School | San Diego | 11.7 | 9–12 | HSPT | 14 | |
| Academy Our Lady of Peace | San Diego | 13.6 | 9–12 | $26,250 | No entrance exam posted | 33 |
| La Jolla Country Day School | La Jolla | 22.7 | $48,900 | ISEE or SSAT | 49 | |
| The Bishop's School | La Jolla | 23.2 | 6–12 | $52,500 | ISEE or SSAT | 69 |
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 acceptances
College acceptances
Mater Dei Catholic High School publishes the colleges that admitted its graduates. What follows is copied from that document — 12 colleges, in the document's own order.
Years, as the document states them
Not printed (no class year stated near this list)
Ivy+ and most selective · 6
Penn · MIT · Columbia University · Cornell University · Brown · The University of Chicago
University of California · 2
Other California · 2
Out of state · 1
Not matched to a college page · 1
USC University of Southern California
Is my kid's college on this list?
The school down the road: Academy Our Lady of Peace
| College | Mater Dei Catholic High School | Academy Our Lady of Peace |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | ✓ named | ✓ named |
| Boston College | — | ✓ named |
| Boston University | — | ✓ named |
| Brown | ✓ named | — |
| Columbia University | ✓ named | — |
| Cornell University | ✓ named | — |
| Johns Hopkins University | — | ✓ named |
| MIT | ✓ named | — |
| NYU | ✓ named | — |
| Northeastern University | — | ✓ named |
| Penn | ✓ named | — |
| The University of Chicago | ✓ named | — |
Both schools print names, not counts, so this shows which selective colleges each list names.
As the document prints them
These graduates were admitted 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School — School Profile 2025-26 (MDC_2526_SchoolProfileDigital_V3.pdf) ↗. Found at: p.2, left column, logo banner under the heading "Our graduates have been accepted into these and other outstanding universities:" (image-only band, x 33-248pt /.
What does Mater Dei Catholic High School publish about its class profile?
These figures come from the school's own published profile (as of 2024); each links to that document.
- AP courses offered: 26 (as of 2024) Source: resources.finalsite.net ↗
- AP exams scored 3 or higher: 83% (as of 2024) Source: resources.finalsite.net ↗
Keep this page current
Work at Mater Dei Catholic High 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School compares for families
Above-average college outcomes statewide.
- ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 35 — 16 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 78% of California high schools.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsRight at the peer median (UC Reach Score 34) 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.
Enrollment trend & projection
If this trend holds (+5.5%/yr, Total enrollment)
At tuition of $ / student:
| Horizon | Projected Total enrollment | Change | Tuition impact / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yr (2026) | ~1,290 | +68 | $0 |
| 3 yr (2028) | ~1,436 | +214 | $0 |
| 5 yr (2030) | ~1,600 | +378 | $0 |
Straight-line extrapolation of the recent annual rate — a what-if, not a forecast of intent. Default = a typical CA Catholic high school ($10k–18k). Edit the figure to match your school.
How does Mater Dei Catholic High 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
Saint Augustine High School · Academy Our Lady of Peace · LA Jolla Country Day School · Santa Fe Christian School · Jserra Catholic High School · Bishops School · +4 more
Diocesan context — Diocese of San Diego
DioceseDiocese of San Diego is the canonical governance body for Catholic schools in this region — board policy, tuition guidance, and shared services typically originate here. Visit the diocesan website →
Financial figures aren't shown because Catholic (arch)dioceses don't file IRS Form 990 — they're covered by the USCCB Group Ruling (GEN 0928), which exempts dioceses, parishes, and parochial schools from individual filing. School counts above are hand-compiled from each diocese's published schools-department information.
Mater Dei Catholic High School sent 549 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 18.9% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 35 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 16 points above the California median of 19, higher than 78% of California high schools. The school produces 4.8 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.
19
34
53
35
Higher than 78% of California high schools (1105 ranked, ≥50 seniors)
Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach Score of 35 is in the top quartile statewide (median 19; top 25% bar 33) — but it's still below the top-10% bar of 53.
For context, the elite tier (top 1%) clears 95 — a gap of 60 pp from where this school sits.
Overall, Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach is higher than 78% 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 | 3.96 | 4.26 | +0.29 | 9.6% | Peers +0.24 · steeper |
| UCLA | 3.92 | 4.27 | +0.35 | 8.9% | Peers +0.31 · steeper |
| UC San Diego | 3.87 | 4.26 | +0.39 | 15.7% | Peers +0.31 · steeper |
| UC Santa Barbara | 3.93 | 4.24 | +0.31 | 29.4% | Peers +0.29 · matches |
| UC Irvine | 3.87 | 4.12 | +0.25 | 14.9% | Peers +0.28 · matches |
| UC Davis | 3.88 | 4.09 | +0.21 | 42.9% | Peers +0.26 · 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ
Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (18.5% actual vs. 21.0% 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 | 66 | 5 | —† | 7.6% | 2 | — | 3.96 | 4.26 |
| UCLA → Elite | 95 | 9 | 8 | 9.5% | 3 | 88.9% | 3.92 | 4.27 |
| UC San Diego → Selective | 127 | 19 | 6 | 15.0% | 6 | 31.6% | 3.87 | 4.26 |
| UC Santa Barbara → Selective | 88 | 22 | —† | 25.0% | 7 | — | 3.93 | 4.24 |
| UC Irvine → Selective | 98 | 16 | 6 | 16.3% | 5 | 37.5% | 3.87 | 4.12 |
| UC Davis → | 75 | 33 | 4 | 44.0% | 11 | 12.1% | 3.88 | 4.09 |
What This Means
At a glance
JSON · Using this page with an AI assistantMater Dei Catholic High School is a private high school in Chula Vista, San Diego County, California with 294 seniors in the Class of 2025.
Its UC Reach Score is 35 (Above average, top 25% in California): 104 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 294, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 78% of California high schools.
In 2025 its students filed 549 UC applications and received 104 offers, a UC admit rate of 18.9% (counted at each campus); 24 enrolled.
More of its graduates enrolled at UCLA than at any other UC campus (8 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 14.
Enrollment was 1,222 students in 2025, up 30% since 2020.
Mater Dei Catholic High School publishes a college acceptances list for the Not printed (no class year stated near this list): 12 colleges. Source: School Profile 2025-26 (MDC_2526_SchoolProfileDigital_V3.pdf).
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 Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach Score? Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach Score is 35 (Above average, top 25% in California): 104 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 294, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 78% of California high schools.
How many students from Mater Dei Catholic High School got into a UC? In 2025 its students filed 549 UC applications and received 104 offers, a UC admit rate of 18.9% (counted at each campus); 24 enrolled.
Which UC campus do Mater Dei Catholic High School graduates attend most? More of Mater Dei Catholic High School's graduates enrolled at UCLA than at any other UC campus (8 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 14.
Where do Mater Dei Catholic High School graduates go to college? Mater Dei Catholic High School publishes a college acceptances list for the Not printed (no class year stated near this list): 12 colleges. Source: School Profile 2025-26 (MDC_2526_SchoolProfileDigital_V3.pdf).
How many students attend Mater Dei Catholic High School? Enrollment was 1,222 students in 2025, up 30% since 2020.
What is the tuition at Mater Dei Catholic High School? At Mater Dei Catholic High School, tuition is $21,750 for 2026-27.
Is Mater Dei Catholic High School a good school for college admissions? Mater Dei Catholic High School's UC Reach Score is 35 (Above average, top 25% in California; higher than 78% of California high schools), from 104 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 294 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School?
When a parent asks an AI assistant about Mater Dei Catholic High 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 Mater Dei Catholic High School and where it comes from. The first report is free.
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