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Mater Dei High School

Santa Ana · Orange County · Catholic religious-affiliated

Private Orange County ~514 seniors
Shareable scorecard →
36 UC Reach Score · Above average 21 AP courses

A parent's read

  • The UC pipeline here is real. 187 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 514 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 22% of California high schools.
  • The UC surprise: most admits from the middle campuses — most enrollments at UCLA. The middle campuses said yes far more often — 151 of this class's 187 UC admits came from San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Davis. But the campus grads chose most is UCLA: 15 of its 17 admits took the seat. Those offers are rare — and when kids from here win one, they keep it.
  • 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.

At a glance

Programs & features
  • 21 AP courses offered (school profile)
Academic signals
  • SAT avg 1184
  • ACT avg 26

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

Where grads go — and what it costs & pays

UC Reach Score
36
Above average top 25% 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
19 admitted
6 enrolled
Net $13,481/yr avg
Grads earn $92,446 @10yr
UCLA
17 admitted
15 enrolled
Net $12,548/yr avg
Grads earn $82,511 @10yr
UCSD
35 admitted
7 enrolled
Net $12,470/yr avg
Grads earn $84,943 @10yr
UCSB
44 admitted
9 enrolled
Net $16,109/yr avg
Grads earn $74,915 @10yr
UCI
43 admitted
11 enrolled
Net $14,251/yr avg
Grads earn $80,735 @10yr
UCD
29 admitted
6 enrolled
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.

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How Mater Dei High School compares for families

Above-average college outcomes statewide.

  • ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 36 — 17 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 78% of California high schools.
  • ▸ vs Similar SchoolsRight at the peer median (UC Reach Score 33) across the 5 most similar nearby schools.

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Their published college acceptances

College acceptances, Class of 2025

Mater Dei High School publishes the colleges that admitted its graduates. What follows is copied from that document — 185 colleges, in the document's own order.

American University Arizona Chrisitan University Arizona State University Auburn University Baylor University Belmont University Benedictine College Boise State University Boston College Brown University Butler University California Aeronautical University California Baptist University California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, Pomona California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt California State University, Bakersfield California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, Fresno California State University, Fullerton California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Maritime Academy California State University, Northridge California State University, San Diego California State University, San Francisco
and 155 more
California State University, San Jose California State University, San Marcos California State University, Sonoma Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Claremont McKenna College Clemson University Colby College Colgate University College of Charleston Columbia University Concordia University Cornell University Creighton University DePaul University Dominican University Duke University Emory University Fashion Institute of Technology Florida State University Fordham University Franciscan University of Steubenville George Washington University Georgetown University Golden West College Gonzaga University Grand Canyon University Harvard University High Point University Holy Cross College Indiana University, Bloomington Iowa State University Irvine Valley College Jacksonville University John Carrol University John Paul the Great Catholic University Johns Hopkins University Long Island University Longwood University Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University, Chicago Manhattan University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Miami University, Ohio Michigan State University Mount Saint Mary's University Mount San Antonio College New York University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northern Kentucky University Northwestern University Ohio State University Oklahoma Panhandle State University Oklahoma State University Orange Coast College Oregon State University Otis College of Art and Design Parsons School Design (The New School) Pennsylvania State University, Altoona Pennsylvania State University, Behrend Pepperdine University Point Loma Nazarene University Portland State University Pratt Institute Princeton University Purdue University Rochester Institute of Technology Rutgers University Saint Louis University Saint Mary's College of California Santa Ana College Santa Clara University Santa Monica College Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Seton Hall University Southern Methodist University Southern Utah University Southwestern University St. Joseph's University Stanford University Syracuse University Texas A & M University Texas Christian University Texas Southern University Texas Tech University Tulane University United States Air Force Academy United States Military Academy (West Point) United States Naval Academy University of Alabama University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Merced University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, San Francisco University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Colorado, Boulder University of Colorado, Colorado Springs University of Connecticut University of Dayton University of Florida University of Georgia University of Hawaii at Mānoa University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne University of Indiana, Bloomington University of Kentucky University of Maine University of Miami University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Mississippi University of Missouri University of Nebraska University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Portland University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Sioux Falls University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of Tennessee University of Texas at Austin University of the Pacific University of Utah University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington, Seattle University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Wyoming Utah State University Utah Tech University Vanderbilt University Vanguard University Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Wake Forest University Washington University, St. Louis West Virginia University Westmont College Whittier College Willamette University William Jessup University

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.

As published, source linked As published by Mater Dei High School — 2025-2026 School Profile ↗. Found at: p.3, 'COLLEGE ADMISSIONS' section, immediately followed by 'CLASS OF 2025' placement stats.

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 High School's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment (9–12)
2,143 (2020) → 1,849 (2025)
-13.7%
Grade 12 (graduating class)
497 (2020) → 514 (2025)
+3.4%

If this trend holds (-2.8%/yr, Total enrollment)

At tuition of $ / student:

Horizon Projected Total enrollment Change Tuition impact / yr
1 yr (2026) ~1,797 -52 $0
3 yr (2028) ~1,696 -153 $0
5 yr (2030) ~1,601 -248 $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 High School really compare on getting kids to college?

We've ranked it #5 of 10 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

Orange Lutheran High School · Crean Lutheran High School · Jserra Catholic High School · Calvary Chapel High School · Harvard-Westlake School · Servite High School · +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.

Diocesan context — Diocese of Orange

Diocese
Counties covered
Orange
Schools operated (K–12)
~39
approx; from diocesan reports
Other Catholic HS tracked
5
in this diocese, on this site

Diocese of Orange 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.

Key takeaway · Class of 2025

Mater Dei High School sent 906 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 20.6% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 36 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 18 points above the California median of 19, higher than 78% of California high schools. The school produces 7.0 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.

UC Reach Score 36 ⓘ 187 admits (counted at each UC) / 514 seniors +4 pts above peer median (33) · #5 of 10 similar schools methodology
Where this sits on the California curve
CA median
19
Peer median
33
Top 10%
53
This school
36
050100
CA median 19 Top 10% ≥ 53 This school 36

Higher than 78% of California high schools (1107 ranked, ≥50 seniors)

What this number means

Mater Dei High School's UC Reach Score of 36 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 59 pp from where this school sits.

Overall, Mater Dei High School's UC Reach is higher than 78% of California high schools (1107 ranked).

UC Application Reach Score ⓘ
176
906 applications
Most seniors are applying to at least one of the six most selective UCs (applications counted at each campus).
In context: CA median 81 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 240 · Orange Co. Top 10% ≥ 294 · higher than 82% of CA HS.
UC Admit Rate ⓘ
20.6%
187 / 906 applications
In context: CA median 26.0% · Top 10% statewide ≥ 40.4% · higher than 19% of CA HS.
UC Yield Rate ⓘ
28.9%
54 enrolled of 187 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 ⓘ
11
54 enrollees / 514 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 ⓘ
87% of this school's UC entrants earn the degree within six years — about the norm.
87%
68% finished in 4 yrs · N=76 entered 2019
In context: CA median 88.6% · -1.8 pp vs. median.
Selective UC Reach (UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI — incl. the Elite two) ⓘ
30.7
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 15.9 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 42.2 · higher than 80% of CA HS.
Elite UC Reach (UCB + UCLA) ⓘ
7.0
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 3.4 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 10.2 · higher than 76% of CA HS.
Senior Class Size ⓘ
514
Private School Affidavit
Total School Enrollment ⓘ
1,849
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 ⓘ
3.87
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 Mater Dei High 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 3.93 4.19 +0.26 10.0% Peers +0.26 · matches
UCLA 3.90 4.23 +0.33 9.8% Peers +0.32 · matches
UC San Diego 3.86 4.23 +0.37 18.9% Peers +0.32 · steeper
UC Santa Barbara 3.87 4.26 +0.39 23.8% Peers +0.32 · steeper
UC Irvine 3.83 4.15 +0.32 25.7% Peers +0.32 · matches
UC Davis 3.83 4.09 +0.26 34.4% Peers +0.28 · 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%
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 Mater Dei High School sits vs. all California schools ⓘ

Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (19.1% actual vs. 20.4% 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 125 19 6 15.2% 4 31.6% 3.93 4.19
UCLA → Elite 201 17 15 8.5% 3 88.2% 3.90 4.23
UC San Diego → Selective 176 35 7 19.9% 7 20.0% 3.86 4.23
UC Santa Barbara → Selective 168 44 9 26.2% 9 20.5% 3.87 4.26
UC Irvine → Selective 157 43 11 27.4% 8 25.6% 3.83 4.15
UC Davis → 79 29 6 36.7% 6 20.7% 3.83 4.09
† = 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 solid. A meaningful share of the senior class is achieving UC admission, and there is likely room to grow both application volume and admission outcomes.
Students are earning UC admission but enrolling elsewhere at a notable rate. This may reflect competition from private colleges, out-of-state flagships, cost considerations, or UC campus fit. Student outcome surveys can clarify.
The school generates broad UC access, but fewer students are reaching the most selective UC campuses (UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, UCSB, UCI). Targeted academic enrichment and campus-fit advising may help.
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 Orange County rankings →

Related reading

How to spot an elite high school in the data

Behind the data · August 24, 2026

Orange County's top 25 high schools for UC admits

Orange County · League table · August 18, 2026

All stories from the data →

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