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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

  • Where graduates go, as the school itself publishes it. Mater Dei High School publishes where its graduates go (Class of 2026): 263 colleges, including Boston College+, Boston University, Brown University, Claremont McKenna College.
  • 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.

Where graduates go — as published by the school

Mater Dei High School publishes its college acceptances (Class of 2026): 263 colleges. See the full list ↓

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.

Admissions at a glance

Is Mater Dei High School a good school for college admissions?

Mater Dei High School's UC Reach Score is 36 (Above average, top 25% in California; higher than 78% of California high schools), from 187 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 514 seniors in 2025, and it publishes a college list without per-college counts.

How hard is it to get into Mater Dei High School?

Mater Dei High School does not post an acceptance rate on its admissions pages; the HSPT is required and tuition is $21,150 for 2026-27.

Grades served
9–12
school site
Enrollment
1,849
2025 count
Tuition
$21,150
2026-27, school site
Application fee
$80
school site
Entrance exam
HSPT
materdei.org
Decisions
Jan 22, 2027
Early Tuition Assistance notifications
Next open house or tour
Jan 13, 2027
Winter Open House
Acceptance rate
Not posted
admissions pages checked Oct 2026

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 Orange County · Entrance exams in Orange County · Is Mater Dei High School worth the tuition?

Private high schools near Mater Dei High School

Five private high schools within 9 miles of Mater Dei High School, with tuition and the exam each requires where the school publishes them.

School City Miles Grades Tuition Entrance exam UC Reach Score
Calvary Chapel High School Santa Ana 2.4 9–12 No entrance exam posted 28
Orangewood Academy Garden Grove 3.1 K–12 $15,765 No entrance exam posted
Orange Lutheran High School Orange 7.4 9–12 No entrance exam 37
Sage Hill School Newport Coast 8.1 7–12 $58,100 ISEE or SSAT 151
Crean Lutheran High School Irvine 8.9 9–12 $23,575 No entrance exam posted 94

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, Class of 2026

Mater Dei High School publishes the colleges that admitted its graduates. What follows is copied from that document — 263 colleges, in the document's own order.

Ivy+ and most selective · 4

Brown University · Cornell University · Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Stanford University

University of California · 9

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, Santa Barbara · University of California, Santa Cruz

Cal State · 18

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo · California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt · California State Polytechnic University, Pomona · California State University, Bakersfield · California State University, Channel Islands · 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, Monterey Bay · California State University, Northridge · California State University, San Bernardino · California State University, San Marcos · and 4 more below

Other California · 24

Azusa Pacific University · Biola University · California Baptist University · California Lutheran University · Chapman University · Claremont McKenna College · Concordia University Irvine · Cypress College · La Sierra University · Loyola Marymount University+ · Occidental College · Pepperdine University · Point Loma Nazarene University · Saint Mary's College of California+ · and 10 more below

Out of state · 174

American University · Arizona Christian University · Arizona State University · Auburn University · Babson College · Barry University+ · Baylor University · Bennington College · Berklee College of Music · Boise State University · Boston College+ · Boston University · Butler University · Case Western Reserve University · and 160 more below

Not matched to a college page · 34

Anglo-American University · Assumption University+ · Belmont Abbey College+ · Benedictine College+ · Chaminade University of Honolulu+ · City College of San Francisco · College of the Holy Cross+ · Dominican University+ · Franciscan University of Steubenville+ · Fullerton College · Golden West College · Hult International Business School, London · Irvine Valley College · Kansas City University · and 20 more below

Is my kid's college on this list?

✓ Stanford University ✓ New York University ✓ University of Southern California ✓ University of California, Los Angeles ✓ University of California, Berkeley ✓ University of Michigan ✓ Cornell University ✓ Boston University ✓ Northeastern University ✓ University of Texas at Austin — Georgetown University — Duke University

The school down the road: Orange Lutheran High School

CollegeMater Dei High SchoolOrange Lutheran High School
Boston College+✓ named✓ named
Boston University✓ named✓ named
Brown University✓ named✓ named
Carnegie Mellon University—✓ named
Columbia University—✓ named
Cornell University✓ named✓ named
Dartmouth College—✓ named
Duke University—✓ named
Georgia Institute of Technology✓ named✓ named
Harvard University—✓ named
Massachusetts Institute of Technology✓ named✓ named
New York University✓ named✓ named

Both schools print names, not counts, so this shows which selective colleges each list names.

All 263 colleges, as the document prints them
American University Anglo-American University Arizona Christian University Arizona State University Assumption University+ Auburn University Azusa Pacific University Babson College Barry University+ Baylor University Belmont Abbey College+ Benedictine College+ Bennington College Berklee College of Music Biola University Boise State University Boston College+ Boston University Brown University Butler University California Baptist University California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Bakersfield California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, Fresno California State University, Fullerton
and 233 more
California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Northridge California State University, San Bernardino California State University, San Marcos Case Western Reserve University Central Washington University Chaminade University of Honolulu+ Chapman University Chicago State University City College of San Francisco Claremont McKenna College Clemson University College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross+ Colorado Mesa University Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Concordia University Irvine Cornell University Creighton University+ Cypress College DePaul University+ Dickinson College Dominican University+ Drake University Drexel University East Texas Baptist University Eckerd College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Emerson College Emmanuel College+ Fairfield University+ Fisher College Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Florida State University Fordham University+ Franciscan University of Steubenville+ Franklin & Marshall College Fullerton College Georgia Institute of Technology Golden West College Gonzaga University+ Grand Canyon University Hawaii Pacific University High Point University Holy Cross College+ Howard University Hult International Business School, London Indiana University Bloomington Irvine Valley College Kansas City University Kansas State University Keiser University Kent State University Kenyon College La Sierra University Lewis & Clark College Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Long Island University, Post Los Angeles Trade Technical College Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University+ Loyola University Chicago+ Manhattan University+ Manhattanville University Marquette University+ Marymount University+ Maryville University of Saint Louis+ Massachusetts Institute of Technology Menlo College Metropolitan State University of Denver Miami University Middletown Michigan State University Milligan University Mississippi State University Montana State University Morehead State University Mount Saint Mary's University+ New York Film Academy New York University Newberry College North Carolina State University North Dakota State University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Norwich University Occidental College Ohio State University Oklahoma State University Orange Coast College Oregon State University Oregon State University, Cascades Penn State University Park Pepperdine University Point Loma Nazarene University Portland State University Providence College+ Purdue University Quinnipiac University Regis University+ Rhodes College Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology Roger Williams University Rutgers University Sacred Heart University+ Saddleback College Saint Edward's University+ Saint Joseph's University+ Saint Louis University, Madrid+ Saint Mary's College of California+ Salve Regina University+ Samford University San Diego College of Continuing Education San Diego State University San Francisco State University San Jose State University Santa Ana College Santa Clara University+ Santa Monica College Santiago Canyon College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University+ Seton Hall University+ Sonoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southern Methodist University Southern Utah University St. John's University+ Stanford University Stonehill College+ Stony Brook University Syracuse University Tallahassee State College Temple University Texas A&M University Texas Christian University Texas State University Texas Tech University The Catholic University of America+ The George Washington University The New School Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University UEI College, Garden Grove United States Military Academy University of Alabama University of Arizona University of Arkansas 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, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Arkansas University of Charleston University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Colorado Springs University of Colorado Denver University of Connecticut University of Denver University of Georgia University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Houston University of Idaho University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of La Verne University of Louisville University of Mary+ University of Maryland University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota Duluth University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus University of Mississippi University of Missouri University of Missouri, St. Louis University of Mount Saint Vincent+ University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno University of New Hampshire University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Northern Colorado University of Notre Dame+ University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Portland+ University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of Rochester University of San Diego+ University of San Francisco+ University of Scranton+ University of South Carolina, Columbia University of Southern California University of St Andrews University of Tennessee University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at Dallas University of the Pacific University of Utah University of Utah Asia Campus University of Virginia University of Washington University of West Georgia University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Wyoming Utah State University Vanguard University of Southern California Villanova University+ Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech University Washington State University West Coast University Westminster University Wheaton College Willamette University Xavier 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.

What does Mater Dei High 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 Mater Dei 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 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.

You've seen Mater Dei High 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 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.

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 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) — 17 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 (1105 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 (1105 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 26.1% · 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 16.0 · 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 →

At a glance

JSON · Using this page with an AI assistant

Mater Dei High School is a private high school in Santa Ana, Orange County, California with 514 seniors in the Class of 2025.

Its UC Reach Score is 36 (Above average, top 25% in California): 187 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 514, so a student admitted to several campuses counts at each. That is higher than 78% of California high schools.

In 2025 its students filed 906 UC applications and received 187 offers, a UC admit rate of 20.6% (counted at each campus); 54 enrolled.

More of its graduates enrolled at UCLA than at any other UC campus (15 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 36.

Of its graduates who enrolled at a UC, 87% earned a degree within six years (cohort entering 2019).

Enrollment was 1,849 students in 2025, down 14% since 2020.

Mater Dei High School publishes a college acceptances list for the Class of 2026: 263 colleges. Source: 2025-2026 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 Mater Dei High School's UC Reach Score? Mater Dei High School's UC Reach Score is 36 (Above average, top 25% in California): 187 UC admits (counted at each UC) from a senior class of 514, 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 High School got into a UC? In 2025 its students filed 906 UC applications and received 187 offers, a UC admit rate of 20.6% (counted at each campus); 54 enrolled.

Which UC campus do Mater Dei High School graduates attend most? More of Mater Dei High School's graduates enrolled at UCLA than at any other UC campus (15 in 2025); UC Berkeley and UCLA together admitted 36.

Where do Mater Dei High School graduates go to college? Mater Dei High School publishes a college acceptances list for the Class of 2026: 263 colleges. Source: 2025-2026 School Profile.

How many students attend Mater Dei High School? Enrollment was 1,849 students in 2025, down 14% since 2020.

What is the tuition at Mater Dei High School? At Mater Dei High School, tuition is $21,150 for 2026-27.

Does Mater Dei High School require an entrance exam? At Mater Dei High School, the HSPT is required.

Is Mater Dei High School a good school for college admissions? Mater Dei High School's UC Reach Score is 36 (Above average, top 25% in California; higher than 78% of California high schools), from 187 UC admits (counted at each UC) for 514 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 High School?

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

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All stories from the data →

For Parents

Researching colleges for your kid at Mater Dei High School?

Check any college's odds in 10 seconds — no email needed — then get the free Family Decision Report: Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely with real admit odds and your real net price, for every college on their list.

Check your child's odds →

For School Admins looking at enrollment trends: request a Reach Report →

What are your child's odds? →

What families ask next

Is our high school good? CA high-school rankings → See where any school ranks among 3,929 California high schools. What will it cost — and pay back? Guaranteed merit scholarships → Enter scores and GPA — see which awards colleges already promise. What do we do next? Free Family Decision Report Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely for every college on their list, plus the real cost. Start with a 10-second odds check — no email needed. Check odds →