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Salesian College Preparatory

Richmond · Contra Costa County · Catholic religious-affiliated

Private Contra Costa County ~96 seniors CDS 0761796…
Shareable scorecard →
45 UC Reach Score · Above average 15 AP courses

A parent's read

  • The UC pipeline here is real. 43 admissions to the top six UC campuses for a class of 96 seniors puts this school in roughly the top 14% 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 7 of this class's 214 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.

At a glance

Programs & features
  • 15 AP courses offered (school profile)

Composed from the school's own published profile (2020), and other public data. Full breakdowns below.

Where grads go — and what it costs & pays

UC Reach Score
45
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
4 admitted
4 enrolled
Net $13,481/yr avg
Grads earn $92,446 @10yr
UCLA
3 admitted
Net $12,548/yr avg
Grads earn $82,511 @10yr
UCSD
4 admitted
Net $12,470/yr avg
Grads earn $84,943 @10yr
UCSB
5 admitted
Net $16,109/yr avg
Grads earn $74,915 @10yr
UCI
9 admitted
Net $14,251/yr avg
Grads earn $80,735 @10yr
UCD
18 admitted
7 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:

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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 Salesian College Preparatory compares for families

Top-tier college outcomes for California families.

  • ▸ StatewideUC Reach Score of 45 — 26 points above the California median of 19. Ahead of 86% of California high schools.
  • ▸ vs Similar SchoolsRight at the peer median (UC Reach Score 48) across the 5 most similar nearby schools.

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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.

Their published college acceptances

College acceptances

Salesian College Preparatory publishes the colleges that admitted its graduates. What follows is copied from that document — 169 colleges, in the document's own order.

Years, as the document states them
the past three years

Academy of Art University Alabama A&M University Alabama State University Arizona State University Art Institute of Seattle Ateneo de Manila University Auburn University Azusa Pacific Baruch College of CUNY Belmont University Baylor University Berklee College of Music Bethune-Cookman University Boise State University California Lutheran University California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo California State University, Bakersfield California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills California State University, East Bay California State University, Fresno California State University, Fullerton California State University, Humboldt California State University, Long Beach California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Northridge California State University, Sacramento California State University, San Bernardino
and 139 more
California State University, San Diego California State University, San Francisco California State University, San Jose California State University, San Marcos California State University, Sonoma California State University, Stanislaus Champlain College Chapman University Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Clark Atlanta University Cogswell Polytechnical College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Concordia University - Montreal Cornell College Cornish College of the Arts DePaul University Dominican University of California Drake University Drexel University Emerson College Fordham University Georgetown University Georgia State University Grambling University Hampton University Hofstra University Hollins University Holy Names University Howard University Idaho State University Indiana Institute of Technology Indiana University at Bloomington Ithaca College John Carroll University Langston University Lawrence University Lewis and Clark State College Lincoln University Livingstone College Loyola Marymount University Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Merrimack College Miami University, Oxford Michigan State University Middle Tennessee State University Mills College Montana State University Morehouse College Muhlenberg College New Jersey Institute of Technology New York Institute of Technology Manhattan Campus New York University North Carolina A&T State University Northern Arizona University Notre Dame de Namur University Oregon Institute of Technology Oregon State University Pace University Pacific University Parsons School of Design Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Philander Smith College Portland State University Pratt Institute Purdue University Radford University Rider University Rhode Island College Salve Regina University San Francisco Art Institute Saint Augustine's University Santa Clara University Scripps College Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Shaw University Southern Connecticut State University Southern Oregon University Spelman College St. John's University St. Mary's College of California Stanford University Syracuse University Talladega College Texas A & M University Thomas More College of Liberal Arts Trinity College Dublin Tuskegee University 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, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Hawaii University of Idaho University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign University of Kentucky University of La Verne University of Louisville University of Maine University of Miami University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno University of Oklahoma University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of Redlands University of Rhode Island University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of Texas, Austin University of Texas, Arlington University of the Pacific University of Utah University of Washington University of Wisconsin Vassar College Virginia State University Washington State University Wellesley College West Virginia University, IT Western Washington Whittier College Whitworth University 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.

Independently verified As published by Salesian College Preparatory — School Profile (PDF filename and internal enrollment stats date this to the 2019-2020 school year -- likely outdated; no ↗. Found at: p.3, under the header 'College Matriculation', body text 'Over the past three years, Salesian graduates were accepted to the following schools:'.

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 Salesian College Preparatory's 2025 number, statewide percentile, and 5-year trend.

Enrollment trend & projection

Total enrollment (9–12)
394 (2020) → 428 (2025)
+8.6%
Grade 12 (graduating class)
112 (2020) → 96 (2025)
-14.3%

If this trend holds (+2.1%/yr, Total enrollment)

At tuition of $ / student:

Horizon Projected Total enrollment Change Tuition impact / yr
1 yr (2026) ~437 +9 $0
3 yr (2028) ~455 +27 $0
5 yr (2030) ~474 +46 $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 Salesian College Preparatory really compare on getting kids to college?

We've ranked it #8 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

Saint Joseph-Notre Dame High School · Saint Mary's College High Scho · Berean Christian High School · Marin Academy · College 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.

Diocesan context — Diocese of Oakland

Diocese
Counties covered
Alameda, Contra Costa
Schools operated (K–12)
~50
approx; from diocesan reports
Other Catholic HS tracked
7
in this diocese, on this site

Diocese of Oakland 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

Salesian College Preparatory sent 214 applications to the six most selective University of California campuses and 20.1% were admitted, producing a UC Reach Score of 45 (top-6 UC admits per 100 seniors, counting a student at each campus that admitted them) — 26 points above the California median of 19, higher than 86% of California high schools. The school produces 7.3 UCLA + UC Berkeley admits per 100 seniors.

UC Reach Score 45 ⓘ 43 admits (counted at each UC) / 96 seniors -4 pts vs. peer median (48) · #8 of 11 similar schools methodology
Where this sits on the California curve
CA median
19
Peer median
48
Top 10%
53
This school
45
050100
CA median 19 Top 10% ≥ 53 This school 45

Higher than 86% of California high schools (1107 ranked, ≥50 seniors)

What this number means

Salesian College Preparatory's UC Reach Score of 45 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 50 pp from where this school sits.

Overall, Salesian College Preparatory's UC Reach is higher than 86% of California high schools (1107 ranked).

UC Application Reach Score ⓘ
223
214 applications
Strong UC pursuit. The typical senior is applying to about 2 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 88% of CA HS.
UC Admit Rate ⓘ
20.1%
43 / 214 applications
In context: CA median 26.0% · Top 10% statewide ≥ 40.4% · higher than 17% of CA HS.
UC Yield Rate ⓘ
25.6%
11 enrolled of 43 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
11 enrollees / 96 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 ⓘ
82% of this school's UC entrants earn the degree within six years — about the norm.
82%
64% finished in 4 yrs · N=28 entered 2012
In context: CA median 87.0% · -4.9 pp vs. median.
Selective UC Reach (UCB, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, UCI — incl. the Elite two) ⓘ
26.0
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 15.9 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 42.2 · higher than 74% of CA HS.
Elite UC Reach (UCB + UCLA) ⓘ
7.3
per 100 seniors · campus-level total
In context: CA median 3.4 · Top 10% statewide ≥ 10.2 · higher than 77% of CA HS.
Senior Class Size ⓘ
96
Private School Affidavit
Total School Enrollment ⓘ
428
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 ⓘ
3.79
Avg. Admitted GPA · top-6 UCs ⓘ
4.18

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 Salesian College Preparatory
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 3.86 4.21 +0.34 17.5% Peers +0.31 · matches
UCLA (2022) 3.88 4.12 +0.24 14.0% Peers +0.34 · wider
UC San Diego 3.80 4.23 +0.43 14.7% Peers +0.35 · steeper
UC Santa Barbara 3.66 4.27 +0.61 25.9% Peers +0.41 · steeper
UC Irvine 3.79 4.18 +0.39 27.3% Peers +0.35 · steeper
UC Davis 3.74 4.11 +0.36 40.5% Peers +0.32 · steeper
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 Salesian College Preparatory sits vs. all California schools ⓘ

Overall, this school admits its UC applicants in line with what their GPAs predict (25.1% actual vs. 23.9% 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 40 4 4 10.0% 4 100.0% 3.86 4.21
UCLA → Elite 34 3 —† 8.8% 3 — 3.83 —†
UC San Diego → Selective 34 4 —† 11.8% 4 — 3.80 4.23
UC Santa Barbara → Selective 27 5 —† 18.5% 5 — 3.66 4.27
UC Irvine → Selective 35 9 —† 25.7% 9 — 3.79 4.18
UC Davis → 44 18 7 40.9% 19 38.9% 3.74 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 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.
Strong UC Reach paired with low yield: students are earning UC admission at high rates and then enrolling elsewhere. The pattern is characteristic of competitive college-preparatory schools where many students choose more selective private colleges or out-of-state flagships over UC — UC functions as a strong backup option rather than a first choice.
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.
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 →

Related reading

The Bay Area's next ten — and why rank is the wrong way to read them

Bay Area · League table · August 19, 2026

The Bay Area's Top 10 High Schools for UC Admissions

Behind the data · August 12, 2026

All stories from the data →

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