Data Analysis
The Southern California Advantage: Analyzing UCLA’s Top Domestic Feeder Schools
By Data Team | Published May 5, 2026 | Updated June 5, 2026
The University of California, Los Angeles has intensified its geographic preference for Southern California applicants during the 2024 and 2025 admissions cycles, reinforcing a concentrated regional pipeline from Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. Our data analysis reveals that while Northern California megaschools generate high application volumes, admit and yield rates skew heavily toward local Southern California public charters and established parochial networks.
This report isolates the Top 25 Public and Top 25 Private domestic feeder high schools for UCLA. By evaluating application volume against corresponding admission and yield percentages, this analysis details how proximity and regional yield protection are actively shaping the state's most sought-after public university cohort.
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Proximity and Yield: Southern California public institutions like Granada Hills Charter exhibit high yield rates (66.7% in 2025) compared to their Northern counterparts, illustrating a distinct localized enrollment advantage for the Westwood campus.
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The Volume Paradox: Northern California schools such as Dougherty Valley output high application volumes (555 in 2025) yet face notable admit rate compression (7.6%), reflecting UCLA's regional enrollment caps amidst a competitive landscape.
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Private Parochial Pipelines: Prominent Catholic institutions like Mater Dei and Santa Margarita Catholic dominate the independent sector, leveraging established institutional pipelines to secure admit rates that outperform regional public averages.
2024 to 2025: Analyzing Application, Admission, and Yield Shifts
As the most applied-to university in the nation, UCLA processed over 145,000 freshman applications for Fall 2025, operating with a system-wide admission rate under 10%. Consequently, the 2025 admissions cycle revealed measurable volatility among historic pipeline schools when measured against the 2024 baseline. Unlike its sister campus in Berkeley, UCLA's yield protection strategies visibly favor students within a 100-mile radius of the university.
Analyzing the year-over-year dataset highlights three distinct enrollment behaviors. We cross-referenced these internal shifts with the UCLA Undergraduate Admissions Profile to verify broader institutional trends across the state.
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The "Hometown Premium" Stabilization: Granada Hills Charter maintained its position as the top public feeder despite a deliberate reduction in its overall admit rate (from 10.4% in 2024 to 9.5% in 2025). The school's proximity correlates with a steady 65-75% yield, allowing UCLA predictive stability in managing its large incoming class sizes.
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Independent Sector Reshuffling: In the private sector, Mater Dei climbed the ranks significantly. Applications surged from 174 to 201 year-over-year, and while admissions held steady at 17, an 88.2% yield rate in 2025 cemented the Orange County institution as UCLA's top private feeder, eclipsing Northern California staples like Bishop O'Dowd.
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Yield Percentage Disparities by Latitude: Yield rates—the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll—highlighted a clear geographic split. Southern California public schools frequently yielded over 60%, whereas Northern California counterparts (like Dublin High School) hovered near 50%, reflecting overlapping admittances with UC Berkeley and subsequent geographic attrition.
Top 25 California Public High Schools
Public high schools supply the bulk of UCLA's in-state enrollment, satisfying the legislative requirement to prioritize California taxpayers. According to the 2022-23 California State Budget Act, the UC system must systematically replace nonresident undergraduate students with California residents. Cross-referencing institutional admissions data with the California Department of Education's DataQuest repository highlights how UCLA executes this mandate. The data reveals a clear strategy to absorb volume from local Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) charters—such as Granada Hills and Palisades Charter—while simultaneously compressing acceptance rates for high-volume Bay Area applicants to manage demographic balancing.
2024 Top 25 Public High Schools
| School | Apply | Admit | Admit % | Enroll | Yield % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCH Granada Hills, Los Angeles |
451 | 47 | 10.4% | 35 | 74.5% |
| 2. MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles |
307 | 39 | 12.7% | 25 | 64.1% |
| 3. ALEXANDER HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
171 | 28 | 16.4% | 23 | 82.1% |
| 4. LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL San Francisco, San Francisco |
444 | 33 | 7.4% | 22 | 66.7% |
| 5. BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL Berkeley, Alameda |
387 | 32 | 8.3% | 22 | 68.8% |
| 6. DOUGHERTY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL San Ramon, Contra Costa |
558 | 30 | 5.4% | 22 | 73.3% |
| 7. DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL Dublin, Alameda |
464 | 36 | 7.8% | 21 | 58.3% |
| 8. WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT HS Woodland Hills, Los Angeles |
168 | 23 | 13.7% | 21 | 91.3% |
| 9. VENICE HIGH SCHOOL Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
183 | 27 | 14.8% | 20 | 74.1% |
| 10. WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL Westlake Village, Ventura |
164 | 27 | 16.5% | 20 | 74.1% |
| 11. ROBERT A MILLIKAN HIGH SCHOOL Long Beach, Los Angeles |
194 | 21 | 10.8% | 19 | 90.5% |
| 12. ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL Arcadia, Los Angeles |
395 | 33 | 8.4% | 18 | 54.5% |
| 13. CANYON CREST ACADEMY San Diego, San Diego |
380 | 33 | 8.7% | 18 | 54.5% |
| 14. CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL San Ramon, Contra Costa |
309 | 28 | 9.1% | 18 | 64.3% |
| 15. KING DREW MAGNET HS MED/SCI Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
134 | 25 | 18.7% | 18 | 72.0% |
| 16. BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY CHARTER HS Lake Balboa, Los Angeles |
241 | 24 | 10.0% | 18 | 75.0% |
| 17. MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL Fremont, Alameda |
378 | 34 | 9.0% | 17 | 50.0% |
| 18. LONG BEACH POLYTECHNIC HS Long Beach, Los Angeles |
205 | 22 | 10.7% | 17 | 77.3% |
| 19. CALABASAS HIGH SCHOOL Calabasas, Los Angeles |
170 | 21 | 12.4% | 17 | 81.0% |
| 20. PALISADES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles |
323 | 30 | 9.3% | 16 | 53.3% |
| 21. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL Eastvale, Riverside |
274 | 29 | 10.6% | 16 | 55.2% |
| 22. WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL Long Beach, Los Angeles |
221 | 28 | 12.7% | 16 | 57.1% |
| 23. SAN MARCOS HIGH SCHOOL San Marcos, San Diego |
203 | 19 | 9.4% | 16 | 84.2% |
| 24. NEWBURY PARK HIGH SCHOOL Newbury Park, Ventura |
144 | 18 | 12.5% | 16 | 88.9% |
| 25. CYPRESS HIGH SCHOOL Cypress, Orange |
212 | 17 | 8.0% | 16 | 94.1% |
2025 Top 25 Public High Schools
| School | Apply | Admit | Admit % | Enroll | Yield % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. GRANADA HILLS CHARTER HIGH SCH Granada Hills, Los Angeles |
409 | 39 | 9.5% | 26 | 66.7% |
| 2. CANYON CREST ACADEMY San Diego, San Diego |
380 | 44 | 11.6% | 23 | 52.3% |
| 3. ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL Arcadia, Los Angeles |
421 | 39 | 9.3% | 22 | 56.4% |
| 4. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL Eastvale, Riverside |
272 | 27 | 9.9% | 22 | 81.5% |
| 5. DOUGHERTY VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL San Ramon, Contra Costa |
555 | 42 | 7.6% | 21 | 50.0% |
| 6. MIRA COSTA HIGH SCHOOL Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles |
315 | 37 | 11.7% | 21 | 56.8% |
| 7. PALISADES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles |
287 | 35 | 12.2% | 20 | 57.1% |
| 8. DIAMOND BAR HIGH SCHOOL Diamond Bar, Los Angeles |
343 | 33 | 9.6% | 19 | 57.6% |
| 9. AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL Fremont, Alameda |
351 | 35 | 10.0% | 18 | 51.4% |
| 10. BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL Berkeley, Alameda |
354 | 33 | 9.3% | 18 | 54.5% |
| 11. DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL Dublin, Alameda |
430 | 34 | 7.9% | 17 | 50.0% |
| 12. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL San Diego, San Diego |
331 | 28 | 8.5% | 17 | 60.7% |
| 13. CRESCENTA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL La Crescenta, Los Angeles |
254 | 27 | 10.6% | 17 | 63.0% |
| 14. MONTA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL Cupertino, Santa Clara |
327 | 28 | 8.6% | 16 | 57.1% |
| 15. AMADOR VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Pleasanton, Alameda |
320 | 28 | 8.8% | 16 | 57.1% |
| 16. NORTHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL Irvine, Orange |
324 | 27 | 8.3% | 16 | 59.3% |
| 17. IRVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL Fremont, Alameda |
317 | 25 | 7.9% | 16 | 64.0% |
| 18. VENICE HIGH SCHOOL Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
167 | 23 | 13.8% | 16 | 69.6% |
| 19. ORANGE COUNTY HS OF THE ARTS Santa Ana, Orange |
240 | 38 | 15.8% | 15 | 39.5% |
| 20. SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL Santa Monica, Los Angeles |
276 | 31 | 11.2% | 15 | 48.4% |
| 21. PORTOLA HIGH SCHOOL Irvine, Orange |
330 | 27 | 8.2% | 15 | 55.6% |
| 22. ARNOLD O BECKMAN HIGH SCHOOL Irvine, Orange |
303 | 27 | 8.9% | 15 | 55.6% |
| 23. LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL San Francisco, San Francisco |
335 | 24 | 7.2% | 15 | 62.5% |
| 24. REDONDO UNION HIGH SCHOOL Redondo Beach, Los Angeles |
207 | 23 | 11.1% | 15 | 65.2% |
| 25. SAN DIEGUITO ACADEMY Encinitas, San Diego |
189 | 22 | 11.6% | 15 | 68.2% |
Public Feeder Geographic Distribution
Bay Area Public Detail
Los Angeles Public Detail
Top 25 California Private High Schools
While public high schools provide bulk volume, private and parochial schools demonstrate highly concentrated admission pipelines to Westwood. The 2024 and 2025 datasets indicate a statistically significant representation from specialized independent academies in the Southern California footprint. Institutions like Mater Dei and Santa Margarita Catholic consistently deliver large admitted cohorts relative to their total graduating class sizes. When evaluating these trends against external metrics from the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), the data suggests that well-resourced private institutions have successfully adapted their college counseling frameworks to align with the UC system's holistic, test-blind review process. This resource allocation correlates directly with higher aggregate admit rates and stable yield percentages across prominent independent schools.
2024 Top 25 Private High Schools
| School | Apply | Admit | Admit % | Enroll | Yield % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HS Rancho San Margarit, Orange |
154 | 22 | 14.3% | 16 | 72.7% |
| 2. BISHOP ODOWD HIGH SCHOOL Oakland, Alameda |
205 | 20 | 9.8% | 15 | 75.0% |
| 3. SAINT FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL Mountain View, Santa Clara |
209 | 22 | 10.5% | 13 | 59.1% |
| 4. MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL Santa Ana, Orange |
174 | 17 | 9.8% | 13 | 76.5% |
| 5. NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles |
157 | 15 | 9.6% | 12 | 80.0% |
| 6. LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL OF LOS ANGELES Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
165 | 25 | 15.2% | 11 | 44.0% |
| 7. ARCHBISHOP MITTY HIGH SCHOOL San Jose, Santa Clara |
219 | 19 | 8.7% | 11 | 57.9% |
| 8. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC H S San Diego, San Diego |
147 | 16 | 10.9% | 11 | 68.8% |
| 9. JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL San Juan Capistrano, Orange |
95 | 16 | 16.8% | 11 | 68.8% |
| 10. MILKEN COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
72 | 15 | 20.8% | 11 | 73.3% |
| 11. VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL San Jose, Santa Clara |
229 | 22 | 9.6% | 9 | 40.9% |
| 12. SAINT IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP SC San Francisco, San Francisco |
216 | 15 | 6.9% | 9 | 60.0% |
| 13. BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL Torrance, Los Angeles |
110 | 12 | 10.9% | 8 | 66.7% |
| 14. MOREAU CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Hayward, Alameda |
97 | 10 | 10.3% | 8 | 80.0% |
| 15. CHAMINADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY West Hills, Los Angeles |
140 | 16 | 11.4% | 7 | 43.8% |
| 16. BELLARMINE COLLEGE PREPARATORY San Jose, Santa Clara |
160 | 15 | 9.4% | 7 | 46.7% |
| 17. GEFFEN ACADEMY AT UCLA Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
69 | 15 | 21.7% | 7 | 46.7% |
| 18. SAINT MARGARETS EPISCOPAL SCHOOL San Juan Capistrano, Orange |
72 | 10 | 13.9% | 7 | 70.0% |
| 19. SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE HIGH SCHO Berkeley, Alameda |
77 | 8 | 10.4% | 7 | 87.5% |
| 20. HOLY MARTYRS ARMENIAN HS Encino, Los Angeles |
43 | 8 | 18.6% | 7 | 87.5% |
| 21. URBAN SCHOOL OF SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco, San Francisco |
74 | 7 | 9.5% | 7 | 100.0% |
| 22. HARVARD-WESTLAKE SCHOOL Studio City, Los Angeles |
164 | 19 | 11.6% | 6 | 31.6% |
| 23. LICK-WILMERDING HIGH SCHOOL San Francisco, San Francisco |
101 | 13 | 12.9% | 6 | 46.2% |
| 24. SAINT FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL Sacramento, Sacramento |
88 | 9 | 10.2% | 6 | 66.7% |
| 25. ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE San Diego, San Diego |
82 | 9 | 11.0% | 6 | 66.7% |
2025 Top 25 Private High Schools
| School | Apply | Admit | Admit % | Enroll | Yield % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL Santa Ana, Orange |
201 | 17 | 8.5% | 15 | 88.2% |
| 2. VALLEY CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL San Jose, Santa Clara |
250 | 27 | 10.8% | 14 | 51.9% |
| 3. BISHOP ODOWD HIGH SCHOOL Oakland, Alameda |
179 | 17 | 9.5% | 14 | 82.4% |
| 4. SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC HS Rancho San Margarit, Orange |
148 | 16 | 10.8% | 11 | 68.8% |
| 5. ARCHBISHOP MITTY HIGH SCHOOL San Jose, Santa Clara |
254 | 22 | 8.7% | 10 | 45.5% |
| 6. CHAMINADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY West Hills, Los Angeles |
120 | 16 | 13.3% | 10 | 62.5% |
| 7. SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL PREP San Francisco, San Francisco |
144 | 14 | 9.7% | 10 | 71.4% |
| 8. BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL Torrance, Los Angeles |
102 | 11 | 10.8% | 10 | 90.9% |
| 9. SAINT FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL Sacramento, Sacramento |
88 | 10 | 11.4% | 9 | 90.0% |
| 10. NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles |
162 | 17 | 10.5% | 8 | 47.1% |
| 11. JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL San Juan Capistrano, Orange |
107 | 14 | 13.1% | 8 | 57.1% |
| 12. CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART HS San Francisco, San Francisco |
48 | 11 | 22.9% | 8 | 72.7% |
| 13. ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL San Francisco, San Francisco |
116 | 9 | 7.8% | 8 | 88.9% |
| 14. MATER DEI CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Chula Vista, San Diego |
95 | 9 | 9.5% | 8 | 88.9% |
| 15. SAINT JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL Lakewood, Los Angeles |
50 | 9 | 18.0% | 8 | 88.9% |
| 16. HARKER UPPER SCHOOL San Jose, Santa Clara |
177 | 21 | 11.9% | 7 | 33.3% |
| 17. SAINT IGNATIUS COLLEGE PREP SC San Francisco, San Francisco |
205 | 17 | 8.3% | 7 | 41.2% |
| 18. CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC H S San Diego, San Diego |
137 | 16 | 11.7% | 7 | 43.8% |
| 19. GEFFEN ACADEMY AT UCLA Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
61 | 16 | 26.2% | 7 | 43.8% |
| 20. LICK-WILMERDING HIGH SCHOOL San Francisco, San Francisco |
105 | 13 | 12.4% | 7 | 53.8% |
| 21. BASIS INDEPENDENT SILICON VALLEY San Jose, Santa Clara |
92 | 13 | 14.1% | 7 | 53.8% |
| 22. NOTRE DAME ACADEMY Los Angeles, Los Angeles |
44 | 11 | 25.0% | 7 | 63.6% |
| 23. SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE HIGH SCHO Berkeley, Alameda |
72 | 8 | 11.1% | 7 | 87.5% |
| 24. DE LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL Concord, Contra Costa |
60 | 8 | 13.3% | 7 | 87.5% |
| 25. SAINT MONICA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL Santa Monica, Los Angeles |
62 | 7 | 11.3% | 7 | 100.0% |
Private Feeder Geographic Distribution
Bay Area Private Detail
Los Angeles Private Detail
FAQ: UCLA Feeder School Data
Based strictly on the latest university admission metrics analyzed in our data profile above, here are answers to the most common questions regarding UCLA's domestic pipeline.
Granada Hills Charter High School is consistently the top public feeder for UCLA, sending the most students and maintaining a high yield rate (66.7% for the Fall 2025 cycle).
UCLA shows a distinct geographic preference for Southern California applicants to manage yield effectively. Public schools within a 100-mile radius (Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties) see much higher yield rates compared to Northern California schools, where admits often cross-enroll at UC Berkeley.
Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana emerged as the top private feeder in 2025. It had 201 applicants, 17 admits, and a remarkable 88.2% yield rate, eclipsing historical Northern California staples like Bishop O'Dowd.
Northern California megaschools like Dougherty Valley generate massive application volumes (over 550 applicants) but face notable admit rate compression (around 7.6%). This reflects regional yield protection strategies and enrollment caps designed to maintain demographic and geographic balancing across the UC system.
Data Sources
The admissions data and metrics referenced throughout this report are derived directly from the official University of California analytics repository and UCLA's internal reporting divisions. Admit and Yield percentages are calculated internally by Chicardgo School's data desk. Demographic context regarding state budget compacts relies on the California Department of Finance and the California Department of Education.
- First-Year Profile — Fall 2025 - UCLA Undergraduate Admission
- Admissions by Source School (First-Year Undergraduates) - UC Information Center
- Undergraduate Admissions Summaries - UC Office of the President (UCOP)
- DataQuest: Public School Demographics - California Department of Education (CDE)
- 2022-23 State Budget Act: Higher Education Compact - California Department of Finance
- Institutional Data & Member Directory - California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
Further Reading
Geographic Consolidation of UCLA Undergraduate Admissions and The Structural Deficit of The Most Applied-to University
An exhaustive analysis of UCLA's domestic undergraduate admissions strategy, mapping capacity constraints, geographic expansion, out-of-state constriction, the structural deficit, and test-blind mechanics.
Where UCLA Admits Enroll Instead
Tracking the cross-admit battles for UCLA's 2024-2025 accepted students, revealing which competitor universities successfully poached top freshman and transfer talent.