Gateway High School

What makes this school special

Founded in 1998 around a then-radical idea: a college-prep school built for a broad range of learners — over a quarter of students have identified learning disabilities, supported through an integrated Learning Center
The results are striking for an open-lottery school: a 99% four-year graduation rate, and 99% of 2024-25 graduates met the UC/CSU A-G course requirements
Every student spends all four years in a small advisory with the same faculty advisor and cross-grade peer mentors
Graduation requires 100 hours of community service and two years of visual or performing arts
First charter high school in California to earn the Distinguished School designation twice

Academics

Curriculum

Honors coursework for a broad range of learners; 77% of 10th-12th graders take honors or AP

Advanced Placement

11 AP courses

See the course list

World languages

Spanish

Schedule

Block schedule (Tue-Fri), 8:30am start

Signature programs

Learning Center for students with learning differences
Four-year advisory with cross-grade peer mentors
Ethnic studies across the humanities
Internship partnerships with 25+ local organizations

UC admissions

In fall 2025, 69 students applied to the UC system from this school; 50 were admitted to at least one campus, and 20 enrolled.

See UC’s data

What these numbers can and can’t tell you

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · Bay Area Conference — BCL Central

BasketballBaseballSoccerVolleyball (girls)Cross CountryTrack & Field

Arts

Visual ArtsPerforming Arts

Clubs & activities

Dungeons & DragonsModel UNGator Gears (robotics)Music ClubGarden ClubBlack Student UnionGender Sexuality Alliance

See all clubs

Applying

Key dates

Round 1 application due: Late January
Lottery held: Mid-March

The application

Gateway runs its own lottery, separate from the SFUSD application: apply through the school's PowerSchool portal by the Round 1 deadline (late January for fall entry; the lottery is held in mid-March). There is no admissions test and no selective criteria, but the school regularly has more applicants than seats. Late applications join a wait pool with rolling lotteries. The main entry point is 9th grade, with transfers accepted in all grades as space permits.

Application requirements

Application via Gateway's PowerSchool enrollment portal (separate from SFUSD)

Testing

None — open lottery

Sources

Gateway High School — name, address, motto
All About Enrollment | Gateway Public Schools — lottery process, deadlines, no tuition or fees
Mission & History | Gateway Public Schools — founding, mission, learning-differences focus
Academics | Gateway High School — advisory, ethnic studies, honors/AP, graduation requirements, the Spanish world-language program (three years required; new, native, and heritage tracks)
Our Impact | Gateway Public Schools — AP participation, college enrollment, Distinguished School honors
NCES Common Core of Data (2024-25) — enrollment, student:teacher ratio, charter status
CDE DataQuest cohort outcomes (2024-25) — graduation and a-g rates
Bay Area Conference — conference structure and division membership
Gateway Athletics — sports by season and gender

Details checked August 2026

Gateway