Lowell

“Let there be knowledge”

Public · Lakeshore

Lowell High School

“Let there be knowledge”

Students: ~2,670
Ratio: 21:1
Tuition: Free

Enrollment: ~2,670
Student:teacher: 21:1
Base tuition: Free
Real cost: $0–$3k

What makes this school special

The oldest public high school west of the Mississippi, and still SFUSD's academic flagship
Admissions is local legend: a pandemic lottery, then back to merit "bands" after a board recall
Has a reputation as a pressure cooker. There's even a documentary about it, Try Harder! (2021)
We have a guide to admissions here: Getting into Lowell

Academics

Curriculum

Extensive honors coursework across every department

Advanced coursework

34 AP courses · 12 UC-approved honors courses

See the list filed with UC

World languages

French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish

Schedule

Semester

Signature programs

Army JROTC
Lowell Science Research Program
Lowell Forensic Society (debate)
Early College Program (City College partnership)

UC admissions · For fall 2025 entry

applied: 443
admitted to at least one campus: 373
enrolled at a UC: 201

See UC’s data

What these numbers can and can’t tell you

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · CIF San Francisco Section (AAA)

BadmintonBaseballBasketballCheerCross CountryFencingFlag Football (girls)FootballGolfSoccerSoftballSwimmingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling (boys)

Arts

Visual ArtMedia ArtsArchitectureCeramicsChoirBandGuitarOrchestraMusic TheoryDramaTechnical TheaterDance

Clubs & activities · 180+

The Lowell (newspaper)Forensic SocietyModel United NationsBlack Student UnionChinese Cultural ClubGirls Who CodeLowell Math SocietyChess ClubSurf ClubQuiz BowlInvestment ClubMuslim Student AssociationPhotography ClubKey Club

See all clubs

Life there

Food

Free for all students (SFUSD)

Learning support

Special Education department; Wellness, Peer Resources, and tutoring

Notable alumni

Stephen Breyer (US Supreme Court Justice)
William Hewlett (HP co-founder)
Daniela Amodei (Anthropic co-founder)
Carol Channing (actress)
Dian Fossey (researcher)
Albert Michelson (Nobel physicist)

Applying

Key dates

Applications open: October 23, 2026
Application due: December 11, 2026
Star Reading & Math test (non-SFUSD applicants): Late January
Assignment letters mailed: Week of March 15, 2027
Accept assignment: March 25, 2027
Grades 10–12 transfer application due: June 28, 2027

Tours and events

The application

Unlike the rest of SFUSD, Lowell admits on academic merit rather than the citywide lottery. Applicants list Lowell on the SFUSD enrollment application in ParentVUE, the district's family portal, by the early-December deadline. Choosing Lowell opens its own pages inside that application; families applying on paper add a separate Lowell Supplemental Application. Admission reads 7th-grade final grades and 8th-grade first-semester grades, pulled automatically for SFUSD students, plus scores from the Star Reading and Math tests (the district's own test, which non-SFUSD applicants sit at Lowell in late January). Students must live in San Francisco with a parent or guardian. Applicants are ranked into three admission bands by GPA and test score. A separate transfer window for grades 10–12 runs from mid-May to late June.

Application requirements

Lowell selected on the SFUSD enrollment application in ParentVUE (paper applicants add the Lowell Supplemental Application)
7th & 8th grade final grades and proof of SF residency

Testing

Star Reading & Math required

Getting there

1101 Eucalyptus Drive

Transit

29 Sunset, 28 19th Avenue at the door
18 46th Avenue, 57 Parkmerced
M Ocean View Metro

Transit directions

Contact the school

enrollinschool@sfusd.edu Visit the admissions site

Still thinking about Lowell?

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Often on the same list

University High School

Independent

Lick-Wilmerding High School

Independent

St. Ignatius College Preparatory

Catholic (co-ed)

The Bay School of San Francisco

Independent

Abraham Lincoln High School

Public

George Washington High School

Public

Galileo Academy of Science & Technology

Public

Sources

Applying to Lowell | SFUSD — admissions bands, requirements, deadlines, the Star Reading & Math test (SFUSD's Winter Interim Assessment)
How to get into Lowell | SF Standard — merit/lottery history
Lowell High School | SFUSD — enrollment, clubs, departments, signature programs
Lowell Details | SFUSD — sports teams (no genders or seasons published)
Course offerings, Fall 2026 | SFUSD and its linked one-page course list — world languages; its one-page list counts 31 APs against the 34 on the filed UC list. The World Language Dept page names the same six languages but still carries Latin in two stale lines; no Latin section appears in the course list.
Lowell Visual & Performing Arts | SFUSD — arts disciplines
SFUSD Nutrition Services — free school meals
NCES Common Core of Data — Lowell High — student:teacher ratio, % students of color (2024-25)
Lowell High School | Wikipedia — founding, motto, AP breadth, sports, notable alumni
List of Lowell alumni | Wikipedia — notable alumni
SFUSD Grading Periods — two-semester (Fall/Spring) structure ("18 weeks in a semester")
CIF SF Section standings (2024-25 varsity) and season calendar — teams by sport and gender, sport seasons
Lowell Student Association — Clubs — the full club list; Lowell organizations | SFUSD — The Lowell (newspaper), Shield and Scroll, JROTC
UC A-G course list — Lowell High School — the 2026-27 course list the school files with the University of California: 34 AP courses and 12 UC-approved honors courses beyond AP. The school's own pages count 31 APs; we carry the filed number

Details checked September 2026