Directory

Independent · San Mateo (Peninsula) · AKA: Stanbridge

Stanbridge Academy

Students
~40
Ratio
8:1
Tuition
$60k

What makes this school special

  • Teaching students who learn differently since 1982 (high-functioning autism, ADHD, dyslexia, processing differences) on a diploma-track, college-prep curriculum
  • Speech and language services, Social Thinking, and Zones of Regulation are part of the school day, not referrals out
  • Postsecondary counseling starts in eighth grade; about three-quarters of graduates continue to college, university, or vocational programs
  • Two enrollment doors: families apply directly year-round, or districts place students through its certified Nonpublic School status at no cost to the family

Academics

Curriculum

Diploma-track college prep for students who learn differently — small classes at or below 8:1, Spanish 1-4, math through Calculus, postsecondary counseling from eighth grade

World languages

Spanish

Signature programs

  • Speech and language services on campus — individual, group, and in-class
  • Postsecondary planning from eighth grade through graduation
  • Social-emotional curriculum (Social Thinking, Zones of Regulation)
  • Daily P.E. plus BASSAL athletics from grade 6

UC admissions

UC doesn’t publish admissions data for this school.

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · Bay Area Small School Athletic League (BASSAL), founding member

BasketballVolleyballSoccerCross Country

Arts

Visual ArtBroadcastingMusic

Life there

Learning support

The school's founding purpose since 1982 — high-functioning autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, NVLD, auditory and language processing delays, and social-skills support woven through (Social Thinking, Zones of Regulation, on-campus speech and language services); not a therapeutic school, and not for students whose primary diagnosis is emotional or behavioral

Often on the same list

Sterne School

Independent

Compass High School

Independent

Bayhill High School

Independent

Sources

  1. The Admissions Process — year-round direct enrollment, the four steps, the shadow days and assessments, address
  2. Tuition & Financial Aid — 2026-27 tuition ($59,800), ten-payment plan, SSS aid, WASC/CAIS accreditation
  3. NPS Placement — the district-referral track, no cost to families when placed
  4. Our Students — who the school serves and the not-a-therapeutic-school line
  5. High School Academics — the diploma-track curriculum, Spanish 1-4, electives (Visual Art, Broadcasting, Music), postsecondary counseling from eighth grade, the ~75% continuation figure
  6. Forms — the Stanbridge-Caltrain van shuttle (public-transportation permission form)
  7. SF shuttle van (Merced Branch Library pickup) — read from the school's FAQ page, stanbridgeacademy.org/faq.html, while it was live. The 2026 site rebuild removed that page (404 as of 2026-08-21) and no page on the new site mentions the route, so it can't be re-verified or linked. We'll re-check with the school.
  8. High School Beyond the Classroom — BASSAL founding membership and league sports
  9. About Us — founded 1982, mission
  10. CDE Private School Affidavit, 2025-26 — enrollment (80 whole school K-12; 39 in grades 9-12)

Details checked August 2026