Directory

Independent · Financial District

Sterne School

“Start with Strengths”

Students
~100
Ratio
7:1
Tuition
$54k

What makes this school special

  • The Bay Area's established high school built entirely for students who learn differently; founded in 1976 and marking its 50th year
  • A strengths-based model: every student has an individualized learning plan, executive-function coaching, and accommodations woven into a full college-preparatory A-G curriculum (the UC/CSU course sequence)
  • Sterne READS delivers structured, research-based dyslexia intervention
  • High-school classes average 10 students (max 15), with college counseling that starts in 9th grade and matches each student to a right-fit college

Academics

Curriculum

College-preparatory A–G curriculum with full learning support; A–F grading

Advanced coursework

No AP courses

World languages

Spanish

Schedule

Semester

Signature programs

  • Sterne READS — structured dyslexia intervention
  • Individualized learning plans with built-in accommodations
  • Executive-function and social-emotional instruction across classes
  • Senior Project (Passages)

College matriculation

Arizona State University, Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, Fordham University, Emerson College, Drexel University, Lewis & Clark College, Gonzaga University, DePaul University, California College of the Arts, Cal Poly Humboldt, Colorado College, Beacon College, Landmark College, City College of San Francisco

See the full list

UC admissions · For fall 2025 entry

applied
6
admitted to at least one campus
4
enrolled at a UC
fewer than 3

UC withholds counts this small to protect students’ privacy.

What these numbers can and can’t tell you

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)

BasketballVolleyball (girls)Team Handball

Arts

Studio ArtDigital Art & DesignDramaFilm MakingMusic EnsembleDance

Clubs & activities

AnimeAstronomyChessDungeons & DragonsFilmMathMusicProgrammingScienceThreadworksWellnessand more

Life there

Learning support

Whole-school strengths-based program for students who learn differently — individualized learning plans, accommodations, executive-function coaching, and the Sterne READS dyslexia program; classes average 10 (max 15)

Often on the same list

Drew School

Independent

Gateway High School

Public charter

Life Learning Academy Charter School

Public charter

Sources

  1. Fast Facts — address, transit, faculty count, community, arts/athletics participation
  2. Tuition — 2026-27 high-school tuition ($53,550), $2,000 new-student fee, ~30% of families receive aid
  3. High School Profile 2025-26 — founding (1976), high-school enrollment (97), students of color (49%), accreditation (WASC/CAIS/NAIS), A–G curriculum, average class size, grading, Spanish, arts, athletics, clubs, college acceptances
  4. Admissions Process — Ravenna application, student visit, parent interview, test-free admission
  5. College Prep & Readiness — college counseling model
  6. NCES Private School Universe Survey — student:teacher ratio estimated from PSS (whole-school 181 ÷ 27.3 FTE ≈ 7:1)
  7. Sterne School homepage — motto ("Start with Strengths," the homepage hero line and first of the school's stated values)
  8. UC A-G course list — Sterne School — the 2026-27 course list the school files with the University of California carries no AP course. Its single UC-approved honors course rides a filing untouched since 2017, too thin to publish beside schools whose lists are current

Details checked August 2026