Independent · Financial District · AKA: Sterne
Sterne School
“Start with Strengths”
Independent · Financial District · AKA: Sterne
Sterne School
“Start with Strengths”
- Students
- ~100
- Ratio
- 7:1
- Tuition
- $54k
- Enrollment
- ~100
- Student:teacher
- 7:1est.
- Base tuition
- $53,550
- Real cost
- $57k–$61k
- Flexible tuition
- ~30%
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
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 listUC admissions
In fall 2025, 6 students applied to the UC system from this school; 4 were admitted to at least one campus. UC keeps smaller counts private, so the rest of this school’s numbers aren’t published.
What these numbers can and can’t tell youAthletics, arts & activities
Athletics · California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)
Arts
Clubs & activities
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
Sources
- Fast Facts — address, transit, faculty count, community, arts/athletics participation
- Tuition — 2026-27 high-school tuition ($53,550), $2,000 new-student fee, ~30% of families receive aid
- 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
- Admissions Process — Ravenna application, student visit, parent interview, test-free admission
- College Prep & Readiness — college counseling model
- NCES Private School Universe Survey — student:teacher ratio estimated from PSS (whole-school 181 ÷ 27.3 FTE ≈ 7:1)
- Sterne School homepage — motto ("Start with Strengths," the homepage hero line and first of the school's stated values)
Details checked August 2026