Urban

“Urban for a reason”

Independent · Haight-Ashbury · AKA: Urban

The Urban School of San Francisco

“Urban for a reason”

Students: ~420
Ratio: 9:1
Tuition: $68k

Enrollment: ~420
Student:teacher: 9:1
Base tuition: $68,241
Real cost: $69k–$76k
Flexible tuition: ~29%

What makes this school special

Four classes at a time, a trimester of long blocks built for depth over breadth
Faculty-designed "Urban Advanced Studies" courses instead of APs, recognized by the UCs as honors level
A feedback culture of detailed written reports twice a term, not just a letter grade
A Haight-Ashbury campus that keeps growing, most recently a performing arts center in the converted St. Agnes gym (2024)

Academics

Curriculum

Urban Advanced Studies, faculty-built advanced courses; no APs

Do APs matter?

World languages

Mandarin, French, Spanish

Schedule

Trimester block

Signature programs

Service Learning & Identity (four years)
Urban Advanced Studies (UAS)
City-as-classroom

College matriculation

UCLA, NYU, Northeastern, Occidental, Pitzer, Cal Poly SLO, University of Oregon, Loyola Marymount, Tulane, UC Berkeley, Boston University, Wesleyan, Brown, Stanford, Yale

See the full list

UC admissions

In fall 2025, 79 students applied to the UC system from this school; 43 were admitted to at least one campus, and 7 enrolled.

See UC’s data

What these numbers can and can’t tell you

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · Bay Area Conference — BCL West / CIF NCS

Baseball (boys)BasketballCross CountryFencingFlag FootballGolfLacrosseSailingSoccerSoftball (girls)SwimmingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyball

Arts

Visual ArtPhotographyVideo ProductionGraphic DesignInstrumental MusicChoral MusicTheater

Clubs & activities · 40+

Model United NationsPeer ResourcePeer TutoringUrban Legend (newspaper)YearbookStudent GovernmentEnvironmental ClubGreen TeamHIPE (peer education)Library LeadersMultiCulti Leadership TeamPlaywriting WorkshopPortfolio PrepUrban Singers (chorus)Chamber OrchestraAdvanced Jazz Band

See all clubs

Life there

Food

On-site café (pay as you go)

Learning support

Learning Specialists — one-on-one tutoring and accommodations

Notable alumni

Hannah Dreier (Pulitzer-winning reporter)
Zelda Williams (actress and director)
Matt Deakin (Olympic rower)
Maggy Krell (CA Assembly)
Bobby Chinn (chef)

Applying

Key dates

Applications open: August 27, 2026
Application due: January 5, 2027
Financial aid docs due: February 16, 2027
Decisions released: March 12, 2027
Enrollment contract due: March 19, 2027

The application

The Urban School is test-free and admits on its own application via Ravenna, the shared application platform, due in early January.

Application requirements

Application via Ravenna-Hub ($100 fee, waiver code available)
Parent/guardian application
Student application plus Activity & Interest form
Recommendations from current English and math teachers and a principal/counselor
Current and prior-year transcripts

Testing

Test-free

Getting there

1563 Page Street

Transit

7 Haight
43 Masonic, 6 Haight/Parnassus
N Judah Metro

Transit directions

Contact the school

admissions@urbanschool.org Visit the admissions site

Still thinking about Urban?

Save it to your shortlist and come back anytime.

Often on the same list

Lick-Wilmerding High School

Independent

The Bay School of San Francisco

Independent

University High School

Independent

Sources

Applying to Urban — requirements, deadlines, test-free policy
Tuition and Fees — tuition, fees, food
Admissions Welcome — enrollment, students of color, financial assistance
Urban School Profile — no APs / Urban Advanced Studies, trimester block, signature programs
World Languages — languages offered
Athletics — sports teams by season and gender, league
The Arts at Urban — arts disciplines
Admission FAQ — clubs, learning support
Wikipedia — Urban School — founding, notable alumni
College Matriculation 2020–24 — colleges attended
Bay Area Conference — conference structure and division membership

Details checked August 2026