Washington

“Of all victories first and greatest is for a man to conquer himself - Plato”

AKA: GWHSOuter RichmondPublic

George Washington High School

“Of all victories first and greatest is for a man to conquer himself - Plato”

AKA: Washington, GWHSOuter RichmondPublic

Students: ~2,070
Ratio: 22:1
Tuition: Free

Admissions

Application opens: October 23, 2026
Main Round application due: February 1, 2027
Offers released: Week of March 15, 2027

EnrollmentCenter@sfusd.edu

Visit admissions site

Enrollment: ~2,070
Student:teacher: 22:1
Base tuition: Free
Real cost: $0–$3k

What makes this school special

A 2,000-student westside comprehensive in a 1936 Timothy Pflueger building modeled on Mount Vernon — the hillside campus and stadium have famous Golden Gate Bridge views, and the bridge is on the school crest
Home to Victor Arnautoff's 13 WPA "Life of Washington" frescoes, the subject of a national controversy: the school board voted to remove them in 2019, a court blocked it, and the decision was rescinded in 2022
20 AP courses (including AP Chinese and AP Japanese) across 52 honors and AP sections, with CTE pathways in automotive technology, computer science, and video production
83 student clubs on the official 2025-26 list, from Dragon Boat and LiondanceMe to Mongolian Club and Mock Trial
A charter member of the city's AAA athletic league since 1936, with a longtime Lincoln rivalry and one of only two marching bands among SF public high schools

Academics

Curriculum

100+ course offerings with 20 AP courses across 52 honors/AP sections, plus AVID, JROTC, and CTE pathways

World languages

Chinese, Japanese, Spanish

Schedule

Semester

Signature programs

Automotive Technology (CTE)
Computer Science (CTE)
Video Production (CTE)
AVID
Army JROTC
Newcomer Pathway (grades 10-12)
College Center
Marching band

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · CIF San Francisco Section (AAA)

BadmintonBaseballBasketballCheerleadingCross CountryFencingFlag FootballFootballGolfSoccerSoftballSwimmingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling

Arts

BandOrchestraMarching BandChoirGuitarDanceDramaStage TechStudio ArtComputer ArtCeramicsVideo Production

Clubs & activities · 83+

Model UNMock TrialRobotics ClubDragon BoatGirls Who CodeMarine Science ClubBlack Student UnionKey ClubMongolian ClubLion DanceChess ClubWiSTEMMuslim Student AssociationGSA

See all clubs

Life there

Food

Free for all students (SFUSD)

Learning support

On-site Wellness Center, special education (LEAD, Resource Specialist Program), SOAR, AVID, Newcomer Pathway for recent-arrival English learners, after-school program via Richmond Neighborhood Center

Notable alumni

Maya Angelou (poet and memoirist)
Danny Glover (actor)
Johnny Mathis (singer)
Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane co-founder)
Lee Meriwether (Miss America 1955, actress)
Ollie Matson (Pro Football Hall of Famer and Olympic medalist)
Rachel Kushner (novelist)
Betty Ong (American Airlines Flight 11 flight attendant, 9/11 hero)

Admissions

Application opens: October 23, 2026
Main Round application due: February 1, 2027
Offers released: Week of March 15, 2027

EnrollmentCenter@sfusd.edu

Visit admissions site

The application

Washington is part of SFUSD's citywide choice process: one application, list your schools in preference order, no test and no feeder middle schools. When more students list a school than it has seats, tiebreakers (sibling, CTIP1 test-score area) decide — not grades. Apply by the Main Round deadline in late January or early February for fall enrollment.