San Francisco University High School

What San Francisco University High School does

San Francisco University High School is a private independent coeducational college-preparatory secondary school founded in 1973, operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit governed by a 30-member Board of Trustees. The school serves 517 students in grades 9-12 drawn from 95 middle schools, 53 zip codes, and 33 home languages, with a student body that is 60% self-identified students of color. It offers 199 courses including 103 electives and 37 AP/Honors sections, with a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 81% of faculty holding advanced degrees. Signature programs include a four-year faculty mentoring model (nationally recognized), an Independent Study Program with 60%+ participation, the Institute for Responsive Education (focused on metacognition, health/wellness, and ethnic studies), Breakthrough Summerbridge (the original site of the national Breakthrough Collaborative), and Study Abroad through the SYA consortium.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition ($64,850 for 2025-2026) supplemented by an Annual Fund campaign, alumni giving, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase (>$500K directed to financial aid), and a $37M endowment. The school operates across five San Francisco campus locations including a 50,000 square-foot California Campus expansion opened in June 2025. The technology stack consists of standard educational SaaS platforms (Finalsite, Ravenna-Hub, Clarity Tuition, Instateam) with an internal Technology department supporting infrastructure. Admissions operates on a selective basis with ~750 freshman applications competing for 135 entering seats annually.

Name

San Francisco University High School

Legal name

San Francisco University High School

Website

https://sfuhs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

San Francisco University High School is a private independent coeducational college-preparatory school serving 517 students in grades 9-12 in San Francisco, with 199 courses, a 7:1 student-faculty ratio, signature mentoring and equity programs, and a 5.5:1 selective admissions process.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Secondary Education (Private K-12)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Independent secondary education
• College preparatory school
• Private K-12 education
• Liberal arts curriculum
• Enrichment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: UHS generates primary revenue through tuition payments from enrolled students. Tuition for 2025-2026 is $64,850. Additional fees include a $100 non-refundable application fee.
2. Annual Fund and Donations: The school conducts an annual fund campaign and has surpassed the 50% mark of a $52.6 million campaign. The San Francisco Decorator Showcase typically provides over $500,000 to the school's financial aid budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

San Francisco University High School delivers a four-year college preparatory liberal arts and sciences education to approximately 517 students in grades 9–12, anchored by 199 courses (103 electives, 37 AP/Honors), a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and signature programs including Independent Study, Institute for Responsive Education, Breakthrough Summerbridge, Civilization & the Arts, and a nationally recognized Mentoring Program. The school supplements academics with 42 athletics teams across 20 sports and comprehensive arts programming (music, theatre, visual arts). UHS is operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a $37 million endowment, supported by tuition ($64,850 for 2025–2026), an Annual Fund, and a $52.6 million capital campaign.

Product overview

San Francisco University High School is a private coeducational high school offering a comprehensive four-year educational experience. The school's portfolio includes core academic programs (Academic Program, Independent Study, Study Abroad), signature identity programs (Breakthrough Summerbridge, Institute for Responsive Education, Civilization and the Arts), student support services (Mentoring Program, Learning Services, College Counseling), and co-curricular programs (Athletics with 42 teams across 20 sports, Arts Program with Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts disciplines). All offerings are delivered through a student-centered inquiry approach supported by integrated technology infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breakthrough Summerbridge: An award-winning, tuition-free, year-round, and summer intensive academic enrichment and advocacy program for underserved middle school students. The original site and inspiration for the nationally-known Breakthrough Collaborative.
• Institute for Responsive Education (REd)

Products and services

• Four-Year Academic Program
• Independent Study Program

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• RG175coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Search partner supporting the Head of School selection process. Team includes Tom Hudnut (former Head of School at Harvard Westlake and The Branson School), Marcia Spiller (former Head of School at Woodward Academy), Deborah Reed (former Head of School at Seven Hills School and Polytechnic), and Coreen Hester (former Head of School at The Hamlin School and American School in London). Together they have placed over 70 Heads of School.
• School Year Abroad (SYA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSYA is a secondary-level program allowing students to live with European or Asian families for an academic year or semester while earning U.S. graduation credits. Founded in 1964 by Phillips Academy, SYA operates schools in Rennes (France), Viterbo (Italy), and Zaragoza (Spain). UHS has been a member of this consortium for many years, allowing students to participate in study abroad experiences.
• Breakthrough CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUHS founded Breakthrough Summerbridge in 1978, which became the original site and inspiration for the nationally-known Breakthrough Collaborative. This is a network of tuition-free academic enrichment programs for underserved students across the country.
• Paul Martin (Financial Aid Consultant)supportingOthersFinancial aid professional partnering with a Bay Area consortium of schools. Paul Martin offers six financial-aid themed webinars per school year and curates a robust library of resources for enrolled families.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Branson School: Highly selective, independent college-prep school in Ross, California with a similar tuition band and selective admissions approach — directly comparable in model and Bay Area positioning.
• The Urban School of San Francisco: Independent, college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco with a similar selective admissions model, small enrollment, and progressive liberal-arts approach — directly comparable in mission and geography to SFUHS.
• Head-Royce School: Oakland-based independent K-12 college-prep school with comparable selective admissions, signature programs, and athletic/arts offerings — a direct Bay Area private school peer.
• Lick-Wilmerding High School: San Francisco-based independent secondary school offering a college-prep curriculum with strong emphasis on design, arts, and technology — competing for the same Bay Area applicant pool as SFUHS.
• Menlo School: Atherton-based independent college-prep school serving grades 6-12 with comparable selective admissions, athletic and arts offerings, and a similar tuition profile — a direct Bay Area competitor.
• Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton: Atherton-based independent Catholic college-prep school serving grades 6-12 with strong athletics, arts, and college counseling programs — comparable to SFUHS in mission and Bay Area positioning.
• The Harker School: San Jose-based independent K-12 college-prep school with strong academics, signature programming, and selective admissions — comparable in scale, selectivity, and program breadth to SFUHS.
• Castilleja School: Palo Alto-based independent college-prep school with a selective admissions model and similar tuition band — a direct Bay Area private school competitor.
• Marin Academy: San Rafael-based independent college-prep school with progressive pedagogy and a selective admissions model — directly comparable to SFUHS in mission and Bay Area catchment.
• Crystal Springs Uplands School: Hillsborough-based independent college-prep school with a similar progressive liberal-arts identity, selective admissions, and comparable tuition — a direct Bay Area peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco University High School