Founded: 1987, the charter class of 216 students graduated in June of 1991
Alumni: 12,495 graduates
Enrollment: 1,839 students
51% female, 49% male
Class size: Average class size of 23 with a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1
Tuition: $19,875 for Catholic families and $21,675 for non-Catholic families for the 2024-2025 school year; discounted rate for additional students.
Tuition Assistance: One of every three students receives financial assistance. More than $3.8 million to be awarded to families for the 2024-2025 school year.
Accreditation:
Accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Certified as an International Baccalaureate World School (IB)
Member of the College Board.
Geographically Diverse:
Students from 55 different communities
International students from 13 countries.
Transportation:
Three bus routes serving North and South Orange County
An active carpool group
Closed Campus:
Safety measures include a closed campus, partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Text-a-Tip/TIPS incident reporting program, security personnel, emergency preparedness procedures and comprehensive visitor policy.
Campus Building Access Hours:
6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
1268 compared to the state average of 1115 and national average of 1060.
ACT Score (class of 2024 average):
28 compared to the state average of 22 and national average of 20.
AP Scholars:
251 AP Scholars in 2024
AP Testing:
82 percent of students in 2024 scored a 3 or higher on AP exams, well above the national average.
National Merit Scholar Finalists:
2 in 2024; 2 semifinalists; 30 commended
more than any other Catholic high school in Orange County. These students scored in the top 1 percent in the U.S.
Counselors:17 full-time counselors provide comprehensive counseling support.
Higher Level Courses: 117 courses
IB World School: The only Catholic International Baccalaureate high school in the county. SMCHS offers a rigorous full diploma program and the opportunity for students to take IB courses.
Auxiliary Studies Program:
Comprehensive academic support to assist students with specialized learning needs.
Learning Strategies Course:
For students who need to strengthen their study skills.
Options Program:
Provides an inclusive Catholic education for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Model United Nations (MUN):
Award-winning programwith students participating in mock meetings of the UN across the globe.
College Bound:
98% of the class of 2024 attends college.
Members of the class of 2024 attend 138 different colleges across 35 states and 5 countries.
College acceptances for the class of 2024 tallied 2,295 with a 100% acceptance rate at 187 schools.
Director of College Relations Dedicated to building strong partnerships with universities nationwide.
Annual College Fair & College Rep Visits: More than 200 colleges attend the annual college fair; approximately 150 college representatives visit campus annually.
Courses in both visual andperforming arts: Film, broadcast journalism, screenwriting, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, orchestra, choir, dance, theater, theater tech, band, steel drums and classical guitar. The school offers 63 visual and performing arts courses.
Orange County Cappies: Student-critic program allows students to critique other high school productions and have their work published.
Talon Theatre Productions: Recognized by the Spirit of the MACY Awards, the Orange County Cappies and the International Thespian Society.
Domestic and abroad travel opportunities: The performing arts program has performed at St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Carnegie Hall and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and attended festivals nationwide.
Eagle TV: Student-run news program produced in a state-of-the-art digital media studio.
Juried Art Exhibitions: Student artwork is featured in juried art shows, including the Festival of Arts.
Talon Academy of the Arts: After school program provides specialized training with guest artists and industry professionals.
Students Participating in Athletics: 81% of students participate in athletics; all teams emphasize sportsmanship and character building.
Facilities:
10,000 square-foot weight room. The weight room is one of the largest high school weight rooms in the state. 3 full-time strength coaches operate the hybrid indoor/outdoor facility.
Tennis courts, an Aquatics Center with an Olympic-sized pool, athletic fields and an all-weather track.
65 students from the class of 2024 committed to universities for athletics
84 CIF championships,55 CIF players of the year, 5 National Champions, 250 league champions, 145 individual/relay championships and 15 state championships, more than any other school since Santa Margarita opened in 1987.
Ten-time CIF Commissioner’s Cup recipient honoring the top athletic program in the 570-member CIF Southern Section.
No-Cut Sports: Football, swimming, diving, cross country, girls basketball, track and field, wrestling and water polo all follow a no-cut policy.
Competitive: Santa Margarita competes in the Trinity League, touted as one of the top leagues in the nation.
Clubs and Activities:Over 90% of the student body participates in more than 90 campus clubs and activities.
Link Crew eases the transition into high school with upperclassmen mentoring the freshman class.
Eagles Edge provides “real-world” growth and networking opportunities.
Library Media Center provides a technology-based collaborative learning environment and quiet study space.
Leadership Opportunities: Through extracurricular activities, clubs, honor societies, campus ministry programs, the arts and athletic teams, SMCHS students develop leadership and management skills.
Partnership With Harvard's
Making CaringCommon Project & Stanford's Challenge Success: Supports students' well-being and learning engagement through research-based strategies and a culture of compassion.
Diversity Inclusion Vision Equity
(D.I.V.E.) Committee: The student-led D.I.V.E. Committee works to strengthen diversity, inclusion and equity across SMCHS. (The student-led club is also the Sacred Heart Climate Committee).
Wellness Program: Expanded support services include a wellness director and wellness coordinator. The program provides mental health education, training, resources and referrals to support students and their families in meeting the challenges of adolescence.
Masses: All-school Masses are celebrated throughout the year. Daily Mass is offered in the school’s Sacred Heart Chapel. Confession is also offered on Wednesdays during lunch.
Peer Ministry: Students serve as faith leaders by coordinating Masses, retreats and service opportunities.
Retreats and Fellowship: Offered for all grade levels, praise and worship gatherings build community and strengthen faith.
Community Service: Christian service is an integral part of an SMCHS educationand shapes the character of our students. All students engage in service through a class project. Immersion opportunities allow students to live out their faith.
Microsoft Showcase School: 11 consecutive years, one of 34 schools in the nation recognized for transforming the educational experience by providing student-centered immersive learning.
Technology-Centered Electives:
Including TV and digital media production, graphic design and computer programming.
STREAM: Integrates science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math to bridge a better understanding of curriculum across disciplines.
Robotics: The competitive team took top honors in the county in 2018 and has competed at the world championships three times.
eSports: 3-time National Champions.Competitive video gaming fostering problem-solving and communication skills.
MAC Lab: A fully equipped Mac lab for graphic design and multimedia design classes.