In South Pasadena High School’s long history, four qualities have always stood out: scholarship, leadership, strength and fair play. SPHS regularly ranks in the top 5% of schools nationwide. The school has been on the same Fremont Avenue site since it opened in 1907 and has seen numerous expansions and redesigns, with the latest in 2002 completing its current peach-colored, Art Deco-style facade. As the only public high school in South Pasadena, it also served next-door neighbor San Marino until 1955, when San Marino opened its own high school. Since then, the two have waged a fierce sports rivalry, especially in football, alternating state titles evenly over the decades, with a few years ending in a tie. The South Pasadena Booster Club takes its sports enthusiasm to the community with an annual 5K or 10K run around the city on the first Saturday in December. Open to the public, the race is called the Tiger Run, after the SPHS mascot.
Over three-quarters of the student body participates in at least one extracurricular program, including 90+ campus clubs, orchestra, bands, yearbook and newspaper staffs, dance, choir and theater productions. Pasadena City College offers dual enrollment courses on the SPHS campus. The school contains several main academic buildings, a performing arts auditorium, a swimming pool, two tennis courts, an outdoor track, three athletic fields and two indoor gyms, one of which appeared in the 2017 film “Lady Bird.”
South Pasadena High School
Public High School
|
Grade 9-12
1401 Fremont Ave,
South Pasadena, CA
South Pasadena Unified School District
School Details
Head of School
Janet Anderson
Student Teacher Ratio
24:1
Average SAT Score
1380
Average ACT Score
30
Math Proficiency
65%
Reading Proficiency
84%
Average GPA
3.6
Graduation Rate
97%
Niche Grade
A
A+
A+
B+
B-
B
B+
B+
Source: Niche
Niche Grade Details
Academics
Average GPA
3.6
Reading Proficiency
84%
Math Proficiency
65%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
24:1
Teachers
63
Full Time Teachers
63
Teachers in First or Second Year
7.7%
College Prep
Average SAT
1380
Math
700
Verbal
680
Average ACT
30
Math
30
English
31
Reading
31
Science
30
Number of AP Courses
18
AP Pass Rate
91.3%
AP Math Enrollment
Very High
AP Science Enrollment
Very High
Other AP Enrollment
Very High
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Average
Boys Athletic Participation
High
GreatSchools Rating
Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating Details
Test Scores
Math
42.1%
State Average
19.4%
Science
31.6%
State Average
11.2%
Teachers and Staff
Students Per Counselor
291:1
Student Diversity
Male
53.8%
Female
45.8%
Asian
32.1%
Hispanic
24.7%
White
24.5%
Two or more races
13.3%
Filipino
1.8%
Black
<1%
Pacific Islander
<1%
Native American
<1%
School Rankings
#21
Best Public HS in California
#28
Best Public HS Teachers in California
#30
Best College Prep Public HS in California
Specialty School Programs
AP Programs Offered
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
Athletics Program
Colleges Students are Considering
Students are most interested in or go on to attend these colleges.
University of California - Los Angeles
503 Students
University of California - Berkeley
398 Students
University of Southern California
380 Students
University of California - San Diego
375 Students
University of California - Santa Barbara
315 Students
University of California - Irvine
294 Students
University of California - Santa Cruz
240 Students
University of California - Davis
234 Students
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
216 Students
New York University
210 Students
What Students Want to Study
Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Business
200 Students
Psychology
162 Students
Biology
154 Students
Computer Science
105 Students
Political Science and Government
102 Students
Pre-Medicine Studies
83 Students
Economics
78 Students
Marketing
63 Students
Environmental Science
63 Students
Pre-Law Studies
56 Students
This School’s Reviews
Niche Reviews
1/15/2024
South Pasadena High School is a very welcoming school. Although many of the teachers do not seem to enjoy their time and reflect that in their teaching, there are a select few that put everything they have into teaching and will treat you like family.
11/7/2023
South Pasadena Senior Highschool is an amazing school to be in with the school being small but overall a really good school to be in. The academics there are amazing and the teachers there are well trained and help students out really well. I would love to be at the school much longer if I had a chance
9/10/2023
This school is amazing!! All of the staff care about the students very much. They offer a multitude of AP classes and various electives. This school is very progressive and supportive of unique student identities.
GreatSchools Reviews
6/13/2025
The new Principal Eldred has ruined this school. South Pas was a unique and vibrant school when under the helm of Principal Anderson. She created a culture that was interested in assisting students to craft a unique 4 yr plan for each student's individual goals. The new Principal Eldred has abolishe...
6/7/2025
I wouldn't say its the best place. One of the vice principal is corrupt. He told me I couldn't talk to anyone even my friends for a straight 5 months while he bad mouths me to them. If there is an option to give 0 stars, I would do that. School band discriminates against color students and special n...
10/20/2024
I had a wonderful experience here. Although during my 4 years I would often be frustrated with the workload, I appreciated how prepared I felt in college. Many of my classmates struggled with classes like statistics or higher level science, while concepts in those classes were not new to me. During...
1/14/2023
What I love so much about this high school is the great flexibility that allows for parents and students to craft a 4 year program that is right for each individual student. Let's hope that the new principal and vice principal do not change that. One of the options that we love is that students can...
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Map
Attendance Zone
List Price Range
$708K - $6.2M
Homes For Sale
22
Average Home Value
$1,872,196
Median Lot Size
7,840 Sq Ft
% Renters
56%
Average Household Income
$154,708
% of College Grads
71.5%
Median Age
43
Average House Size
2,111 Sq Ft
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
$2,675 - $2,900 per month
- Golden Oaks Apartments
- 1 Bed
- 1 Bath
- 735 Sq Ft
- 1000 El Centro St
- South Pasadena, CA
$2,095 - $2,695 per month
- Apartment for Rent
- 1 - 2 Beds
- 1-2 Baths
- 700+ Sq Ft
- 254 Monterey Rd
- South Pasadena, CA
Additional Schools in the Area
Public Schools shown may be Choice Schools
Choice Schools
Choice schools may not serve this home. Please check the school district website to see all schools serving this home.
Parks in this Area
Garfield Park
- Grills
- Picnic Area
- Tennis
South Pasadena Nature Park
- Skateboard
- Parking Lot
Eddie Park & House
- Grills
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Orange Grove Park
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Picnic Area
Arroyo Park
- Grills
- Picnic Area
- Trails
Additional Neighborhoods in this Area
Dolgeville
A commercial and industrial-oriented Alhambra neighborhood with a central location
Emery Park
Tagline 1920s architecture near shopping and large employers in Alhambra
Downtown Alhambra
Downtown Alhambra is central to many local businesses and events
Lindaraxa Park
A quiet neighborhood with 1930s homes and easy access to Main Street shops
South Pasadena High School is a public school for students in grades 9-12 in South Pasadena, CA, in the South Pasadena neighborhood, and is served by the South Pasadena Unified School District in California. Annual tuition is $0. The school has a total enrollment of 1,450 and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 24:1. Academic records show that 65% of students achieve proficiency in math, and 84% are proficient in reading. South Pasadena High School has received feedback and ratings, with a Niche grade of A+ and a GreatSchools Rating of 10 out of 10. The average GPA is 3.6, the graduation rate is 97%, and average standardized test scores include an SAT score of 1380 and an ACT score of 30. The average home value in this area is $1,872,196. Discover additional schools in the area, like Century High School, Alhambra High School, Blair High School, and more. Learn more about what South Pasadena has to offer, and browse homes for sale and for rent near South Pasadena High School.