High Tech High: Parent Guide to Project-Based Public Charter Schools

High Tech High (HTH) is a network of 16 tuition-free public charter schools serving approximately 6,350 students in grades K-12 across San Diego County, California ¹. Founded in September 2000 by a coalition of civic leaders and educators, the original school opened with 200 students in grades 9 and 10 at a former U.S. Navy training center in Point Loma and has since grown into an integrated network spanning four campus clusters in San Diego, Chula Vista, and San Marcos ². The organization also includes the High Tech High Graduate School of Education (HTH GSE), a separately accredited institution that trains teachers and school leaders ¹.

HTH is non-traditional in several respects: it is virtually textbook-free, organizes learning around interdisciplinary projects rather than discrete subjects, requires all high school juniors to complete a full-time community internship, and uses a zip-code-based lottery rather than neighborhood zoning or academic selection to build a student body that mirrors the demographics of greater San Diego ²⁴. The network's four design principles, equity, personalization, authentic work, and collaborative design, shape everything from curriculum design to facility layout ¹.

Snapshot facts

Field	Detail
Official name	High Tech High
Operating status	Active; 16 K-12 charter schools plus 1 graduate school
Founded	2000
Founders	Gary S. Jacobs (Co-founder; Chairman of the Board of Trustees), Larry Rosenstock (CEO Emeritus and Co-Founder), Rob Riordan (Co-founder; President Emeritus, HTH GSE)
Current leadership	Dr. Diana Cornejo-Sanchez, CEO; Kelly Wilson, Chief Learning Officer, HTH GSE; Gary S. Jacobs, Chairman, Board of Trustees
Primary location	San Diego County, CA
Grades served	K-12
Status	Public charter school network (tuition-free for K-12)
Tuition model	Tuition-free for K-12 schools; GSE program-specific tuition
Admissions model	Zip-code-based lottery 34
Educational model	Project-based learning with four design principles 1
Evidence confidence	Mixed: school-reported outcomes plus one independent Harvard study 789

What it is

High Tech High is a nonprofit public-benefit corporation that directly operates 16 charter schools across San Diego County. The network comprises five elementary schools (K-5), five middle schools (6-8), and six high schools (9-12), organized into campus clusters at Liberty Station in Point Loma, Mesa (Clairemont), Chula Vista, and San Marcos. The original High Tech High, known formally as The Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High, opened in 2000 with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which contributed $17 million between 2000 and 2006 ². The first class graduated in 2003 with 50 students ².

Educational model

HTH is built on four design principles: equity, personalization, authentic work, and collaborative design ¹. Rather than using textbooks, teachers design interdisciplinary projects that integrate multiple subject areas and culminate in public exhibitions of student work ¹². Teachers work in interdisciplinary teams serving 50 to 70 students each, with at least one hour of daily collaborative planning time ¹². The model explicitly avoids academic tracking, meaning students of all skill levels learn together in the same classrooms ¹.

Projects connect to the world outside school through fieldwork, community service, internships, and consultation with outside experts ¹. Facilities are designed as collaborative workspaces with small-group learning areas, open common spaces, and visible displays of student work ¹. A Harvard-affiliated study found that attending HTH increased the likelihood of enrollment in a four-year college by 10.9 percentage points and decreased the likelihood of two-year college enrollment by 11.2 percentage points, suggesting the model effectively shifts students toward four-year postsecondary pathways ⁹.

Student experience

Class sizes are small, with a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 25:1 ². Each student has an advisor who stays with them across multiple years, fostering long-term relationships and personalized support ¹². The network uses restorative practices and advisory circles to build community and ensure every student has a trusted adult on campus ¹². Home visits are part of the personalization approach ¹.

A signature experience is the junior-year internship: all 11th-grade students complete a four-week, full-time immersion at an off-campus organization, paired with a workplace mentor ⁶. Students develop a substantial project that contributes meaningfully to the host organization, and they present an Internship Presentation of Learning (iPOL) to mentors, teachers, and peers upon return ⁶. Internship assignments include journals, photo essays, mentor interviews, and portfolio development ⁶.

Curriculum, assessment, and progression

Graduation requirements at HTH schools are aligned with University of California and California State University A-G entry requirements and exceed them in several areas ⁵. Students must complete four years of English, three years of history, four years of mathematics, four years of lab science, two years of the same world language, one year of visual or performing arts, one year of college preparatory electives, one semester of Principles of Engineering, one semester of academic internship, and a senior project ⁵. A minimum grade of C- is required in all core academic courses ⁵.

Assessment is conducted through Presentations of Learning (POLs) at the end of each school year, portfolio defenses, and public exhibitions rather than relying solely on standardized tests ⁵¹². The network does not track students by ability level ¹. Dual enrollment partnerships with the University of San Diego, Palomar College, the San Diego Community College District, and Southwestern College allow students to earn college credit while still in high school.

Public, charter, private, nonprofit, program, network, or platform status

High Tech High is a nonprofit public-benefit corporation governed by three independent boards of directors ². The High Tech High Board operates as a public agency with fiduciary control over all schools ². HTH Learning, a private nonprofit, oversees facilities and adult learning programs including the teacher certification program ². The High Tech High Foundation, also a private nonprofit, secures philanthropic support ². The K-12 schools operate within San Diego Unified School District as charter schools ². The verified block lists "ED" and "NewSchools Venture Fund" as unverified investor mentions; these have not been independently confirmed.

Locations and availability

All 16 K-12 schools are located in San Diego County across four campus clusters. Five elementary schools serve K-5: High Tech Elementary (San Diego/Point Loma), High Tech Elementary Chula Vista, High Tech Elementary Explorer (San Diego/Point Loma), High Tech Elementary Mesa (San Diego/Clairemont), and High Tech Elementary North County (San Marcos). Five middle schools serve grades 6-8: High Tech Middle, High Tech Middle Chula Vista, High Tech Middle Media Arts, High Tech Middle Mesa, and High Tech Middle North County. Six high schools serve grades 9-12: High Tech High, High Tech High Chula Vista, High Tech High International, High Tech High Media Arts, High Tech High Mesa, and High Tech High North County. There is no fully online option; virtual availability is listed as none. A former campus in Redwood City (High Tech High Bayshore) is no longer in operation ².

Tuition, admissions, and eligibility

K-12 schools are public charter schools and charge no tuition. Admission is through a zip-code-based lottery designed to create a student body reflective of the greater San Diego community ³⁴. Applications are submitted online through SchoolMint during an open enrollment period from October 1 to February 15, with a public lottery held in March ³. Only California residents are eligible to apply ⁴.

The lottery uses U.S. Census data to accept a set percentage of students from each zip code, with a statistical advantage for students eligible for the federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program and a preference for siblings of currently enrolled students ⁴. The network reports receiving approximately four times as many applications as available spots ⁴. The largest entry points are kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade; very few students are admitted at other grade levels ⁴.

The High Tech High Graduate School of Education charges program-specific tuition. For Fall 2025, the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership tuition is $20,000, and the M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning (Year 1, full-time) is $15,000 ¹⁰.

Credits, transcripts, diplomas, certifications, and accreditation

• K-12 schools are accredited by the WASC Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS WASC).
• The High Tech High Graduate School of Education is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), first accredited in 2015 ¹¹.
• HTH's teacher credentialing program is approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
• Students receive standard high school diplomas upon meeting graduation requirements, and dual enrollment partnerships allow for college credit accumulation.

Evidence and outcomes

School-reported figures indicate a 96% graduation rate across HTH senior classes, with 95% of seniors meeting UC/CSU A-G requirements ⁸. For the HTH Class of 2024, 134 students graduated, of whom 128 (95%) entered college: 100 (75%) at four-year institutions and 28 (21%) at two-year institutions ⁷. Twenty students (15%) entered the UC system and 40 (30%) entered the CSU system ⁷. School-reported data also indicates 82% of 2022 graduates transitioned to college, described as the highest rate in San Diego County ⁸.

An independent Harvard-affiliated study using lottery-based causal methods found that attending HTH increased four-year college enrollment by 10.9 percentage points while decreasing two-year enrollment by 11.2 percentage points ⁹. The study noted that applicants who were not admitted still enrolled in college at rates above the district average, suggesting selection effects in who applies ⁹. All college outcome figures cited above are school-reported unless otherwise noted.

Best fit

HTH may suit families seeking a tuition-free public school that emphasizes hands-on, interdisciplinary learning over traditional textbook instruction. The model is designed for students who learn well through collaboration, creative projects, and real-world application. Families should consider that the project-based approach requires comfort with non-traditional assessment, including public presentations and portfolios. The zip-code-based lottery means admission is not guaranteed, and the best chances are at kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grade entry points. The requirement of a four-week internship in 11th grade is a distinctive commitment that families should weigh.

Questions parents should ask

• Which campus cluster aligns with my zip code, and what are the realistic odds of admission at my child's grade level?
• How does the school support students who may need additional academic intervention within an untracked classroom?
• What does the daily schedule look like, and how much time is devoted to project work versus direct instruction?
• How are the internship placements determined, and what happens if a student's placement is not a good fit?
• What college counseling resources are available, and how does the school support first-generation college applicants through the financial aid process?

Sources

[1] "Learn More About High Tech High," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/about/, accessed July 22, 2026. [2] "High Tech High charter schools," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Tech_High_charter_schools, accessed July 22, 2026. [3] "Admissions Process," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/admissions/admissions-process/, accessed July 22, 2026. [4] "Frequently Asked Questions - High Tech High Admissions," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/admissions/faq/, accessed July 22, 2026. [5] "Graduation Requirements," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Graduation-Requirements-2-2.pdf, accessed July 22, 2026. [6] "Internships Home," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/internships-home/, accessed July 22, 2026. [7] "HTH School Profile 2024-25," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/hth/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2024/08/HTH-School-Profile-2024-25.pdf, accessed July 22, 2026. [8] "HTH's Outstanding Record in College Admissions," High Tech High, https://www.hightechhigh.org/hths-outstanding-record-in-college-admissions/, accessed July 22, 2026. [9] "The Causal Impact of Attending High Tech High's High Schools on Postsecondary Enrollment," Harvard DASH, https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstreams/7312037d-a42b-6bd4-e053-0100007fdf3b/download, accessed July 22, 2026. [10] "Financial Aid & Funding," High Tech High Graduate School of Education, https://hthgse.edu/degree/financial-aid/, accessed July 22, 2026. [11] "High Tech High Graduate School of Education," WSCUC, https://www.wscuc.org/institutions/high-tech-high-graduate-school-of-education/, accessed July 22, 2026. [12] "California Secondary School Redesign Pilot," CCEE, https://ccee-ca.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CCEE-2-Pager-High-Tech-High-1.pdf, accessed July 22, 2026.