Prep at a Glance

Mary Harley Jenks and Ruth Willis founded The College Preparatory School in 1960, an independent co-educational day school for grades 9-12 in Oakland, California. For over 60 years, College Prep has helped shape a community of learners who engage deeply with big ideas and the craft of scholarship within a joyful and caring community.

Our Students

Our student body reflects broad racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, in addition to possessing a diversity of interests and talents.

In the 2022-2023 school year, we have 370 students; 69% self- identify as students of color. Our average academic class size has 14 students, and each grade has approximately 92 students. Although most College Prep students enter in the ninth grade, we typically welcome a small number of new sophomores and juniors.

Our Faculty

College Prep's 91 faculty and staff engage in focused learning interactions with every student. They have earned outstanding reputations for mastery of their subjects and for gifted teaching in the classroom. Of our faculty members, 86% hold advanced degrees.

SAT/AP/National Merit

Test scores are only part of how we know our students succeed, but they tell an important story:
  • Class of 2022 average SAT Reasoning Test scores: 752 (evidence- based reading and writing), 761 (math)
  • Class of 2022 average ACT Composite score: 34
  • Class of 2022 National Merit Recognition: 43% (compared to approximately 5% of students nationwide)
College Prep has been recognized as one of the top 5 independent schools in the nation by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Niche.com among others.


Our students come from a diverse group of over 100 schools: independent (67%), public (25%), parochial (8%).

Nestled within walking distance to Rockridge BART Station, College Prep draws students from around San Francisco Bay Area region:

Our Campus

Located in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, our 5-acre campus blends in with the native plants and eucalyptus trees typical of the Oakland Hills landscape. College Prep lies in a small verdant valley and is dotted with 15 buildings.

College Matriculation

Colleges and universities know our graduates to be intellectually curious and kind-hearted, collaborative individuals.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY: The College Preparatory School admits students of any race, national and ethnic origin, creed, physical ability, economic status, gender identity, or sexual orientation to enjoy all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally made available to students at the school. The school applies all legal non-discrimination standards to school-administered programs, administrative practices, and in support of all members of the community.

mens conscia recti

a mind aware of what is right