For more than 50 years, Irvine High School has exemplified academic excellence, athletic achievement, and artistic distinction, while supporting opportunities for students to innovate, achieve, and thrive. Though the following awards and honors capture only a portion of our story, they reflect the collective dedication of our students, staff, and community to providing the highest-quality educational experience we can envision.
State and National Recognition
Top 5% of California High Schools: Recognized by U.S. News & World Report for outstanding academic performance and college readiness.
California Gold Ribbon School: Honored by the California Department of Education for excellence in teaching, learning, and innovation.
California Distinguished School: Recognized for exceptional student outcomes and strong educational programs.
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP): For the ninth consecutive year, Irvine High ranks among California's top schools. Our students continue to outperform county and state averages in Science, Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA). This lasting achievement reflects our partnership with our dedicated teachers, staff, students and families. IUSD continues to rank as the #1 school district in California among public districts with 35,000 or more students.
Academic and Program Excellence
AP School Honor Roll (Silver, 2024): Awarded for expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses while maintaining high student achievement.
PBIS Implementation Award: Recognized for creating a positive school climate that supports academic and behavioral growth for all students.
StellarXplorers Space Design National Champions: Our Irvine High team placed first in the nation at the Air and Space Force Association's national competition, which featured teams from across the country demonstrating their skills in orbit planning, satellite design, and launch vehicle selection.
National Merit Scholarships: Each year, Irvine High students are recognized by the National Merit Scholar program. Learn more about this year's Semifinalists (2025).
National History Day: Irvine High students consistently receive top honors at local, state and national National History Day Competitions.
National Economics Challenge Semi-Finalists: Our team placed 16th in the nation out of 6,500 teams, demonstrating its prowess in both micro- and macroeconomics.
AVID Standout Recognition and Scholarship: Irvine High was recognized for our outstanding AVID program, and senior Sam Taleghani was recognized as a standout student.
OC Maker Challenge Award Winners: Irvine High engineering design and development students won the Most Innovative Award, Community Focused Award, and Emerging Entrepreneurs Award. Students developed projects that showcased the interdependence among Science, Math, Engineering, Technology, English, Art, Invention, and Entrepreneurship.
Irvine CubeSat: Irvine High School participated in the CubeSat STEM Program and was honored for our contributions to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. Students assembled, tested and launched a CubeSat into low Earth orbit to perform a number of scientific experiments and explore new space technologies.
Virtual Enterprise National Business Plan Competition: Our Virtual Enterprise team was among the top 18 teams in the nation. Teams must create and run their own mock company.
Arts Achievements
Grammy Signature School: Honored by the Grammy Foundation for outstanding commitment to music education.
California Exemplary Arts Education Program: Recognized for excellence in visual and performing arts education.
Orange County Journalism Education Association (OCJEA) #1 School Newspaper (El Vaquero): Celebrated for journalistic excellence, creativity, and student leadership.
Orange County Music and Arts Administrator Awards: Each year, Irvine High teachers and/or administrators are nominated for this prestigious recognition, with many past award recipients.
Reno Jazz Festival: Irvine's Jazz team has consistently received top honors at this nationwide jazz festival.
Athletics Achievements
CIF Championships: 24 CIF Championship titles across boys and girls sports
Pacific Coast Conference Male Athletes of the Year: Two athletes were named during the 2024-25 season.
OCADA Ken Fagan Male Athlete of the Year: One athlete recognized during the 2024-25 season.