Students Celebrated as Graduation Ceremonies Conclude at SB Unified High Schools

The sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” resonated throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta this past Wednesday and Thursday, marking the culmination of the academic year with four high school graduation ceremonies.

A total of 1,455 students proudly graduated from Santa Barbara Unified high schools this week.

The first ceremony took place on Wednesday evening for La Cuesta Continuation and Alta Vista Alternative High Schools, where 99 students received their diplomas at the picturesque Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens.

The following evening, graduation ceremonies were held for 1,356 students at Santa Barbara, San Marcos, and Dos Pueblos High Schools.

The Class of 2025 has achieved remarkable milestones, including:

• 971 Students met A-G UC/CSU requirements

• 268 Seal of Biliteracy recipients

• 151 Seal of Civic Engagement recipients

• 769 Golden State Seal of Merit recipients

• 3 Students with multiple Associate’s Degrees

• 562 Students completing a CTE Pathway

• 1,127 Seniors completed their FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA)

• 435 Students awarded Cal Grants

• 788 Students attending Santa Barbara City College next year

The Class of 2025 will be attending a diverse range of post-secondary institutions. Notably, a significant number of graduates are heading to:

• UC Santa Barbara: 39

• UC Berkeley: 29

• UC Santa Cruz: 28

• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: 28

• UC Davis: 27

• UCLA: 27

• CSU San Diego: 24

• Westmont College: 19

Additionally, students were admitted to highly competitive universities, including:

• University of Southern California: 11

• Yale University: 3

• Brown University: 2

• Stanford University: 2

• Claremont McKenna College: 1

• Columbia College: 1

• Cornell University: 1

• Pomona College: 1

• Princeton University: 1

“The Class of 2025’s dedication, resilience, and the remarkable achievements highlighted in these statistics are a testament to their hard work, the unwavering support of their families, and the commitment of our exceptional educators. We are incredibly proud of each and every graduate,” said Dr. Hilda Maldonado, Superintendent of Santa Barbara Unified School District. “We look forward to seeing how they become the next generation of teachers, artists, scientists, engineers, musicians, doctors, and more.”

In addition to the high school graduations, promotion ceremonies for junior high and elementary schools were held over the past week, celebrating the advancement of students across the district.