Archbishop Riordan High School

Archbishop Riordan High School is one of those International caliber schools that only a city like San Francisco could pull off. The school hosts a $ 47k a year dorm and tuition for students from Mexico and around the world. Tuition for local «day schoolers» is a reasonable $ 17k. Riordan offers 2 cool scholarships — 50% off academic for high achievers and another for sons of law enforcement.
The school is located next door to SF’s struggling City College in the Outer Mission/​Sunnyside neighborhood.
The school is one of the few all boys high schools in the bay area with the others being Bellarmine (you can take CalTrain from SF), De La Salle (across the bay), and Junipero Serra (just down the peninsula).

There is a reason this school is here — the male only (with boarding program) school in One of the most beautiful city in the world. Believe it or not, some boys need to be in a single sex education environment at this age. If you believe single sex education, this is a place. My son graduated from here and went to Cal. If he stayed at his original public high school, he may not make it to Cal. The school designed for boys, knows to manage boys weakness and enhance their strength, besides all, voiding the female distraction during the school hours are greatest thing at this age — while boys are less mature than the girls in general. Yes, relatively more students are not from wealthy families as SI or others, for some, this is better.

#1 — Riordan isn’t anyone’s «last resort»; you have to apply, test, interview & be accepted just like every other Catholic school. Could it be you weren’t accepted anywhere else?
#2 — cliques exist everywhere! It’s a part of high school so please get over yourself. Maybe it wasn’t the school or other students… maybe it was you.
#3 — «Riordan is a great high school for those from lower incomes who cannot afford to go to SI or SH» I don’t know about years ago, but Riordan is only a couple of hundred less than their competition.
#4 — Mission with tuition? Sounds like someone’s either a transplant, or angry that they didn’t get into ANY of the schools named. You’re a female — how do you rate something you know NOTHING about, as it’s really apparent you’re neither student, alumni, parent or teacher?! Hmmm, I sense a douchebag in our midst!!!
Last all-​boys Catholic school in SF; great if you’re looking for a smallish, single-​sex environment that looks to not only teach academics, but strives to turn your boys into men of high moral valor. Could be a bit more diverse, but that’s everywhere these days in SF. Very fast paced (4×4 course load). Somewhat grueling academically, especially if you participate in sports, band or other extracurricular activities; if you don’t already, be prepared to learn to juggle well! The teaching staff does seem make every effort possible to ensure your son does well. The teaching staff, administrative assistants & even the janitors seem to take a personal interest in the boys (maybe mine because he plays sports every season? He’s a freshman… TBD & updated later!).
Minus ½ star because some of the administration has WAY too much time on their hands (what happens when 99.5% of the kids you’re working with aren’t disciplinary issues; maybe you need to spend some time working in a public school to understand just how cush your job is!) forget who their customer base is; bugging kids because they have parts added to their haircuts, really? How do you decipher «part» vs. «line or design», skin tone? Suspensions for raising your voice at a teacher that’s actually provoking the child? Kids DO have bad days… you work with boys — ACT LIKE YOU KNOW. Minus another ½ star for the iPad-​based curriculum, STILL seriously lacking in MDM (Mobile Device Management) even though it’s been mandatory for two years; you had a year to prepare before making them mandatory; explain to me why kids are able to watch March Madness in class, or play video games all day?!
Other than that? Great school… my lil jock is happy & is receiving a great education, & that’s really all that matters!

My daughers, ages 10 and 12, attended the summer school program 2013. They «loved» it and said they learned so much. Especially helpful was the class on Study Skills. Now they are prepared to take on new challenges when they go back to school in the fall. Thank you Riordan!

Fundamentals First basketball camp. very organized.

My son just graduated this Saturday from this wonderful «old school» all male high school. My son entered as a boy, and four years later graduated a young man. He applied to 9 colleges and was excepted to 8 of them, I not talking easy colleges but UC schools and major private colleges.
People may think SI or SHCP (my daughter’s HS) are better schools but I found them to have let’s say «spoiled/​snotty students and parents. ARHS is a school where the boys are not pampered and are treated as young men, they are expected to respect people and excel in their studies. I’ve met some of the most well rounded students, guys that play sports/​band but are also on the honor roll, not an easy thing to do.
The faculty are #1 in my book because they really want the students to be successful and mold these boys into fine young men. Also having a uniform dress code keeps everyone looking presentable everyday. No baggy pants here.
My son keeps telling me he is so proud to be a Crusader for life and has made life long friendships at ARHS. He is sad to leave but excited about starting another chapter in his life at college.
We thank you Riordan, you’ve made my son into a man I’m so proud of.
Thank you.

ARHS offers a great education for young men. I found the teachers and staff hard-​working professionals who go out of their way to help the students achieve their personal best. Every type of student can find their niche at Riordan – jock, musician, theater buff or intellectual.
My son is an alum and thanks to his AP classes was accepted at several top universities – including honors programs.
Those reviewers that complained about fellow students and cliques, this happens at every high school in every city. When my son was a student there, there was a strict dress code and honor code.
The student body is extremely diverse and the school offers numerous clubs, sports and activities. Also, ARHS has a graduation requirement of 100 hours of community service.

Words can not express how pleased I am with the fantastic education my boys have received at Riordan High School! One was a hard working, average student who graduated as an exceptional young man and the other, an honor student and athlete, still working his way though high school. Both boys have received fantastic financial aid and scholarships since we do not have the means to pay full tuition.
Riordan offers financial aid as well as encourages and helps students and their families to seek outside scholarship opportunities. Private school can be affordable for even low income families. One may have to forgo small luxuries for awhile, but it is definitely worth it!
Riordan is not just for the student. The whole family becomes part of Riordan High School. Whether it is the Athletics or the Marching and Jazz Bands or the top notch Theater Productions, all the family can be proud of their affiliation with the school. Younger siblings, grandparents, aunt and uncles, even neighbors and friends can all feel a sense of belonging to the Riordan family and can participate.
The fundraisers and other events which are so necessary to a private school are also a great place to have fun and meet new people. The annual Crab Feed, the fancy Gala, the Mother/​Son dance, to name a few, allow friends and family to enjoy Riordan too.
Riordan offers summer school for elementary school girls and boys as well as different sports camps and acting camp. Coming on campus at a younger age can give a child and parents an idea if this might be a good fit for them.
Riordan is a Catholic school although you do not need to be Catholic to attend. Catholic/​Christian values are taught which is always a good thing. The whole person is respected and encouraged in this school. Boys need a lot of help these days to become exceptional men and Archbishop Riordan is a place to where that can happen. Unfortunately, my daughter was not able to attend this all boys school but she would have if she could have. She had many of her high school friends graduate from here.
Also… Riordan offers lots of college preparation help! About 99% of the students go on to college, the others go on to the military.

This is the finest school in San Francisco. I spend my best years here and this places continues to produce scholars athletes and overall great men who are full of integrity and character. They are the most diverse of the private catholic schools in the city and they embrace and encourage all students. Nothing against SI and SH. But riordan rises above them. I strive to say i know i would not be the man i am today without this amazing place.

A quietly awesome place that puts boys at the center of a high-​class education with heart. As someone who graduated from an Ivy League college, as did my husband, we would both put Riordan up against any other high school — it offers just what boys need at this time of their life. Room to grow, try new things, within a disciplined, but spiritual with heart atmosphere. Our sons are thriving academically by all external measures, AP scores, SAT scores, and college admissions as well as in the less tangible ways of high self esteem and good values.

Archbishop Riordan High School. I spent my freshman year here, and overall it was pretty much hell. This ended up being my last resort high school since I screwed up my last years in middle school. The kids were homophobic, cliquey assholes, to put it nicely. They feared anything that was slightly different (taste in music, beliefs in higher powers or lack there of, etc.) and everything to them was gay.
I did have some pretty good teachers, though. My english teacher set me up for my entire life, learning basic sentence structure that most students at San Francisco State University still struggle with (I can’t for the life of me remember my teacher’s name, but she was awesome). My religion teacher was a former football coach so he was kind of a hard ass, but he seemed to take some special interest in me because I had a different way of thinking compared to the other douchebag kids in my class. My theater teacher made the subject interesting, even though I couldn’t care less about theater.
I think the students ruined my experience at Riordan. There’s nothing the faculty could do about it, since «boys will be boys» and all. I’m not sure if much has changed since I left ARHS, but if the kids are still the same as they were back in 1997, I’d stay away from this place.

Riordan is a great high school for those from lower incomes who cannot afford to go to SI or SH. It is not a school of last resort. Riordan continually graduates students that go onto college and excel. Actually about 99% of RIordan graduates go onto college after senior year. Also for some reason every girl I know loves Riordan guys over SI and SH guys. Just something a little extra.