Admission
Enrollment, tuition and graduation
Two ways to enroll, tuition for every teaching format, and exactly what it takes to earn the diploma. Rolling admission — both programs start in any term.
Choose your path
Two enrollment options
- Option 1
US high school diploma
Enroll with us full time and graduate with an accredited American high school diploma. Six courses a year, a dedicated advisor, a cognitive abilities assessment that sets instruction levels, and a four-year credit plan reviewed each term.
Best for students who want a complete US high school record and are applying to universities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong.
- Option 2
Credit electives
Stay enrolled at your current school and take HBA courses one at a time for transcript credit — an AP your school doesn't offer, a language requirement, a repeat for a stronger grade, or summer acceleration. Credits appear on an official HBA transcript.
Best for students filling a gap in their school's offerings, strengthening a transcript, or reaching past the ceiling of their current math or science sequence.
Tuition
2026–27 tuition
All figures in US dollars. Take credit electives one course at a time, or enroll in the diploma program of six courses per year. Rolling admission for both.
Credit electives(Regular · AP)
| 1-on-1 instructionPrivate live class with an HBA teacher | $6,500/ course |
|---|---|
| Small group (3–8)Live teacher-led class with classmates | $4,500/ course |
| Recorded courseSelf-paced video lessons with graded work | $2,500/ course |
US high school diploma(6 courses per year)
| 1-on-1 instructionAll six courses taught privately | $36,400/ year |
|---|---|
| Small group (3–8)All six courses in live small-group classes | $22,600/ year |
| Included with every diploma enrollmentCognitive abilities assessment · dedicated advisor · transcripts · AP testing seat · in-person graduation | Included |
One-time registration fee: credit electives $420 · diploma program $1,400.
The school arranges official AP exam and competition registration for enrolled students. Tutoring, internships, passion projects and test prep are available as add-ons. For a written quote, email globalonline@highbluffacademy.com.
How to enroll
Five steps to enrollment
Submit your application
Email admissions the completed application form, a scan of the student's passport photo page, the latest transcript from the current school, and any standardized scores or awards — AP, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.
Review and offer
The admissions office reviews the file within one to two business days and issues the official offer letter by email.
Tuition and enrollment
Pay tuition within the offer validity period, following the invoice sent by your admissions officer, then return the payment receipt so the academic team can register the student.
Registration and course planning
Once payment is confirmed the registrar formally enrolls the student, and a 1-on-1 course planning session builds a personalized schedule around target universities and intended major.
System access and orientation
We open the student's school system account, set up a family communication group for regular progress updates, and run orientation: the school, the homeroom and subject teachers, how to submit work, online exam proctoring rules, and attendance expectations.
Graduation
Graduation requirements
Graduation is measured in credits: one year-long course earns one credit, and 24 credits earn the diploma.
1
credit per course
One year-long course completed = one credit on the official transcript.
24
credits to graduate
The total required to earn the High Bluff Academy high school diploma.
6
minimum credits with us
At least six of the 24 credits must be earned at HBA Online — the residency requirement.
Transfer credits accepted
Credits already earned at your previous school are evaluated and transferred in by the registrar at enrollment.
Credits are distributed across six UC A–G academic areas
Course selection follows the UC A–G college-preparatory framework, so every academic course counts toward both the diploma and UC eligibility.
- Social Sciences
- English
- Second Language
- Mathematics
- Experimental Sciences
- Visual Arts
How it works: a diploma student takes six courses a year, so a student starting in grade 9 reaches 24 credits in four years. Transfer students bring credits with them and complete the balance here, subject to the six-credit minimum. Your advisor builds the credit plan at enrollment and reviews it each term. For a transcript evaluation, email globalonline@highbluffacademy.com.
Terms & scheduling
What the school year looks like
- Rolling admission for both programs — start in any term
- Four terms a year: fall, winter, spring and summer
- Live classes scheduled to the student's time zone, including Asia-friendly hours
- Six courses per year in the diploma program; credit electives are taken one at a time
- AP exams taken at HBA's San Diego testing site, with the seat reserved for enrolled students
- Official AP exam and competition registration handled by the school
- In-person graduation in San Diego for graduates who want to walk
Next step
Get a course plan and a written quote
Send us the student's grade, current school and goals. We reply within one business day with a recommended course plan, a transcript evaluation and tuition for the exact course list.
Start whenever you are ready.
Rolling admission — both programs begin in any term. Tell us the grade, the current school and the goal, and we will come back within one business day.
Replies within one business day, Monday to Friday. · Four terms a year: fall, winter, spring and summer.
- WASC accredited
- UC A–G approved
- NCAA approved
- College Board AP school