601 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Principal: Marie Cruce
Phone: 310-395-3204
Website: samohi.smmusd.org
Instagram: @vikingssamohi
Santa Monica High School, commonly known as Samohi, is a public high school in Santa Monica, California, and one of three high schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. The school serves 2,588 students in grades 9 through 12 and has a student-teacher ratio of 19 to 1.
Student demographics
Santa Monica High School’s student body is as diverse as the community it serves. For the 2025-26 school year, 40.5 percent of students identified as White, 35 percent as Hispanic, 10.6 percent as multiracial, 6.8 percent as African American, and 6.5 percent as Asian.
History and campus
Samohi was founded in 1891 and is one of the oldest high schools in the region. The current campus opened in 1912 and expanded over the following decades as enrollment grew. The campus continues to undergo major modernization projects, including the 260,000-square-foot Discovery Building, completed in 2021, and the $149 million Exploration Building and Gold Gym project completed in 2024.
Academics
Santa Monica High School is composed of four houses: S, A, M, and O. Upon enrollment, students are randomly assigned to a house unless they have a sibling already attending the school, in which case they may choose to join that same house or a different one.
Santa Monica High School boasts a 96 percent graduation rate among students who enroll in 12th grade. Approximately 25 percent of students are enrolled in Advanced Placement classes, and the average SAT score is 1300.
Recognized programs
Visual and performing arts are a major part of campus life at Santa Monica High School. The school’s orchestra, band, and choir programs are widely respected, and the drama department stages two productions each year in Barnum Hall.
Community
Samohi primarily serves families in the City of Santa Monica, including students who come from local feeder schools such as Lincoln Middle School, John Adams Middle School, and Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse. Because of its size, history, and location, the school has long been a major part of the city’s civic and neighborhood identity.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni include Carson Daly (television personality), Robert Downey Jr. (actor), Charlie Sheen (actor), Rick Monday (MLB player), Jane Wickline (comedian), Jonny Kim (NASA astronaut), Ben Allen (California state senator), and Art Alexakis (musician).
SEE ALSO:
Franklin Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Grant Elementary School