About Anderson High School
Anderson High School, one of 11 comprehensive high schools in Austin Independent School District, serves grades 9-12 from a campus at 8403 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX 78759. The mascot is the Trojans; school colors are Blue and Gold. The principal is Brian Lancaster. The school enrolled approximately 2,223 students for the most recent reporting year, with a pupil-teacher ratio of approximately 18:1.
L.C. Anderson High School at 8403 Mesa Drive opened in 1973. The current campus is a separate institution from the historic L.C. Anderson High School (1889-1971), which served Austin's Eastside African American population at four locations and was renamed in 1938 to honor L.C. Anderson, principal of the original Anderson from 1896 to 1929. The original Anderson was closed during desegregation; the current Anderson on Mesa Drive opened two years later. State titles: Boys' Golf 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2022 (5A); Girls' Golf 2022 (5A); Girls' Swimming & Diving 1974, 1982; Girls' Lacrosse 2022 (5A).
The campus offers Advanced Placement courses, dual credit, fine arts (band, choir, orchestra, theatre), CTE pathways, and a UIL Class 5A athletics slate. Anderson High School competes in UIL Class 5A. Notable Trojan alumni include actor Mehcad Brooks (1999), MLB outfielder Justin Ruggiano (2000), and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Austin ISD operates 114 schools serving approximately 69,251 students as of the 2025-26 school year, including 11 traditional comprehensive high schools plus magnet/specialty campuses such as LASA, the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, and Garza Independence HS. International High School closed at the end of 2025-26 under the same consolidation plan. AISD holds a "B" overall TEA accountability rating (81 of 100) for the 2025-26 accountability year — the most recent year TEA has rated. District administration is at 4000 South IH-35 Frontage Road in Austin (78704). AISD covers most of the city of Austin plus Sunset Valley, San Leanna, and portions of unincorporated Travis County.
Living in Anderson High School
L.C. Anderson High School at 8403 Mesa Drive in Northwest Hills (Austin 78759) is one of AISD's mid-sized comprehensive HS. The current campus opened in 1973 — but the L.C. Anderson name carries 80+ years of pre-1971 history: the historic L.C. Anderson High School served Austin's African American population at four different locations from 1889 to 1971 (closing during Austin ISD's federally-mandated desegregation), with its final location at 900 Thompson Street (now home to Eastside Early College HS). The original Anderson was renamed in 1938 to honor L.C. Anderson, principal of the school from 1896 to 1929. The current Anderson on Mesa Drive is a separate institution — but the name and legacy continue.
UIL Class 5A; mascot Trojans; colors blue and gold. Principal Brian Lancaster. Enrollment 2,179 (2025-2026). The Anderson attendance zone is fed by Burnet Middle School (8401 Hathaway Drive, named for David Gouverneur Burnet — first president of the Republic of Texas in 1836) plus seven elementaries: Cook, McBee, Padron, Pillow, Davis, Wooldridge, and Wooten.
The zone covers Northwest Hills (along Mesa Drive and Far West Boulevard), Great Hills (around Great Hills Country Club), Spicewood at Bull Creek, Far West, the Mesa / Greystone area, and the streets descending into Bull Creek's upper canyons. Residential character leans Hill Country suburban: cul-de-sac streets carved into limestone bluffs, mature live oaks, and a strong country-club / private-school presence (St. Stephen's, St. Andrew's, Hill Country Christian School, and Westlake Christian Academy all sit inside or adjacent to the zone).
Anderson's state athletic titles include boys' golf (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2022 — five titles in 5A), girls' golf (2022, 5A), girls' swimming & diving (1974, 1982), and girls' lacrosse (2022, 5A — the school's most recent championship). Notable Trojan alumni include actor Mehcad Brooks (class of 1999 — "True Blood," "Necessary Roughness," "Mortal Kombat"), MLB outfielder Justin Ruggiano (class of 2000), former NFL players Ben Fricke and Bobby Micho, and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Day-to-day retail centers on the Mesa Drive / Far West corridor (HEB Mesa Park and the Far West shopping district), the US-183 / Loop 360 / MoPac interchange retail (Westwood Shopping Center), and The Domain mixed-use district just east of the zone (a major retail, office, and residential center on Burnet Road south of Braker). Healthcare access centers on Ascension Seton Northwest on Spicewood Springs Road and the broader medical campuses along MoPac / US-183.
Outdoor recreation centers on Bull Creek and the surrounding greenbelts. Bull Creek District Park (a 48-acre City of Austin park along Bull Creek with swimming holes when the creek is flowing) sits at the heart of the zone. The Bull Creek Greenbelt extends miles upstream through Northwest Hills. Northwest District Park offers sports fields, a public pool, and the Northwest Recreation Center. Balcones District Park sits on the southern edge of the zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grades does Anderson High School serve?
Anderson High School serves grades 9-12 in Austin ISD. The school enrolled approximately 2,223 students for the most recent reporting year, with a pupil-teacher ratio of approximately 18:1.
Where is Anderson High School located?
Anderson High School is at 8403 Mesa Drive, Austin, TX 78759.
What is Anderson High School's mascot?
The Anderson High School mascot is the Trojans; school colors are Blue and Gold.
What is Anderson High School known for?
L.C. Anderson High School at 8403 Mesa Drive opened in 1973. The current campus is a separate institution from the historic L.C. Anderson High School (1889-1971), which served Austin's Eastside African American population at four locations and was renamed in 1938 to honor L.C. Anderson, principal of the original Anderson from 1896 to 1929. The original Anderson was closed during desegregation; the current Anderson on Mesa Drive opened two years later. State titles: Boys' Golf 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2022 (5A); Girls' Golf 2022 (5A); Girls' Swimming & Diving 1974, 1982; Girls' Lacrosse 2022 (5A).
What programs does Anderson High School offer?
Anderson High School offers Advanced Placement courses, dual credit, fine arts (band, choir, orchestra, theatre), CTE pathways, and a UIL Class 5A athletics slate.
Who are some notable Anderson High School alumni?
Notable Trojan alumni include actor Mehcad Brooks (1999), MLB outfielder Justin Ruggiano (2000), and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
