The school was first established as a district school in 1884 and became Pasadena High School in 1891. In 1928, the school merged into Pasadena Junior College and operated as a four-year school, grades 11, 12, 13 and 14. Pasadena realigned its 6-4-4 school system in 1954 with Pasadena High School regaining its separate identity. PHS, however, shared the Pasadena City College Colorado Boulevard campus through the graduating class of 1960 when PHS moved to its present campus on Sierra Madre Boulevard at Washington Boulevard.