Hug High was built on a hillside in east Reno in 1968 to serve students from rapidly growing areas.

[5] Hug High School relocated from 2880 Sutro Street to 3530 Sullivan Lane at the beginning of the 22-23 academic year.

[6] Hug High's first principal, Bud Garfinkle, opened the school for the 1968-69 academic year with only sophomores and juniors; the first senior class graduated in 1970.

As Hug was founded in the late 1960s when the U.S. was undergoing intense social change and political turmoil (especially in relation to guaranteeing equal rights to all of its citizens and fighting an increasingly unpopular war in Vietnam), the events of this period contributed to the idealism of the school's first years.

"[7] As one of the most ethnically diverse high schools in the district, it could be said that shifts in Hug's fortunes have often provided a litmus lest to the community at large as to how far it has come to achieving these ideals.

Hug High School is also home to the GATE Institute, providing advanced coursework and dual-enrollment opportunities for qualified students through the district Gifted and Talented Education Program.

[10] The current campus consists of a three-story main building that houses all aspects of the school that students interact with throughout their day: administration, classrooms, and a cafeteria, among others.

Over the years, Hug has offered both a general-education and a full college-preparatory curriculum, and many of its alumni have gone on to attend some of the nation's most prestigious colleges and universities, with some earning Ph.D.'s, J.D.

[13] More recently, Hug has received attention from the local television station KOLO for its improving academic standing as well as the introduction of gender-separate classes in its ongoing objective to boost student performance.

[15] Today Hug offers classes in English, from English as a Second Language up to Advanced Placement levels, mathematics from Algebra I to AP Calculus BC, sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Social Studies up to Advanced Placement Levels, Spanish, French, Industrial arts and physical education, as well as numerous elective courses.

While Hug has almost always had a higher percentage of students from ethnic minorities and low-income families than other schools in the district, since the late 1980s the student body has undergone an even more extreme demographic shift,[19] underscoring the underlying problem of racial and economic segregation that still could be said to characterize the school district as a whole.