The school is named in honor of David Starr Jordan, the founding president of Stanford University, a noted educator and a leader in field of eugenics who had died just two years before the school first opened in 1934.

The main campus serves students from grades 10-12 and select 9th graders in special programs.

The second campus, known as the Jordan Freshman Academy, was constructed in 2001 and serves the incoming 9th grade students.

Referred to as "The Freshman Academy" or "Baby Jordan" by students, it is located at the site of the former Dominguez Mercy Hospital at 171 W. Bort Street, Long Beach, California.

[7][8] Long Beach Jordan graduates are granted two years of free tuition at Long Beach City College, which has a dedicated Transfer Admission Guarantee resource center for transferring to the majority of UC and CSU Campuses.