A native of Altadena, California, Vaughn attended John Muir High School in nearby Pasadena, where he maintained a 3.94 GPA in honors and AP courses, and became the best high school player in that area since former Muir and NBA standout Stacey Augmon.
As a senior in high school in 1993, Vaughn was awarded the Dial Award as the nation's top male high school scholar-athlete, becoming the first basketball player ever to win that award.