About

About Santa Clara University

jesuit faith basedbusiness and engineering focussmall class sizesdoctoral professional programs

Santa Clara University is a private university in Santa Clara, CA, known for its jesuit faith based, business and engineering focus, and small class sizes. With an acceptance rate of 52%, SCU is moderately selective, typically enrolling around 1,641 students each year. SCU is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1330–1470, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. SCU offers merit scholarships regardless of financial need, with awards averaging $31,443 per year; the sticker price of $76,497 may look very different from what your family actually pays.

Admissions

Santa Clara University acceptance rate and admitted student profile

moderately selective

52%
Overall Accept Rate
3.75
Typical Admitted GPA
1400
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1330 – 1470 (test optional)

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ED advantage at Santa Clara University: ED acceptance rate is 76% vs 52% regular decision, notably higher than. If Santa Clara Universityis your first choice and you've confirmed the financial fit, Early Decision is one of the highest-leverage decisions you can make.

Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Santa Clara University

Essay Strategy
Santa Clara's Jesuit identity is central to how they evaluate applicants, so use your essays to show how you engage with questions of ethics, social justice, or service to others. Connect your experiences to their mission of educating the whole person, not just your academic record.
Extracurriculars
Santa Clara sits in the heart of Silicon Valley, so if you have any experience with entrepreneurship, tech projects, nonprofit work, or community-based initiatives, emphasize those activities and explain how you plan to tap into the SCU ecosystem to continue that work.

Financial Aid & Cost

What Santa Clara University actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Family IncomeSticker PriceAvg. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$76k/yr$23.0k
30k-48k~$76k/yr$19.2k
48k-75k~$76k/yr$26.5k
75k-110k~$76k/yr$37.2k
110k+~$76k/yr$60.7k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

89%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$91k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
11:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
6,564
Undergrad Enrollment

Student Body

Student body composition

Race & Ethnicity

37%White
21%Asian
20%Hispanic
9%Two or More Races
7%International
3%Black / African American
2%Unknown / Unreported
0%Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0%American Indian / AK Native
Gender51% Men · 50% Women
Citizenship / Immigration Status93% Citizens and Immigrants · 7% International
SCU, Santa Clara Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch