Santa Clara, CA · Private · 6,552 undergraduates · urban
Santa Clara University
Selective
Santa Clara makes community-based learning a formal part of its undergraduate Core while placing students in a residential campus inside Silicon Valley.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in career outcomes, and strong in academic standing.- Admission
- 43.8% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 89.7%
18,843 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$109,183 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Santa Clara University apart
Academic design
The Core progresses through Foundations, Explorations, and Integrations and includes an Experiential Learning for Social Justice requirement.
Campus pattern
Mission Santa Clara anchors the campus, while a nearby Caltrain station links students directly with San Jose, the Peninsula, and San Francisco.
A signature opportunity
Experiential Learning for Social Justice connects an academic course with structured work in community settings beyond campus.
Can I get in?
43.8% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
18,843About 44 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 25% submitted an SAT, and 12% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Santa Clara University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Santa Clara University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The Core progresses through Foundations, Explorations, and Integrations and includes an Experiential Learning for Social Justice requirement.
Make institutional fit specific
Santa Clara makes community-based learning a formal part of its undergraduate Core while placing students in a residential campus inside Silicon Valley.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
BusinessAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
EngineeringAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Santa Clara University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Finance and Financial Management Services
Admits separately
Communication and Media Studies
Admits separately
Psychology, General
Mathematics and Computer Science
Marketing
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Santa Clara University beyond the classroom
Mission Santa Clara anchors the campus, while a nearby Caltrain station links students directly with San Jose, the Peninsula, and San Francisco.
A defining academic feature
The Core progresses through Foundations, Explorations, and Integrations and includes an Experiential Learning for Social Justice requirement.
What shapes an ordinary week
Mission Santa Clara anchors the campus, while a nearby Caltrain station links students directly with San Jose, the Peninsula, and San Francisco.
A reason to look closer
Experiential Learning for Social Justice connects an academic course with structured work in community settings beyond campus.