Santa Clara University (SCU)

Black Pinpoint 500 El Camino Real | Santa Clara, CA | 95053

01. Overview

What the school is known for:

Situated "at the heart of Silicon Valley," Santa Clara University is a Jesuit school with "rigorous but rewarding [courses]," a place where "you'll never meet more passionate, more intelligent, and often down-to-earth professors." Thanks to small class sizes, professors remain "accessible"; as one student puts it: "I have had a real relationship with every one of my professors at SCU." Meanwhile, the school administration is "great at listening to and implementing student feedback" and "welcomes students to talk with people in high positions of power." There's also an appreciated "openness of the students and faculty to consider new possibilities in academia" and one student notes being "challenged to extend my thinking in every class."

Of the various majors, students speak fondly of the "massive array of classes and professors" in the business school, and the many connections offered from faculty "[that] are CEOs and founders that relate the material we learn to their experiences." Other programs students spoke affectionately of are those for "top tier" accounting, "amazing" public health, and both computer and environmental science. Enrollees appreciate that the school is keeping with the times-a 2021 science building is described as having "awesome, stateof-the-art equipment"-and overall sum up their experience as "perfect, I love it."

02. Rankings

Rankings and Lists

03. Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Applicants Icon
Applicants
18,843
Acceptance Icon
Acceptance Rate
44%
GPA Icon
Average HS GPA
3.73

Deadlines

Regular
January 7

SAT & ACT Test Scores

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
660 - 730

SAT Math

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
680 - 770

SAT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
1350 - 1410

ACT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
30 - 33

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Testing Policies

Standardized testing policy for
use in admission:
Test Optional

Other Admission Factors Academic

Admission Factors Icon
Rigor of Secondary School Record
Admission Factors Icon
Academic GPA
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Application Essay

Non-Academic

Extracurricular Activities Icon
Extracurricular Activities
Talent / Ability Icon
Talent / Ability
Character / Personal Qualities Icon
Character / Personal Qualities
First Generation Icon
First Generation
Volunteer Work Icon
Volunteer Work
Work Experience Icon
Work Experience

Selectivity

4. Cost, Tuition, Expenses

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$60,639
Average Cost for Books and Supplies
$1,062
Tuition / Fees Vary by Year of Study
No
Transportation for Commuters
$1,791
On-Campus Room and Board
19893
Approximate Expenses per year
$83,385

Students Also View These Schools

05. Academics

Student Faculty Icon
Student/Faculty
10 : 1
Acceptance Icon
Total Faculty
988
Terminal Degree Icon
Terminal Degree
812

Gender

Men
513
Women
475
Minority
331
International
45

Class/Lab sizes

Most frequent class size
10-19
Most frequent lab/sub section size
10-19

Rating

Graduation Rates

University Degrees

Bachelor's
Doctoral/Professional
Doctoral/Research
Master's
Post-Bachelor's certificate
Post-Master's certificate

06. Student Body

What students say:

Santa Clara University attracts students that are "smart, dedicated, funny, committed, [and] intelligent." While students are "focused on academics"-as one puts it, "People like to have fun, but only after the work is finished"-they "definitely prioritize having a good time." There is a "good sense of community" on campus, but also "enough harmless shenanigans (lightsaber fights in the cafeteria, Shakespeare flash mobs, etc.)" to ensure you're "having a really fun college experience." "Everyone here is quite relaxed and happy," explains one student. It's not that people aren't academically focused, "they just know how to balance work and school well." The school is fairly diverse in ethnicity, but some students note an "overwhelmingly upper-middle class" vibe. This may just be part of the easy-going atmosphere, however, given that 75% of students are reported to receive aid. At any rate, these "hardworking [students are] always open to help someone," so much so that a first-year "automatically felt at home at Santa Clara because of the warm and welcoming community."

Gender

49% female51% male

Out of State

40% are out
of state
60% are
in-state

Students

98% are
full time
2% are
part time

Student Body Profile

Total Undergraduate Enrollment
6,249
Foreign Countries Represented
41

Student Body Demographics

American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.03%
Asian
21.48%
Black
3.50%
Hispanic
18.73%
Caucasian
37.51%
Unknown
1.86%
International
7.76%

07. Mental Health

08. Campus Life

What students say:

On evenings and weekends, "Santa Clara students can be seen at local restaurants, bars, parties, golfing, or just having fun with friends." Fraternities and sororities are independent from the university, but are "huge" and "everywhere," perhaps contributing to the "big party culture at SCU." Additionally, "there are multiple social activities and events hosted by clubs and other organizations on campus almost every day of the week, and clubs do their best to be readily accessible to nonmembers." One student particularly loves the Investment Fund, "a student-led club that invests a portion of the university's endowment." There's also plenty to do even from the comfort of a residence hall, from pool to ping pong and foosball.

Students rave about the intramural sports available on SCU's "gorgeous" campus, including soccer, volleyball, flag football, and water polo. Though some admit it can be challenging to explore neighboring areas without a car, many value both the urban and wilderness adventures SCU's Northern California location provides. "I love the hiking and backpacking club called 'Into the Wild,' which takes students to local scenery," says one student. Others share that weekend adventures to the beach in Santa Cruz or enjoying the nightlife in San Francisco make for excellent SCU memories.

Students
54%
First-Year Students
88%
Campus Environment
Small Urban
Help finding off-campus housing
Yes

9. Campus Visits

Campus Visits Contact

Location Icon
Undergraduate Admissions 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053
Phone icon
(408) 554-4700

Campus Tours

Campus Visiting Center

Monday-Friday

Phone icon
(408) 554-4700

Campus Tours

Appointment Required:
Yes
Dates:
Year-round
Times:
Varies
Average Length:
2 hours

Visits

CLASS VISITS

FACULTY AND COACH VISITS

Arrangements
Contact Coach Directly
 

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews:
No
Information Sessions:
Not Available

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Not Available

Campus Tours


TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO CAMPUS

San Jose International Airport is a 3-mile drive from campus. A free shuttle (VTA public bus #10) drops off visitors at campus entrance. Rental cars and taxis, are also available for the trip from airport to campus. San Francisco International Airport is 45 miles north of campus. From there, Airport Connection Shuttles take visitors to the San Jose airport; call 800-AIRPORT (from out of state) or 415-877-0903 (in California) for shuttle timetables and reservations. Amtrak trains serve San Jose; call 800-USA-RAIL for information. Greyhound buses also serve San Jose.


DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO CAMPUS

From U.S. 101 (Bayshore Freeway), take the Santa Clara/De La Cruz Blvd. exit. Proceed south 2 miles. As the road forks, keep to the right and follow the signs to the university. From I-880, take the Alameda/Santa Clara exit. Travel north one mile to campus. From I-280, proceed to the interchange with I-880. Take I-880 N. toward Oakland and take the Alameda/Santa Clara exit. The university is 1 mile north of the exit.

LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS

The Candlewood Suites (481 El Camino Real, Santa Clara; 408-241-9305) is located directly across the street from the University. Days Inn Santa Clara (859 El Camino Real; 408-244-2840) is located 5 blocks from the university. San Jose Hilton and Towers, (300 Almaden Blvd., San Jose; 408-287-2100), a 12-minute drive from campus.


10. Sports & Athletics

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Athletic Division I

Participate in intramural sports
33%

Men's Sports (Broncos)

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Basketball
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Cross Country
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Golf
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Soccer
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Tennis
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Track Field Outdoor

Women's Sports (Broncos)

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Basketball
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Cross Country
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Golf
Icon
Soccer
Icon
Softball
Icon
Tennis
Icon
Track Field Outdoor
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Volleyball

11. Housing & Activities

Hosting Features

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Apartment Single
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Dorms Coed
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Other
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Theme Housing

Special Needs Admissions

Director
James Marik
College Entrance Tests Required
Yes
Interview Required
No

Student Activities

Registered Student Organizations
204
Number of Honor Societies
27
Number of Social Sororities
0
Number of Religious Organizations
6
Join a fraternity
0%
Join a sorority
0%

12. Student Services

Military

Army ROTC Offered on-campus
Navy ROTC Offered at cooperating institutions: UC Berkeley
Air Force ROTC Offered at cooperating institutions: San Jose State University

Sustainability

School Has Formal Sustainability Committee
Yes
Sustainability-focused degree available
Yes
School employs a sustainability officer
Yes
Public GHG inventory plan
Yes

Green rating

96%

Food budget spent on local/organic food

23%

Available Transportation Alternatives

Car Sharing Program
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Incentives Or Programs To Encourage Employees To Live Close To Campus
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School Adopted A Policy Prohibiting Idling
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School Developed Bicycle Plan
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CAMPUS SECURITY REPORT

The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.

Please visit The Princeton Review's page on campus safety for additional resources:

Visit Page
Warning Icon

The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/

Other Information

Campus-wide Internet Network
X Mark icon
Fee for Network Use
X Mark icon
Partnerships with Technology Companies
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Personal computer included in tuition for each student
X Mark icon
Discounts Available with Hardware Vendors
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Description Apple, Dell

13. Financial Aid

Dates

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Notification DateApr 1

Required Forms

FAFSA
Forms CSSProfile

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$35,239
Average Undergraduate Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$32,695
Average Need-Based Loan
$4,240
Undergraduates who have borrowed through any loan program
32%
Average amount of loan debt per graduate
$25,337
Average amount of each freshman scholarship/grant package
$35,239
Financial aid provided to international students
Yes

Available Aid

Financial Aid Methodology
Scholarships and Grants

Need-Based Aid

01 - Need-Based College/University Scholarship or Grant Aid from Institutional Funds
02 - Need-Based Federal Pell
03 - Need-Based Private Scholarships
04 - Need-Based SEOG
05 - Need-Based State Scholarships
06 - Need-Based United Negro College Fund

Federal Direct Student Loan Programs

01 - Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
02 - Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans

Federal Family Education Loan Programs (FFEL):

01 - College/university loans from institutional funds
Is Institutional Employment Available (other than Federal Work Study)
Yes

14. Career Services & Jobs

Graduation Rates

Career Services

01 - Alumni Network
02 - Alumni Services
03 - Classes
04 - Interest Inventory
05 - Internships
06 - Regional Alumni

Opportunities at School

01 - Experiential
02 - Internship

15. Majors

Down Arrow Icon

02 BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES.

  • Biochemistry.
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
  • Neuroscience.
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03 BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES.

  • Accounting and Business/Management.
  • Accounting.
  • Business/Commerce, General.
  • Business/Managerial Economics.
  • Finance, General.
  • Management Information Systems, General.
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General.
  • Organizational Behavior Studies.
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05 COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

  • Information Technology.
  • Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design.
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06 ENGINEERING.

  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.
  • Civil Engineering, General.
  • Civil Engineering.
  • Computer Engineering, General.
  • Computer Hardware Engineering.
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Engineering Physics/Applied Physics.
  • Engineering, General.
  • Mechanical Engineering.
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07 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS.

  • English Language and Literature, General.
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09 FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS.

  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General.
  • French Language and Literature.
  • Italian Language and Literature.
  • Spanish Language and Literature.
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11 HISTORY.

  • History, General.
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12 LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES.

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies.
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13 MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS.

  • Mathematics, General.
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14 MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.

  • Mathematics and Computer Science.
  • Natural Sciences.
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15 NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION.

  • Environmental Science.
  • Environmental Studies.
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16 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES.

  • Philosophy.
  • Religion/Religious Studies.
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17 PHYSICAL SCIENCES.

  • Chemistry, General.
  • Physics, General.
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18 PSYCHOLOGY.

  • Psychology, General.
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19 SOCIAL SCIENCES.

  • Anthropology.
  • Economics, General.
  • Political Science and Government, General.
  • Sociology.
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20 VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS.

  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation.
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General.
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General.
  • Music, General.

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