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College

Santa Clara University

#5 in Best Catholic Colleges in America
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Santa Clara, CA
  • 1,318 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A
  2. Value
    A+
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    A
  5. Athletics
    B+
  6. Party Scene
    A
  7. Professors
    B+
  8. Location
    B+
  9. Dorms
    A+
  10. Campus Food
    A
  11. Student Life
    A
  12. Safety
    B-
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Santa Clara is a highly rated private, Catholic university located in Santa Clara, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a mid-size institution with an enrollment of 5,353 undergraduate students. Admissions is fairly competitive as the Santa Clara acceptance rate is 48%. Popular majors include Finance, Communications, and Psychology. Graduating 89% of students, Santa Clara alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $53,600.
About Santa Clara University...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I (without football)
Athletic Conference
West Coast Conference
Address
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Website
scu.edu/admission/undergraduate

Santa Clara University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
48%
Application Deadline
January 7
SAT Range
1200-1400
ACT Range
28-32
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
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Cost

Net Price
$37,657/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $16,963/ year
  • $30-48k
    $21,359/ year
  • $49-75k
    $21,945/ year
  • $76-110k
    $37,021/ year
  • $110k+
    $46,870/ year
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Academics

Professors
B+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
11:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
90%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.81 responses
79%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.123 responses
76%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.123 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Finance
    154 Graduates
  • Communications
    131 Graduates
  • Psychology
    123 Graduates
  • Economics
    105 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    87 Graduates
  • Biology
    81 Graduates
  • Marketing
    74 Graduates
  • Mechanical Engineering
    71 Graduates
  • Accounting
    70 Graduates
  • Computer Hardware Engineering
    65 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
5,353Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
1%
Pell Grant
9%
Varsity Athletes
7%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 77 responses
Report
  • Well-rounded
    35%
  • Driven
    18%
  • Diverse
    10%
  • Outgoing
    10%
  • Chill
    8%
  • Stressed
    8%
  • Entitled
    4%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
96%
Poll
43%
of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.115 responses
Poll
54%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.158 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 81 responses
Report
  • Perfect.
    31%
  • Serene
    16%
  • Pretty chill
    14%
  • A Resort.
    12%
  • California
    10%
  • Home away from home
    7%
  • Fast-paced
    4%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$69,600/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
89%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
92%
National
83%
85%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.40 responses
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Santa Clara University Reviews

1,318 reviews
All Categories
So far, I love my experience at SCU! Everyone I've encountered has been friendly and the professors are awesome to talk to. The campus is beautiful and a perfect size. There are many resources open to students to help them out academically and with their career interests. If I were to point out any cons, housing can get expensive, the party scene isn't very big, and attending athletic sporting events isn't as common as other colleges. However, I still think SCU was the right choice for me.
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I am grateful for the education I received at SCU. It is incredibly elite like all the other schools ranked in the Top1 on U.S. News West. While my professors and classmates were driven and super-bright, Santa Clara as a whole maintains an exclusionary culture. I come from a low-income background and was at times belittled for not being able to afford expensive excursions into San Jose, having less than glamorous clothing, and even for what my parents do for a living. The fact that a segment of Santa Clara's student body is majorly right-wing conservative (bordering on racist/discriminatory) certainly doesn't remedy the exclusionary culture. If I could do the college process all over again, I'm not sure I would pick Santa Clara.
Santa Clara University has a wealth of knowledge and opportunity at one's finger tips. Unless student's are naturally inclined to being outgoing and seeking out places that they can make a difference in or even call home, it will take a considerable amount of effort to find the people and the opportunities that make Santa Clara University a most memorable place. Furthermore, Santa Clara University has very rigorous academic programs, so students should not be terrified if they receive their first end of semester report filled with low marks. Along with just showing up to class and external appointments, these meet ups offer students a chance for research opportunities, internships and even future careers.