Private nonprofit · University

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California · Midsize city

48.0%
Admit rate
$50,062
Avg net price
88%
Graduation rate
$109,183
Median earnings

Santa Clara University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Santa Clara, California (midsize city setting), enrolling 6,552 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 6,552 undergradsMidsize citySelective · 48% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Santa Clara University's admitted students.

Admit rate
48.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1350–1490
Avg GPA
3.72

Enter a test score to see where you land against Santa Clara University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Santa Clara University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century, the Tamien tribe of the Ohlone nation of Indigenous Californians had inhabited the area for several millennia. Santa Clara is also home to California's Great America, an amusement park currently operated by Six Flags. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
3 miles to San Jose, CA
To the ocean
9 miles
Nearest airport
1 mile to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose (SJC) · major hub

How Santa Clara University compares

View 90 more ranking appearances
#8 · Residential Colleges (Dorm Capacity for at Least 50% of Undergraduates) with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #54 · Residential Colleges (Dorm Capacity for at Least 50% of Undergraduates) with the Highest Graduation Rates #55 · Residential Colleges (Dorm Capacity for at Least 50% of Undergraduates) with the Highest Retention Rates #83 · Residential Colleges (Dorm Capacity for at Least 50% of Undergraduates) with the Lowest Student Debt #25 · Residential Colleges (Dorm Capacity for at Least 50% of Undergraduates) with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #8 · Test-Optional Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #59 · Test-Optional Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #63 · Test-Optional Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates #26 · Test-Optional Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #86 · Colleges with the Highest First-Year Retention Rates #39 · Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #9 · Colleges with the Highest Six-Year Former-Student Earnings #48 · Colleges with the Highest Loan Repayment Rates #42 · Colleges with the Highest Four-Year Graduation Rates #10 · Colleges with the Highest Pell Recipient Completion Rates #44 · Colleges with the Highest First-Generation Completion Rates #77 · Most Racially Diverse Colleges #81 · Colleges with the Highest Average SAT Scores #64 · Colleges with the Highest ACT Midpoint Scores #65 · College Campuses with the Least Annual Precipitation #73 · College Campuses with the Least Snowfall #5 · Colleges Closest to Commercial Airports #1 · Colleges Closest to Major Airports #5 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings in California #83 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in California #9 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in California #41 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in California #15 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California #2 · Best Colleges in the West #8 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the West #13 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the West #65 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the West #2 · Best Colleges on the West Coast #7 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates on the West Coast #12 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates on the West Coast #43 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt on the West Coast #76 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price on the West Coast #2 · Best Colleges in the Pacific Region #7 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Pacific Region #12 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Pacific Region #46 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Pacific Region #82 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Pacific Region #3 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near San Francisco, CA #3 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near San Jose, CA #66 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #2 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #81 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #21 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #92 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #3 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #2 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #94 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #14 · Bachelor's Accounting and Related Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #14 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #13 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #6 · Bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #10 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #18 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #68 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #29 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #23 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #6 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #80 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #16 · Bachelor's Marketing Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #16 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #91 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #27 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #22 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #100 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #34 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #15 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #3 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #56 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #25 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #3 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #7 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #2 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #41 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #17 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #39 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #100 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #46 · Bachelor's Public Health Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #32 · Bachelor's Natural Resources Conservation and Research Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #12 · Bachelor's Natural Resources Conservation and Research Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #36 · Bachelor's Natural Resources Conservation and Research Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #5 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #21 · Bachelor's Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #3 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #3 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings
Selectivity48.0%

More selective than 85% · #33 most selective of 107 in California

SAT average1426

Higher than 91%

Graduation rate88%

Higher than 95% · #16 of 122 in California

First-year retention94%

Higher than 92%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$109,183

Higher than 99% · #6 of 130 in California

Average net price$50,062

Cheaper than 1% · #113 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$19,162

Lower than 79%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment6,552

Larger than 82%

Percentiles compare Santa Clara University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

9,703students
  • Undergraduate6,55268%
  • Graduate3,15132%

Undergraduates by gender

6,552undergrads
  • Women3,55354%
  • Men2,99946%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White37%
  • Black3.4%
  • Hispanic20%
  • Asian21%
  • Other or multiracial19%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,552
Graduate enrollment
3,151
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
11%
First-generation students
17%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$97,114
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$132,138
Endowment
$1,555,250,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
48.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1350–1490
SAT average
1426
SAT reading
670–730
SAT math
680–760
ACT composite
31–33
Average GPA
3.72

Cost

In-state tuition
$61,293
Room & board
$19,893
Books & supplies
$1,062
Total cost of attendance
$82,026
Average net price
$50,062

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
88%
Graduated on time (4 years)
81%
First-year retention
94%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$91,198
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$109,183
Median debt at graduation
$19,162
Students with federal loans
37%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
85%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
81%
Low-income (Pell)
89%
First-generation
82%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,797
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
58%
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
480 (244 men · 236 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Rowing67
Soccer64
Water Polo49
Track and Field (Indoor)43
Cross Country43
Track and Field (Outdoor)42
Baseball41
Basketball29
Golf23
Softball22
Volleyball22
Tennis19
Beach Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
23

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (9,728 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

14reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year7.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
4.3
Rape
3.3
Burglary
3.3
Fondling
2.3
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$22,985
$30–48k
$19,154
$48–75k
$26,531
$75–110k
$37,219
$110k+
$60,678

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$109,148

$26,531/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

72%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$25,939
average award, among those who get one

Santa Clara University discounts heavily: 72% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $25,939. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,638 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$109,183
Typical debt at graduation
$19,162
Debt vs. one year's pay
18%
Out-earn a HS grad
84%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$102,101
Men
$115,655

Men out-earn women by $13,554 (13%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
81°F
Winter low
42°F
Annual rain
13.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.42.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Jose, CA US station (1.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Santa Clara University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Santa Clara University side by side →

Colleges near Santa Clara University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.