Santa Clara University
About
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, United States. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís which traces its founding to 1777. The campus mirrors the Mission's architectural style and contains Mission Revival architecture and other Spanish Colonial Revival styles. The university is classified as a "Doctoral/Professional" university.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 85 Title IV programs, 22 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 63 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing22 · 25.9%
- No Data63 · 74.1%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 3
Action history · 7
- Oct 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Jun 2022Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
- Feb 2021Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Oct 2018Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 957 students received $5.7M in Pell grants, alongside $64.5M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,010 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (0.3%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Santa Clara
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus11
- Non-campus3
- Public property6
Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Santa Clara vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Santa Clara selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSanta Clara University | 88% | — | 9,728 | $50,959 | Doctoral/Professional |
| 67% | 65.9% | 7,603 | $28,348 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 60% | 80.9% | 5,923 | $18,992 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 37% | 77.2% | 6,825 | $22,978 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 70% | 95.3% | 8,803 | $32,096 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 84% | 66.3% | 7,239 | $41,048 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 86% | 81.7% | 7,470 | $36,371 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 69% | 68.1% | 10,685 | $35,129 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| — | — | 14,331 | $16,767 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 67% | 99.0% | 104,327 | $29,552 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 66% | 95.1% | 9,261 | $26,047 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 30% | 95.1% | 8,915 | $16,157 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| — | — | 9,489 | — | Doctoral/Professional | |
| — | — | 7,411 | — | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 60% | 75.9% | 13,634 | $31,046 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 83% | 62.9% | 8,976 | $45,409 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 76% | 72.2% | 9,424 | $39,207 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 58% | 38.1% | 10,657 | $18,749 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 73% | 65.4% | 11,022 | $45,459 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 44% | 78.4% | 9,692 | $18,467 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 76% | 76.9% | 7,189 | $34,802 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 44% | 53.0% | 11,510 | $30,209 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 66% | 83.4% | 19,389 | $26,985 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 61% | 82.3% | 6,356 | $30,031 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 76% | 60.8% | 11,937 | $26,556 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 63% | 71.2% | 5,021 | $26,925 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 70% | 61.7% | 8,913 | $39,495 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 77% | 85.4% | 9,410 | $30,525 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 50% | 98.8% | 22,120 | $11,286 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 50% | 98.1% | 7,047 | $20,498 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 68% | 71.3% | 6,944 | $25,926 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 22% | — | 13,746 | $15,355 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 68% | 86.4% | 5,501 | $32,342 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 85% | 55.6% | 6,965 | $47,560 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| Peer group median | 67% | 76.9% | 9,119 | $29,792 |
Institutions like Santa Clara
Explore the federal data for institutions in Santa Clara's comparison group.
- Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Adelphi University
Grad rate67%Admit rate65.9%Enrollment7,603Net price$28,348View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIllinois
Aurora University
Grad rate60%Admit rate80.9%Enrollment5,923Net price$18,992View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalFlorida
Barry University
Grad rate37%Admit rate77.2%Enrollment6,825Net price$22,978View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
Belmont University
Grad rate70%Admit rate95.3%Enrollment8,803Net price$32,096View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNorth Carolina
Elon University
Grad rate84%Admit rate66.3%Enrollment7,239Net price$41,048View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWashington
Gonzaga University
Grad rate86%Admit rate81.7%Enrollment7,470Net price$36,371View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Hofstra University
Grad rate69%Admit rate68.1%Enrollment10,685Net price$35,129View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIndiana
Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment14,331Net price$16,767View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalVirginia
Liberty University
Grad rate67%Admit rate99.0%Enrollment104,327Net price$29,552View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMissouri
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Grad rate66%Admit rate95.1%Enrollment9,261Net price$26,047View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIllinois
National Louis University
Grad rate30%Admit rate95.1%Enrollment8,915Net price$16,157View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Northcentral University
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,489Net price—View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Northeastern University Professional Programs
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,411Net price—View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Pace University
Grad rate60%Admit rate75.9%Enrollment13,634Net price$31,046View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Pepperdine University
Grad rate83%Admit rate62.9%Enrollment8,976Net price$45,409View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalConnecticut
Quinnipiac University
Grad rate76%Admit rate72.2%Enrollment9,424Net price$39,207View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalVirginia
Regent University
Grad rate58%Admit rate38.1%Enrollment10,657Net price$18,749View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalConnecticut
Sacred Heart University
Grad rate73%Admit rate65.4%Enrollment11,022Net price$45,459View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalFlorida
Saint Leo University
Grad rate44%Admit rate78.4%Enrollment9,692Net price$18,467View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWashington
Seattle University
Grad rate76%Admit rate76.9%Enrollment7,189Net price$34,802View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalFlorida
Southeastern University
Grad rate44%Admit rate53.0%Enrollment11,510Net price$30,209View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
St. John's University-New York
Grad rate66%Admit rate83.4%Enrollment19,389Net price$26,985View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Suffolk University
Grad rate61%Admit rate82.3%Enrollment6,356Net price$30,031View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Touro University
Grad rate76%Admit rate60.8%Enrollment11,937Net price$26,556View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of La Verne
Grad rate63%Admit rate71.2%Enrollment5,021Net price$26,925View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of San Francisco
Grad rate70%Admit rate61.7%Enrollment8,913Net price$39,495View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMinnesota
University of St Thomas
Grad rate77%Admit rate85.4%Enrollment9,410Net price$30,525View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalKentucky
University of the Cumberlands
Grad rate50%Admit rate98.8%Enrollment22,120Net price$11,286View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTexas
University of the Incarnate Word
Grad rate50%Admit rate98.1%Enrollment7,047Net price$20,498View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of the Pacific
Grad rate68%Admit rate71.3%Enrollment6,944Net price$25,926View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalDelaware
Wilmington University
Grad rate22%Admit rate—Enrollment13,746Net price$15,355View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalOhio
Xavier University
Grad rate68%Admit rate86.4%Enrollment5,501Net price$32,342View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Yeshiva University
Grad rate85%Admit rate55.6%Enrollment6,965Net price$47,560View data
Santa Clara Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research delivers objective, systematic research and analysis to support Santa Clara University's strategic planning, policy-making, and decision-making.
Visit IR office page- Conor RoycroftDirector
- Ed RyanVice Provost for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
- Stacy ConnollyAssistant Director for Data Visualization and Communications
- John ReganData Mart Manager & Reporting Specialist
- Jia SeowData Steward and Survey Coordinator
Common Data Set
Santa Clara's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C120,032 applied → 9,592 admitted (47.9%) → 1,641 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Selective — 47.9% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rates are similar across genders (Men 46.0%, Women 49.5%).
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1330–1470 (median 1410).
ACT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% ACT 29–33 (median 31).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
Waitlist outcome
C2405 offered a waitlist spot, 268 accepted it, 263 admitted (98.1% of those who stayed on).
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $86,970 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $86,970 → about $36,119 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($50,851); 87% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H10% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H533% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $28,838 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 87%; first-year retention 93%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts above the overall rate (90% vs 87%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I342% of classes have under 20 students; 1% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~28% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B27% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B16,695 undergraduates and 3,128 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D11,206 transfer applicants → 780 admitted (64.6%) → 247 enrolled
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data dictionaryFacts & Figures - Santa Clara University2026The data dictionary page for Santa Clara University's Facts & Figures includes information on admissions, awards conferred, enrollment, faculty, grade distribution, retention and completion rates, staff, and tuition & cost of attendance. Last updates for various datasets range from 2023 to 2026, with a note on delays in updates due to a transition to the Workday system. It covers enrollment statistics, student and faculty diversity data, academic statistics, and financial information related to tuition and attendance costs.scu.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planImpact 2030: Santa Clara University's Strategic Plan2024Impact 2030 is Santa Clara University's strategic plan focusing on global outreach, ethical and innovative education, and inclusivity for all talented students. It aims to prepare students for global societal shifts by leveraging Jesuit educational values and addressing today's technological and ethical challenges. The plan builds on recent successes, including increased diversity and high student retention, setting a roadmap for continued excellence and leadership in education.scu.edu
Notable alumni of Santa Clara (25)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Brendan EichComputer Science
- Khaled HosseiniLiterature
- Leon PanettaPolitics
- Janet NapolitanoPolitics
- Jerry BrownPolitics
- Steve NashAthletics
- Zoe LofgrenPolitics
- Frank MurkowskiPolitics
- Gavin NewsomPolitics
- Jayshree UllalBusiness
- Chris MalachowskyBusiness
- Pat GelsingerBusiness
Frequently asked questions about Santa Clara University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Santa Clara.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Clara University?
How many students attend Santa Clara University?
What is the average net price at Santa Clara University?
What is the yield rate at Santa Clara University?
Where is Santa Clara University located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Santa Clara University?
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about Santa Clara University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card