Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Santa Clara University admitted 47.9% of applicants university-wide (9,592 of 20,032).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 47.9% | 9,592 | 20,032 |
| In-state | 48.2% | 4,923 | 10,205 |
| Out-of-state | 54.4% | 3,921 | 7,213 |
| International applicants | 28.6% | 745 | 2,604 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 76.4% | 467 | 611 |
| Men | 46.0% | 4,256 | 9,262 |
| Women | 49.5% | 5,336 | 10,770 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 76.4%, vs 47.9% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 9,592 admitted students, 1,641 enrolled (17.1% yield).
Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C1–C2 · 2025 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1330–1470
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 29–33
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.50–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C9–C12 · 2025 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $86,970/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $64,956 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $22,014 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $86,970/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $22,985 |
| $30k–48k | $19,154 |
| $48k–75k | $26,531 |
| $75k–110k | $37,219 |
| Over $110k | $60,678 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Provost Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- University Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies (Athletic)
- Bannan Scholarship — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
- Johnson Scholars Program — Full tuition plus summer enrichment stipend (Full Tuition)
- Johnson Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Santa Clara University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Presidential Scholarship — $25,000 per year (Presidential)
- Provost Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- University Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Merit)
- Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Athletic Scholarship — Varies (Athletic)
- Johnson Scholars Program — Full tuition plus summer enrichment stipend (Full Tuition)
Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections G–H · 2025
Application requirements
US applicants
- Complete Common Application
- Official high school transcripts (grade nine through most recently completed term)
- One Academic Teacher Evaluation
- Secondary School Report Form
- Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Complete Common Application
- Official high school transcripts (grade nine through most recently completed term)
- One Academic Teacher Evaluation
- Secondary School Report Form
- Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT scores (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Santa Clara University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 3 college-specific supplements:
- Describe an experience where you engaged with a community different from your own.250 words · Optional
- Tell us about your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at Santa Clara University.250 words · Optional
- How will you contribute to creating a more just, humane, and sustainable world?250 words · Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $109,183
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 87.9%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 93%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $19,162
- At graduation
Santa Clara University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #59
- WSJ: #91
- Forbes: #65
- Niche: #99
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-07Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-2026 · Sections C21–C22 · 2025
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (27%), Engineering (16%), Social sciences (11%).
Student–faculty ratio: 11:1 · 42% of class sections have under 20 students.
Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.