Private colleges in California · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated October 5, 2026
The Santa Clara University acceptance rate was 47.9% for Fall 2025: SCU admitted 9,592 of 20,032 first-year applicants, according to its Common Data Set. SCU is a private Jesuit university in the heart of Silicon Valley and the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. Its 2026-27 cost of attendance is $92,556 living on campus, including $64,956 in tuition.
Santa Clara University is known for business, engineering and strong career outcomes, helped by its location in Silicon Valley. It’s private, Jesuit and Catholic, and it’s not part of the University of California system despite occasional searches for “UC Santa Clara.”
If SCU is on your list, the overall rate tells only part of the story. Your application round, where you live and the aid you qualify for all change the picture, and this guide breaks each of them down with SCU’s own data.
| Fact | Santa Clara University |
|---|---|
| Type | Private Jesuit Catholic university (not part of the UC system) |
| Location | Santa Clara, Silicon Valley |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Acceptance rate | 47.9% (Fall 2025: 9,592 admitted of 20,032 applicants) |
| Acceptance rate, California residents | 48.2% (Fall 2025: 4,923 of 10,205) |
| Average high school GPA | 3.72 (Fall 2025 enrolled first-years) |
| SAT/ACT | Test-optional; middle 50% SAT 1330-1470, ACT 29-33 for those who submitted |
| Students | 9,823 total, 6,695 undergraduates (Fall 2025) |
| Tuition (2026-27) | $64,956 |
| Cost of attendance (2026-27) | $92,556 on campus; $85,413 commuting |
| Retention / graduation rate | 93% / 87% in six years (2019 cohort) |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 11:1 |
| Calendar | Quarter system |
| Athletics | Broncos, NCAA Division I, West Coast Conference |
Sources: Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-26; SCU Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance 2026-27. Full list at the end of the article.
In This Article
Santa Clara University: Jesuit, Private, in Silicon Valley
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit Catholic university founded in 1851 on the site of Mission Santa Clara de Asís, which still stands at the center of campus. It’s the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California.
Undergraduates study in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Leavey School of Business or the School of Engineering. SCU runs on the quarter system, and its core curriculum reflects its Jesuit tradition, with courses in ethics, religion and social justice. Students of all faiths are welcome.
Santa Clara Acceptance Rate by Residency
For Fall 2025, 20,032 students applied to Santa Clara, 9,592 were admitted and 1,641 enrolled, according to its Common Data Set 2025-26.
| SCU, Fall 2025 | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-year, California residents | 10,205 | 4,923 | 48.2% | 956 |
| First-year, out-of-state | 7,213 | 3,921 | 54.4% | 541 |
| First-year, international | 2,604 | 745 | 28.6% | 142 |
| All first-year applicants | 20,032 | 9,592 | 47.9% | 1,641 |
| Transfer applicants | 1,206 | 780 | 64.7% | 247 |
Source: Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025-26, items C1, C2 and D2.
What Santa Clara Looks For
SCU uses a holistic review of grades, course rigor, essays, recommendations and activities. Enrolled first-years for Fall 2025 averaged a 3.72 high school GPA. Your intended major and the strength of your essays matter more than the overall Santa Clara University acceptance rate.
- Application: the Common Application with Santa Clara’s supplemental questions
- Testing: test-optional; 29% of enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 9% submitted ACT scores
- Scores, if you send them: the middle 50% of Fall 2025 submitters scored 1330-1470 on the SAT and 29-33 on the ACT
- Early rounds: binding Early Decision I (apply by November 1, decisions by December 31) and Early Decision II (apply by January 7, decisions by February 15), plus nonbinding Early Action with a November 1 deadline and decisions by December 31
- Waitlist: for Fall 2025, 268 students accepted a waitlist spot and 263 were admitted from it
Does Early Decision Help at Santa Clara?
For Fall 2025, SCU received 611 Early Decision applications across both rounds and admitted 467, or about 76%, compared with 47.9% of all first-year applicants. ED applicants are a self-selected group, often with strong records, so the gap doesn’t prove that ED alone raises your odds. But if SCU is clearly your first choice and you don’t need to compare financial aid offers, ED is worth a serious look.
What Santa Clara Costs, Before and After Aid
SCU’s 2026-27 cost of attendance for undergraduates is $92,556 living on campus, $99,030 living off campus and $85,413 for commuters. Tuition is $64,956, plus a $780 student engagement and well-being fee.
| SCU cost of attendance, 2026-27 | On campus | Off campus | Commuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $64,956 | $64,956 | $64,956 |
| Student engagement and well-being fee | $780 | $780 | $780 |
| Housing and food | $20,094 | $24,561 | $12,537 |
| Books and supplies | $1,305 | $1,305 | $1,305 |
| Transportation | $1,386 | $1,656 | $1,206 |
| Personal and miscellaneous | $3,969 | $5,706 | $4,563 |
| Loan fees | $66 | $66 | $66 |
| Total | $92,556 | $99,030 | $85,413 |
Source: Santa Clara University Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance, 2026-2027 Undergraduate.
How does SCU compare in cost to a UC for California residents? Its sticker price is roughly double a UC’s on-campus budget, so aid matters. SCU offers need-based grants and merit scholarships, and California residents can use a Cal Grant. File the FAFSA and CSS Profile and compare net price offers before deciding.
Santa Clara Net Price by Family Income
The sticker price isn’t what most aided students pay. Federal College Navigator data show an average net price of $53,883 for first-time, full-time students receiving grant aid in 2023-24. Families earning more than $110,000 pay the most, while lower-income families pay far less than the sticker price.
| Family income | Average net price, 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $22,985 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $19,154 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $26,531 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $37,219 |
| $110,001 and more | $60,678 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, College Navigator. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship aid.
Our take: Living off campus near Santa Clara costs more than living on campus, because Silicon Valley rents are among the highest in the country. Compare on-campus and off-campus budgets carefully before deciding where to live after the first year.
Retention, Graduation and Class Size
Santa Clara had 9,823 students in Fall 2025, including 6,695 undergraduates, according to its Common Data Set. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1.
Students stay and finish at high rates. About 93% of first-year students returned for their second year, 81% of the 2019 entering class graduated in four years and 87% graduated within six years.
Business, Engineering and Silicon Valley Careers
SCU is known for business through the Leavey School, engineering, computer science, finance and entrepreneurship, and for strong placement at Bay Area tech companies. Does its Silicon Valley location help students land tech jobs? It gives students close access to internships, recruiters and alumni networks at companies throughout the region, though outcomes still depend on major and experience.
The Santa Clara Broncos compete in NCAA Division I in the West Coast Conference, with strong soccer and basketball programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Santa Clara University acceptance rate?
Santa Clara admitted 47.9% of first-year applicants for Fall 2025, or 9,592 of 20,032, according to its Common Data Set.
Is “UC Santa Clara” a real UC campus?
No. Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university and is not part of the University of California system. There is no UC campus in Santa Clara.
How much does Santa Clara University cost?
SCU’s 2026-27 cost of attendance is $92,556 on campus, including $64,956 in tuition, before financial aid.
Is Santa Clara University a good school?
Yes. SCU has a 93% first-year retention rate and an 87% six-year graduation rate, and it’s consistently ranked among the top universities in the West.
Is it easier to get into Santa Clara Early Decision?
SCU admitted 467 of 611 Early Decision applicants for Fall 2025, about 76%, well above the overall rate. ED is binding, so apply that way only if SCU is your first choice.
Does Santa Clara require the SAT or ACT?
No. SCU is test-optional. About 29% of Fall 2025 enrolled first-years submitted SAT scores and 9% submitted ACT scores.
Is Santa Clara Worth Applying To?
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Silicon Valley. It has strong retention and graduation rates, an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and close ties to the tech industry.
Its 2026-27 cost of attendance is $92,556 on campus before aid. Compare SCU with the University of San Francisco, Loyola Marymount, University of the Pacific and other private colleges in California.
Sources
CalChannel Editorial Team California college guides
The CalChannel editorial team researches and writes guides to California colleges, admissions and financial aid. We build our college profiles and aid guides from colleges’ own published data, federal IPEDS data and the California Student Aid Commission. Read our editorial policy.
