Santa Clara University (SCU) Acceptance Rate & Average GPA
Contents
Check here Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate for all years. Here I have listed Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate.
- Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate 2022
- Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate 2023
- Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate 2024
- Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate 2025
- Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate 2026
Santa Clara University Acceptance Rate: Santa Clara University is a nonprofit private institution with only a few majors offered in Santa Clara, California. Every year, Santa Clara University enrolls about 9,000 new students.
Before applying to this college, you should take the ACT or SAT. Applicants accepted to this school typically submit SAT and ACT scores between 1280 (25th percentile) and 1440 (75th percentile) and between 28 (25th percentile) and 32 (75th percentile).
The average GPA range for accepted students at Santa Clara University (SCU) is between 3.62 and 3.78 based on sampling GPA data that was gathered and applied.
This school accepts around 49% of candidates, and 17% of them choose to enroll. The website for the admissions office is located at scu.edu, where you may get further details.
Santa Clara Rankings
| Institution | Rankings /recognition |
| US News and World Report |
|
| INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine | Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award,2021 |
| The Wall Street Journal | 87th position among 800 colleges and universities in the US |
| Princeton Review |
|
| Forbes | 51st Rank out of Top 650 Colleges |
| Payscale | 22nd Rank in the list of “Best Universities for a Bachelor’s Degree” |
| Poets and Quants |
|
| US College Rankings 2022 | 74th position |
| Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education | Received the STARS Gold Rating in 2014. |
Santa Clara University’s: Overall Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
Santa Clara has yet to announce its official acceptance rate for the Class of 2026, despite receiving 16,641 applications. They got 16,849 applications for the Class of 2025, and they accepted 9,088 of them, for a 54% acceptance rate.
Santa Clara University Early Decision Acceptance Rate
At Santa Clara, there are two Early Decision rounds. ED I and II deadlines are November 1 and January 7, respectively. For the Class of 2026, over 8,500 students submitted ED I or EA applications.
Official acceptance rates, however, have yet to be made public. In retrospect, the ED acceptance percentage for the Class of 2025 was an exceptionally kind 84%.
Santa Clara University Admissions – SAT, ACT, GPA, and Class Rank
Only 35% of incoming first-year students in 2021–22 placed in the top quartile or decile of their high school class, while 72% did so. Students in the Class of 2025 enrolled had SAT composite scores between 1340 and 1470. The ACT midpoint was between 31 and 35.
Those admitted into the Class of 2025 (as opposed to those who were “enrolled”) had mid-fifties SAT and ACT scores of 1380–1500 and 30-33, respectively. In high school, 7% of students received a perfect 4.0, and the unweighted average GPA was 3.67.
Santa Clara Admissions
Santa Clara has a lot of advantages. It guarantees a top-notch educational experience with an 11:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The university views the fabulous San Francisco Bay and is situated in a prime area in Silicon Valley, the “heaven of chances and placements.”
With possibilities for hands-on research experiences and career preparation advice, the university boasts a retention record of 95% of students graduating each year.
Admissions Information
Santa Clara University charges $70 for undergraduate and $73 for graduate applications. General admittance information is shown in the following table.
General Admission Information
| Open Admission Policy | No |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Application Fees | $70 |
| Graduate Application Fees | $73 |
| Admission Information | www.scu.edu/admission |
| Online Application | www.commonapp.org/ |
| Calendar System | Quarter |
| Credits Accepted | Advanced placement (AP) Credits |
| Degree Offered | Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Post-Master Certificate, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice) |
Admissions Trends & Notes Class of 2026
- SCU will continue to be test-optional for new first-year students starting in the fall 2023 cohort.
- Of the Class of 2026 applicants accepted, 53% submitted their test results.
- There are now 51% more students of color than there was the year before.
- Californians make up half of the admitted students.
- Successful candidates had average SAT scores of 1455 and unweighted GPAs of 3.83.
Catholic high schools have a 22% share. - 11% of students in college are first-generation, up 3% from the previous year.
- Students accepted into the Class of 2026 come from 64 nations and all 50 states.
Who Gets Into Santa Clara University?
Let’s examine the demographics of current undergraduates at Santa Clara University. The members of the Class of 2025 come from:.
- California: 53%
- 39% Out-of-state
- International: 6%
As at any selective university, applicants from states with abundantly qualified applicants face the most competition (the entire Northeast & the West Coast).
Your place of residence will likely improve your chances of admission if you are from a less populated state like Idaho, Wyoming, or Alaska.
The composition of the Class of 2025, when broken down by ethnicity, was as follows:
- Asian American: 21%
- Hispanic: 18%
- African American: 4%
- White: 40%
- Two or more races: 9%
All current undergraduate students’ gender distribution is strongly skewed toward women:
- Male: 53%
- Female: 47%.
5% of Santa Clara University’s undergraduate students are from abroad. The following nations are where most students come from:
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Canada
- Philippines
Participants in the Class of 2025 went to the following high schools:
- Public: 46%
- Independent: 19%
- Catholic: 17%
- Jesuit: 10%
For incoming first-year students in the autumn of 2021, the most popular majors were:
- Management
- Computer science and engineering
- Finance
- Biology
- Mechanical engineering
SCU’s Yield Rate
The yield rate at Santa Clara University, or the proportion of admitted students who choose to enroll as a percentage of all admitted students, was 17% in the previous academic year.
The yields of other institutions based in California are as follows: UCSD (17%), UCSB (16%), and Irvine (20%).
How Santa Clara University Rates Applicants
Three aspects of the admissions process are deemed “extremely essential” by Santa Clara University: the standard of the secondary school transcript, the applicant’s GPA, and the application essays.
Class rank, references, talent/ability, extracurricular activities, character/personal traits, racial/ethnic status, volunteer work, and first-generation status are eight more factors that SCU considers to be “essential” in their appraisal of applications.
Directly from the admissions office at Santa Clara University:
- “We will take into account several factors while evaluating your application, including your academic standing and grades, references, extracurricular activities, life experiences, and, if provided, test results. We want to learn more about you as a person and scholar.
- Although there are a few differences in the selectivity of our schools and programmes, your academic readiness for the programme of interest will be determined based on your declared interest. Calculus-level readiness is anticipated for applicants in the natural sciences, commerce, and engineering fields.
- Without test scores, your GPA and the difficulty of your courses are becoming increasingly significant factors in the academic portion of your application. We want to see that you have challenged yourself academically by enrolling in challenging periods like honours, IB, AP, or dual-enrollment courses that your school provides. You have performed exceptionally well in your subjects.
Additional Tips for Applying to Santa Clara University
You will benefit from knowing the following if you are one of the 16,000+ Santa Clara applicants in the upcoming admissions cycle:
- If you are committed to attending SCU, submitting an ED application can give you a significant admissions advantage.
- Santa Clara does not hold evaluation interviews, but it does provide opportunities for students to speak with admissions representatives and get additional information about the institution.
- According to Santa Clara University, “demonstrated interest” is crucial to the admissions process. Thus, your application will be evaluated based on your actions, such as whether you contacted an admissions officer, visited the school (during non-pandemic hours), followed them on social media, etc.
- SCU needs one instructor recommendation. Visit this site for advice on how to ask for a recommendation letter.
- Make sure to give the Santa Clara optional additional essay the time and attention it deserves. The 2021–22 cycle will have two prompts that students must answer. These are what they are:
Prompt 1:
Tell us briefly why you decided to apply to Santa Clara University. How do you picture your life at SCU and beyond in light of what you know about the university and our Jesuit mission to develop leaders and citizens of competence, conscience, and compassion? (200 words)
Prompt 2:
At SCU, we challenge and encourage our students to be innovative problem solvers. Consider a moral problem our society is now dealing with that matters to you.
This could be something going on locally or on a larger scale. How can attending SCU help you get ready for and handle this challenge? (150-300 words).
How Hard Is It to Get Into Santa Clara University?
Admission to Santa Clara University is challenging. Only 8,362 of the 16,488 applicants were accepted by the university, giving the class of 2025 a 51% acceptance rate overall.
For the Class of 2025, SCU’s early decision admissions procedure resulted in 398 students being admitted out of 577 applicants, a 69% acceptance rate.
Although SCU has a low acceptance rate, your prospects of admission are influenced by the strength of your profile. You may learn more about your chances of getting accepted at SCU and countless other universities by using the free admissions calculator provided by CollegeVine.
It estimates your events of admission and offers suggestions for enhancing your profile using details like your grades, test results, and extracurricular activities.
Should I Apply to Santa Clara University?
As previously stated, consider applying via early decision if you are a borderline applicant (by Santa Clara’s standards). In the standard round, you’ll also need a rock-solid backup strategy unless you have statistics that will astound the admissions committee.
Each candidate must collaborate with their guidance counsellor to create a balanced list of potential colleges that includes both “goal” and “safety” schools.
What is Santa Clara University Looking for?
Santa Clara University admittance is complex, and a critical factor in choosing applicants is how well they would fit in with the community.
Fit is determined using a variety of factors—such as grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—that are examined collectively to gain a better understanding of you as a person, both inside and outside of the classroom, and to determine whether you are prepared for the academic and social challenges of SCU.
You must fulfil SCU’s minimum high school criteria to be considered:
| Field | Years |
| History and Social Science | 3 years |
| English | 4 years |
| Mathematics | 3 years required, 4 recommended |
| Laboratory Science | 2 years required, 3 recommended |
| Language (other than English) | 2 years required, 3 recommended, 4 preferred |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 1 year recommended |
Is Santa Clara University a Good School?
A “good” college or university cannot be standardised. Admissions requirements, acceptance rates, tuition prices, and other aspects can be used to assess the school best fit for you.
Let’s examine these topics in more detail to see what Santa Clara University offers and whether it might be a suitable fit for you.
Santa Clara University Tuition Information
Santa Clara University’s full-time tuition in 2022 was $56,880 per year.
The cost of tuition rose by 3% in 2022 to $55,224. College fees typically increase by 3% per year.
If you want to use financial aid to help pay for college, the advertised cost of tuition may not necessarily be significant.
After awarding grants, scholarships, and tuition discounts, many students pay substantially less than the entire tuition. Student loans also help you manage the cost of studying until you graduate and find employment.
Yearly Fees
Most universities also charge fees to cover the upkeep costs for facilities like libraries, computer laboratories, athletic facilities, and more.
Some activities, such as joining a fraternity or sorority or playing on an intramural sports team, may come with additional costs.
Most institutions provide tools to help students who might be unable to enrol due to costs do so by lowering or even eliminating those costs.
Santa Clara University Financial Aid
1,855 of the 5,895 enrolled undergrads in 2022 got financial aid. Santa Clara University meets 77% of the documented financial need for undergraduate students.
A first-year, full-time student’s average financial aid package is about $39,070 per year. 38% of Santa Clara University undergraduates borrow money to pay off any outstanding debt. Graduates from Santa Clara University who took out student loans leave with an average debt of $23,847.
The typical debt for each form of loan differs.
| Average Debt By Loan Type | |
|---|---|
| Federal Loans | $18,442 |
| Private Loans | $0 |
| Most Common Loans for Santa Clara University Students | |
|---|---|
| Federal Loans | 36% |
Because institutional and government loans typically offer cheaper interest rates and more flexible repayment choices than private loans, most students take them out. Subsidized or unsubsidized loans from the federal government are both possible.
While in school, subsidized loans do not collect interest; in contrast, unsubsidized loans start charging interest as soon as they are granted.
Some students take out private loans if they do not qualify for enough federal loans to meet the cost of school. Additionally, parents who are helping their children pay for college may apply for ParentPLUS loans, which the government provides.
Colleges can offer a financial aid package that fulfils or comes close to fulfilling the financial need of students and their families by using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Continue reading or visit the Santa Clara University website for financial assistance for more details.
Scholarships at Santa Clara University
To help them pay for education, students may be awarded grants and scholarships. Scholarships and assignments, as opposed to loans, are not repaid.
Santa Clara University distributed $68.6 million in need-based scholarships to 1,632 students in 2022, assisting those who had difficulty paying for education.
Merit-based scholarships worth an additional $35.36 million were given to students without a documented need for assistance.
Santa Clara University Net Cost
The actual cost of attending college for a year is the college’s net price. Any scholarships, grants, or other financial aid that does not require repayment are subtracted from the overall cost to determine the net worth. Student loans must be repaid. Hence they are not included in the calculation.
We can subtract the typical financial aid package from the estimated costs for Santa Clara University students to arrive at the estimated net cost. The net worth may change depending on a student’s need and the financial aid package they were given.
The expected net cost, not only the sticker price of tuition, should be considered when determining if a school would fit within your financial constraints.
Estimate your net cost before excluding a school just because it does not meet your budget because frequently, the institutions with the highest tuition also offer the most substantial aid packages.
In 2022, a full-time first-year student at Santa Clara University with a documented need would receive an average of $39,070 in financial aid.
The predicted costs are subtracted from the average package of financial assistance to arrive at a figure that might make Santa Clara University’s price tag look more affordable.
| Estimated Net Cost for Full-Time Students | |
|---|---|
| On-Campus | $40,100 |
| Off-Campus | $23,540 |
How much would it cost you to attend Santa Clara University? The response is based on several variables.
To assist prospective students and their families in better understanding the actual cost of attending a particular college, dependent on their financial status, colleges are mandated to offer a net price calculator on their websites as of 2011. The net cost estimator for Santa Clara University is available on their website.
Where Is Santa Clara University?
Contact Details
| Address: | 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053 |
| Phone: | 408-554-4000 |
| Website: | www.scu.edu |
| Facebook: | http://www.facebook.com/SantaClaraUniversity |
| Twitter: | http://twitter.com/SantaClaraUniv |
santa clara university acceptance rate FAQs
Q.1 What GPA is needed for Santa Clara University?
ANS. Minimum GPA: A minimum GPA of 3.3 is required (3.5 for the Business School and 3.3 for the School of Engineering).
Q.2 Is Santa Clara University prestigious?
ANS. Santa Clara University has been acknowledged as among the top 15% of all American higher education institutions for the fourth year. 12 September 2022, Santa Clara, California In the list of the 55 best national universities for 2022–2023, Santa Clara University came in at 55.
Q.3 What major is Santa Clara University known for?
ANS. The most sought-after majors at Santa Clara University include general finance, general economics, general marketing/marketing management, general political science and government, general psychology, general computer engineering, general accounting, and general biology/biological sciences. …
Q.4 What type of student goes to Santa Clara University?
ANS. Political, social, and ethical awareness are all highly prevalent among the students at SCU. We hold sizable protests or open-mic evenings to discuss current global issues. There are a lot of wealthy children here, but there are also students with diverse financial circumstances.
Q.5 Why is Santa Clara famous?
ANS. Silicon Valley’s corporate headquarters for organisations like Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, and Nvidia is located in Santa Clara.