More selective than 68% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $82,026. College Scorecard.
Higher than 89% of California colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 96% of California colleges we cover and 99% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SCU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 18,843 applicants, Santa Clara University admitted 8,261 and 1,552 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1350–1490 on the SAT or 31–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SCU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
SCU majors, earnings & careers
Santa Clara University offers 45 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Engineering · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at SCU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $163,765 | $24,666 |
| Management Information Systems | $153,926 | $19,995 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | $147,013 | $21,500 |
| Accounting | $130,087 | $19,250 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $122,111 | $19,500 |
| Economics | $121,307 | $19,500 |
| Finance | $118,737 | $16,201 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $114,426 | $21,390 |
Quick list of all 45 majors
- Accounting$130,087
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$114,426
- Business—
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$105,594
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$84,206
- Computer Engineering$163,765
- Economics$121,307
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$72,889
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$118,737
- German—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources$75,430
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems$153,926
- Marketing$104,723
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science$147,013
- Mechanical Engineering$122,111
- Music—
- Natural Sciences—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$93,518
- Psychology$75,742
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Jose
Overall prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,272. Housing costs 112% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 13 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Santa Clara County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Santa Clara County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SCU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | 48% | $50,062 | 88% | $109,183 | This school |
| University of San Diego | 52% | $30,365 | 84% | $86,522 | |
| Loyola Marymount University | 45% | $48,381 | 79% | $78,349 | |
| Chapman University | 65% | $46,555 | 82% | $70,070 | |
| University of San Francisco | 62% | $41,431 | 70% | $89,812 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Santa Clara University would cost you $19,697 more per year than University of San Diego, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Santa Clara University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$1,807).
- University of San Diego gives aided families $16,391 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | SCU | USD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $61,293 | $59,486 | +$1,807 |
| Books & supplies | $939 | $938 | +$1 |
| Housing & meals | $18,984 | $18,084 | +$900 |
| Personal & travel | $3,978 | $3,978 | $0 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,168 | −$3,766 | +$598 |
| Sticker price | $82,026 | $78,720 | +$3,306 |
| Average grants | −$31,964 | −$48,355 | +$16,391 |
| You pay | $50,062 | $30,365 | +$19,697 |
“+” means SCU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about SCU
What is the SCU acceptance rate?
Santa Clara University accepts 48% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,261 of 18,843 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1350–1490 on the SAT or 31–33 on the ACT.
How much does Santa Clara University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $82,026 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $50,062 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,985 and families earning $110k+ pay $60,678.
How much do SCU graduates earn?
Former Santa Clara University students earn a median $109,183 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SCU graduation rate?
88% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Santa Clara University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/santa-clara-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).