Santa Clara University acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Santa Clara University · Private nonprofit · Santa Clara, CA · 6,249 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Santa Clara University admitted 43.8% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 51.2% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $63,513 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 51.2% | 14,339 | 7,344 |
| 2014 | 49.3% | 14,985 | 7,395 |
| 2015 | 48.8% | 14,899 | 7,270 |
| 2016 | 48.3% | 15,834 | 7,648 |
| 2017 | 53.6% | 15,061 | 8,067 |
| 2018 | 49.9% | 16,242 | 8,107 |
| 2019 | 48.8% | 16,300 | 7,958 |
| 2020 | 50.7% | 16,488 | 8,362 |
| 2021 | 54.0% | 16,848 | 9,095 |
| 2022 | 52.1% | 16,650 | 8,677 |
| 2023 | 43.8% | 18,843 | 8,261 |
Applications went from 14,339 in fall 2013 to 18,843 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $22,696 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,570 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $25,352 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $40,238 |
| Over $110,000 | $63,129 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $63,513 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $84,261 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $50,570 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 25% submitted the SAT, 12% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of San Diego CA | 46.7% | $62,420 same for all |
| LMU CA | 40.3% | $65,857 same for all |
| University of San Francisco CA | 50.8% | $62,462 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Santa Clara University offered admission to 43.8% of the 18,843 people who applied in fall 2023.1 The 2013 rate was 51.2%, a decrease of 7.4 percentage points by 2023.1 A decline occurred in 7 of the 10 yearly changes.1 In the latest year the rate went down 8.3 percentage points from 2022.1 Applications grew 31% over the decade, while admitted students grew 12%, from 7,344 to 8,261.1
The university is test-optional. Entrants who submitted scores had a middle 50% of 680 to 770 on SAT math and 30 to 33 on the ACT.1
Tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $63,513, above the $43,094 median of the 76 private colleges in California.2 Average net price in 2024-25 ranged from $22,696 in the $0 to $30,000 band, to $25,352 at $48,001 to $75,000, to $63,129 for incomes over $110,000.2
Graduation within 6 years was 87% for the 2019 entering group, and 94% of fall 2023 entrants returned the following fall.2 Median earnings 10 years after entry were $117,193, while median debt among federal borrowers was $19,500.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 18,843 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 8,261 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,552 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 6,249 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 660 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 680 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 30 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 33 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 25% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 12% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $63,513 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $84,261 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $50,570 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $22,696 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,570 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $25,352 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $40,238 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $63,129 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 87% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 94% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 14% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $117,193 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $19,500 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, California (N = 76) | $43,094 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Santa Clara University, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page