Santa Clara University (SCU)

Your Opinion: Is this School Hard to Get Into?
You already voted!

Santa Clara University can be found in Santa Clara, CA, a nonprofit private college which focuses on only a select few programs offered. There are around nine thousand students enrolled per year at Santa Clara University.

An ACT or SAT exam may be required before applying to this college. Scores within the range of 1280 (25th percentile) to 1440 (75th percentile) on the SAT and in the range of 28 (25th percentile) to 32 (75th percentile) on the ACT is usually submitted among applicants accepted to this school. Based on sampled GPA data collected and applied, it is estimated that the Santa Clara University (SCU) average GPA range for accepted students is around 3.62 - 3.78. This school has an acceptance rate of around 49% with 17% of applicants deciding to continue on and enroll. You can get more information from the admissions office website at scu.edu.

Overall Santa Clara University (SCU) Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

48.8%

The overall acceptance rate for Santa Clara University was reported as 48.8% in Fall 2020 with over 16,300 applications submitted to SCU. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • SCU ACT Scores: 28 - 32
  • SCU Average GPA: 3.62 - 3.78

How Hard Is It to Get into Santa Clara University?

Applicant Selectivity: High

SCU has a very competitive selection process for applicants, where most students accepted have a higher than average high school GPA and scored in the top percentiles on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT exam.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2024 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for SCU has been staying about the same from year to year.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 48.3%
  • 2017-2018: 53.6%
  • 2018-2019: 49.9%
  • 2019-2020: 48.8%
  • Projected SCU Acceptance Rate 2024-2025: 46.4%

How Does Santa Clara University (SCU) Compare?

48.8%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for Santa Clara University is sixteen percent lower than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
Notre Dame de Namur University99.9%
Mills College75.9%
Saint Marys College of California81.0%
California College of the Arts85.0%
California State University-Monterey Bay75.3%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Required
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Required
  • Submit Recommendation Letters are Required
  • Standardized Test Scores (SAT,ACT,...) are Required
  • TOEFL Exam (Foreign Language Students) are Required

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants16,30047.5%52.5%
Admitted7,95845.4%54.6%
Enrolled1,39149.0%51.0%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to Santa Clara University (SCU) (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading630 - 700
Math650 - 740
Total Score1280 - 1440
ACT®Score Range
English0 - 0
Math0 - 0
Composite Score28 - 32
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.