Santa Clara University
Admissions
Interested in attending Santa Clara University?
On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Santa Clara University, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.
Admission Rates
Is it difficult to get into Santa Clara University?
Using the most up-to-date data on record, Santa Clara accepted 44% of applicants. We classify this as selective.
In the most recent year, 18,843 people applied and 8,261 were accepted.
Applied/Accepted
Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Santa Clara University:
Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.
Of those accepted, 19% ended up enrolling at Santa Clara University, making their yield rate Medium. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.
Application Factors
You can increase your chances of getting into Santa Clara University by looking at what the school considers during the application process.
Here are the things Santa Clara considers:
Very Important
- Academic GPA
- Application Essay
- Rigor of Secondary School Record
Important
- Character/Personal Qualities
- Class Rank
- Extracurricular Activities
- First Generation
- Recommendation(s)
- Talent/Ability
- Volunteer Work
Considered
- Alumni/AE Relation
- Geographical Residence
- Level of Applicant's Interest
- Religious Affiliation/Commitment
- Standardized Test Scores
- State Residency
- Work Experience
Not Considered
- Interview
Grades & Testing
Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Santa Clara University?
Grades
Students who recently attended Santa Clara University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.76. 40% of freshmen who attended Santa Clara were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 74% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.
These are the high school grade point averages (unweighted) of students who enroll:
High School GPAs
Santa Clara is Test Optional. This means scores are considered if they are submitted, but applicants do not need to submit scores.
Applicants submitting SAT Scores
Applicants submitting ACT Scores
SAT Math Scores
SAT Verb Scores
SAT Composite Scores
Application Deadlines
These are the deadlines for applying to Santa Clara University. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.
Regular Admissions
Early Decision
Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision. Santa Clara's Early Decision acceptance rate is 71%, compared to 44% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Santa Clara University, you might consider applying Early Decision.
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