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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.

48
%
Acceptance rate
3.75
Average High School GPA
January 7
Regular admission deadline

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Santa Clara University?

48%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Santa Clara accepted 48% of applicants. We classify this as somewhat selective.

In the most recent year, 18,970 people applied and 9,105 were accepted.

Accepted/Applied
Women
5130 / 10042 (51%)
Men
3975 / 8928 (45%)

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:

100%
86.0
72.0
58.0
44.0
30.0
2023
2024
2025

Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.

18%
Enrollment of those accepted
Medium
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 18% 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
  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • First Generation
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record
  • Talent/Ability
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Important

  • Class Rank
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Recommendation(s)

Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • Geographical Residence
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • State Residency

Not Considered

  • Interview

Grades & Testing

Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Santa Clara University?

3.75
Average High School GPA

Grades

Students who recently attended Santa Clara University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.75. 35% of freshmen who attended Santa Clara were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 61% 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
4.00
10%
3.75-3.99
45%
3.50-3.74
28%
3.25-3.49
13%
3.00-3.24
4%
2.50-2.99
1%

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

25%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

12%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
680
75th Percentile
760
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
670
75th Percentile
730
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1360
75th Percentile
1480

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

January 7
Regular admission deadline
30
Application notification

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 80%, compared to 48% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Santa Clara University, you might consider applying Early Decision.

November 1
Applications Due
December 31
Notification Date
80%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate
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