Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $50,062What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 48%
Graduation rate: 88%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 6,552
In-state tuition: $61,293Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $61,293
SAT midpoint: 1,410
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $109,183Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$50,062

1/5

Better than 1% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

88%

5/5

Better than 94% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$109,183

5/5

Better than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$19,162

5/5

Better than 85% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$82,026

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$50,062

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Santa Clara University
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	88%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	94%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$19,162
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$109,183

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Santa Clara University by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Computer Engineering	$103,804	83
Management Information Systems and Services	$93,042	42
Mathematics and Computer Science	$91,851	103
Civil Engineering	$84,883	32
Mechanical Engineering	$81,865	36
Finance and Financial Management Services	$79,929	164
Accounting and Related Services	$78,417	84
Economics	$76,606	77
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$73,710	34
Marketing	$58,493	99
Political Science and Government	$57,111	96
Sociology	$53,612	28
Communication and Media Studies	$51,720	140
Public Health	$47,274	59
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$42,576	46
Psychology, General	$38,587	115
Biology, General	$36,270	61
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	Not reported	39
Human Resources Management and Services	Not reported	39
English Language and Literature, General	Not reported	27
Mathematics	Not reported	27
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	25
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Not reported	23
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services	Not reported	21
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	Not reported	20
History	Not reported	18
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	Not reported	17
Philosophy	Not reported	17
Fine and Studio Arts	Not reported	15
Business/Managerial Economics	Not reported	13
Engineering, General	Not reported	10
Music	Not reported	8
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	Not reported	8
Physics	Not reported	7
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	7
Computer Software and Media Applications	Not reported	7
Chemistry	Not reported	6
Anthropology	Not reported	6
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Not reported	4
Religion/Religious Studies	Not reported	2
Engineering Physics	Not reported	2
Natural Sciences	Not reported	Not reported
Classical and Ancient Studies	Not reported	Not reported
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported
Business/Commerce, General	Not reported	Not reported

All 45 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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