Santa Clara: the complete school report for parents

What does Santa Clara actually weigh in admissions?

Santa Clara rates 8 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, talent, volunteer work, work experience. It does not consider 1 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Santa Clara's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

54% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.72 on a 4 scale, reported for 100% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the Santa Clara waitlist really like?

Santa Clara offered a place on its waiting list to 405 applicants and 268 accepted one. 263 were ultimately admitted. That is 98.1% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Santa Clara admitted 64.7% of 1,206 transfer applicants, against 47.9% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 3.3.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 76.4% of ED applicants were admitted against 47.9% overall, a gap of 29 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Santa Clara requires 14 academic units and recommends 18. A GED is accepted.

What will Santa Clara actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $50,062 a year at Santa Clara after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $64,956. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 87.1% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 243 merit awards averaging $15,939 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

33% of Santa Clara graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $28,838 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $203 a month in repayment. Santa Clara’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Santa Clara pay off?

Graduates earn a median $109,183 ten years after entering, and $91,198 at six years. 91% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 88% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$191,635 to $43,499, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Santa Clara:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

93% of first-years return for a second year. 87% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 89.6% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 86.9% of everyone else, a gap of -2.7 points.

How big are the classes?

42% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 72% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

What is life at Santa Clara like?

6,695 undergraduates, 38% of first-years from out of state. 94% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 51% across all undergraduates. 17% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $93,581.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. Santa Clara recommends 18 academic units.
• 54% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.72. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Early Decision is worth 29 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 263 of 268 who waited were admitted, about 98%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $191,635 five years out against $43,499 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Santa Clara

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