Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California · Also known as SCU · Website
$109,183
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$109,183
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Santa Clara University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Santa Clara, California with 6,552 undergraduates and 3,151 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $50,062 a year (tuition and fees $61,293). It admits 48% of applicants and 88% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $109,183 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,162 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$50,062
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$61,293
US median $11,837
Admission rate
48%
US median 78%
Completion rate
88%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,162
About $203 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$109,183
Rank 21 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $50,062
- Tuition and fees
- $61,293
- Cost of attendance
- $82,026
- Students with a need-based grant
- 11%
- Students with federal loans
- 37%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $22,985
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $19,154
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $26,531
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $37,219
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $60,678
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $45,300 in 2015-16 to $61,293 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 48%
- Average SAT
- 1,426
- SAT reading, middle
- 685
- SAT math, middle
- 725
- ACT, middle
- 32
- Undergraduates
- 6,552
- Graduate students
- 3,151
- Part-time students
- 2.0%
- Women
- 49%
- Students per teacher
- 11
- Completion rate
- 88%
- Retention rate
- 94%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 83
- Endowment
- $1.6B
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 21 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $50,062 | $20,161 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $61,293 | $8,086 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 48% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 88% | 64% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 94% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,162 | $11,537 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $91,198 | $36,048 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $109,183 | $41,472 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 88% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 90% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
83 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 266 | $59,170 | $140,238 | $195,995 | $103,485 |
| Computer EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 261 | Withheld | $154,044 | $231,929 | $136,736 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 231 | $180,127 | $79,949 | $148,599 | $107,773 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 164 | $14,490 | $79,929 | $118,737 | $83,343 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 140 | $17,832 | $51,720 | $84,206 | $56,359 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 125 | $61,500 | $65,541 | $77,194 | $65,184 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 115 | $17,000 | $38,587 | $75,742 | $50,706 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 108 | Withheld | $114,501 | Withheld | $124,807 |
| Mathematics and Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 103 | $21,500 | $91,851 | $147,013 | $118,943 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 99 | $19,712 | $58,493 | $104,723 | $69,303 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $20,500 | $57,111 | $93,518 | $63,293 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 84 | $18,625 | $78,417 | $130,087 | $76,194 |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $24,833 | $103,804 | $163,765 | $109,015 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $19,500 | $76,606 | $121,307 | $82,686 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 61 | $19,500 | $36,270 | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $24,500 | $47,274 | Withheld | $58,808 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 51 | $32,690 | $68,067 | $79,448 | $59,916 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 50 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,201 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 46 | $24,500 | $42,576 | $72,889 | $55,012 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $19,995 | $93,042 | $153,926 | $83,290 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $20,000 | Withheld | Withheld | $62,451 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,430 | $68,069 |
| MarketingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 39 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesMaster's | Master's | 37 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $61,300 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $19,000 | $81,865 | $122,111 | $92,135 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does Santa Clara University cost?
$50,062 a year is the average net price at Santa Clara University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $61,293, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $82,026. Families earning under $30,000 pay $22,985 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Santa Clara University?
48% of applicants are admitted to Santa Clara University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,426 and the middle ACT score is 32. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do Santa Clara University graduates earn?
$109,183 a year is the median pay of former Santa Clara University students who work, 10 years after they started ($91,198 after 6 years). That ranks 21 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer Engineering (Master's) at $154,044.
How much student debt do Santa Clara University graduates have?
$19,162 is the median federal student loan debt of Santa Clara University graduates, about $203 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 37% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Clara University?
88% of first-time, full-time students at Santa Clara University finish within 6 years. 94% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Santa Clara University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (266 master's graduates), Computer Engineering (261 master's graduates), Law (231 professional graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 83 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.