Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Founded in 1851, it is the oldest operating higher‑education institution in California. The campus surrounds the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and the campus features Mission‑style architecture.
The university has six schools and colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, Leavey School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Education and Counseling Psychology, Jesuit School of Theology (location now in Berkeley), and Santa Clara School of Law. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. As of Fall 2024, about 6,484 undergraduates and 3,151 graduate students were enrolled (roughly 9,700 total). The student‑to‑faculty ratio is 11:1.
Santa Clara’s sports teams are the Broncos. They compete in NCAA Division I in the West Coast Conference, across 19 sports. The school colors are red and white, and the mascot is Bucky Bronco. The university is known for strong soccer programs and has produced many professional athletes and Olympians.
Campus life includes Residential Learning Communities, which blend housing and academics. Santa Clara emphasizes social justice and sustainability, with LEED‑certified buildings and green initiatives. In 2022, the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation opened to support STEM education.
A quick look at history: Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded in 1777. Santa Clara College opened in 1851 and later became the University of Santa Clara in 1912, finally being renamed Santa Clara University in 1985. Women were first admitted in 1961. The Jesuit School of Theology joined SCU in 2009 after relocating from Berkeley, and in 2025 it began moving to the Santa Clara campus.
Academically, SCU is considered selective. It has a strong commitment to service, with programs like the Pedro Arrupe Partnership. In rankings, it typically places in the upper range among national universities.
Costs and finances: For 2024–2025, undergraduate tuition is about $62,760 per year, with room and board around $19,446 and other costs bringing total to roughly $88,650 before aid. The university’s endowment was about $1.55 billion in 2024. Julie H. Sullivan became president in 2022, the first woman and the first layperson to hold the role.
SCU is organized around the six schools and colleges and supports a broad range of majors and graduate programs, including professional degrees in engineering, business, education, law, and theology.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:23 (CET).