March 2023

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 24, 2023 – Santa Clara University received 18,839 applications for the Class of 2027, a 13 percent increase from last year, and the highest volume in its history. The overall admit rate for the class was 42 percent. 
Students were admitted from more than 1,898 high schools in all 50 states and 66 countries and regions. Santa Clara continued its policy of making submission of SAT or ACT scores optional, and 52 percent of students chose to submit test scores.

“After a rigorous selection process, this year’s incoming class is composed of talented and motivated students from all over the world who have demonstrated exceptional academic and personal achievements,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission Becky Konowicz. “We are also excited to see more applicants share their backgrounds, experiences and stories with us while also reflecting on Santa Clara’s mission to educate citizens and leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion.”

Notable characteristics of this year’s admitted students include:

• An average unweighted GPA of 3.87
• 54 percent are students of color
• 50 percent of students are from California
• 10 percent are the first in their family to attend college
• 9 percent of students are living outside the U.S.
• 9 percent are Pell-eligible students
• 39 percent of engineers are female students

“We have led the way to create a path for historically underserved students by co-launching the CA Private College is Possible initiative and by joining the American Talent Initiative,” said Vice President of Enrollment Management Eva Blanco Masias. “I’m pleased that our ongoing efforts to prioritize access and affordability, and our commitment to inclusion, have allowed us to add such a diverse and talented class to our vibrant community.”

American Talent Initiative members collectively aim to enroll 50,000 additional talented low- and moderate-income students at colleges and universities with strong graduation rates by 2025. CA Private College Is Possible provides students, families, and counselors with valuable information they need when applying to Independent California Colleges and Universities. This new statewide initiative was established along with eight other private colleges in California that comprise the California Private College Alliance (CPCA).

Admitted students have many in-person and virtual opportunities to get to know Santa Clara better before they make their final enrollment decision by May 1. SCU welcomes admitted students to Preview Day, the annual spring visit celebration and program, on April 15. Students will have the opportunity to meet current students, staff and faculty, and tour our academic buildings and residence halls. Admitted students who can’t make it to Preview Day can attend SCU Live or participate in virtual offerings on Bronco Exchange. SCU also hosts its diversity evening program, Unity Night, on April 14.

Transfer students still have until April 15 to apply for entry in the fall. In an effort to make a Santa Clara University education more accessible and affordable, SCU offers a transfer scholarship to eligible students from 19 Bay Area community colleges. To be considered, students must have completed a minimum of 30 transferable semester units (or equivalent) when applying for admission, have a minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average and complete the FAFSA. SCU typically enrolls over 200 transfer students each fall, with 50% coming from community colleges.

The Class of 2027 will be arriving at an exciting time on the Mission campus:

• SCU placed 55th among nearly 400 national-level universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 “Best Colleges” edition and No. 14 nationally for Best Undergraduate Teaching.
• Julie Sullivan took office in July as the first layperson and first woman president in the University’s 171-year history. A visionary academic leader, she is a passionate champion for the tenets of Catholic social teaching, including creating opportunities and economic inclusion through education, dismantling racism and building belonging, and promoting environmental sustainability.
• The newly opened Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation is fully operational and serves students, faculty and staff in STEM classes, interactive research, and collaboration. One of the largest STEM education facilities in the country, it features flexible labs, collaboration hubs, an Innovation Zone, and multidisciplinary project spaces.

About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering doctoral degrees. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see scu.edu.

Media Contact
Deepa Arora | SCU Communications | darora@scu.edu | (408) 554-5125