“A Jesuit university in the heart of Silicon Valley, combining rigorous academics with a mission to develop ethical leaders for the world.”
Santa Clara University, founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, is California's oldest operating university and one of the premier Jesuit institutions in the United States. Situated in the heart of Silicon Valley, SCU offers students an unparalleled intersection of ethics-driven liberal arts education and proximity to the world's most innovative technology ecosystem. SCU is renowned for the Leavey School of Business, the School of Engineering, and its pre-law pipeline to Santa Clara School of Law — one of the top law schools in the West. Students benefit from deep ties to Apple, Google, Intel, Cisco, and hundreds of startups within miles of campus, making internship and employment placement exceptional for graduates. The university's Jesuit tradition means all students engage with core curriculum questions of ethics, justice, and the common good alongside their professional preparation. The campus itself features a beautiful Mission-style architecture centered on the historic Old Mission Santa Clara, blending California history with modern research facilities.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Forbes America's Top Colleges
Forbes 2025
Engineering
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding — decisions mid-December
Regular Decision
Decisions late March
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$62,658
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Consistently ranked among the best undergraduate business schools in the West, with exceptional placement in finance, tech, and consulting.
A strong engineering school with close Silicon Valley industry ties, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across key disciplines.
The home of SCU's Jesuit liberal arts core, offering majors across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and performing arts.
4 years
ABET-accredited CSE degree taught in SCU's School of Engineering, blending CS theory with hardware-aware systems engineering. Silicon Valley adjacency means abundant CPT-eligible internship pipelines into Apple, Google, NVIDIA, Intel, Cisco, Adobe, and Salesforce — many of which are headquartered within 15 minutes of campus.
4 years
Leavey is AACSB-accredited and consistently ranked among the top undergraduate business schools in the West. Strong placement into Bay Area corporate finance, fintech (Stripe, Block, Plaid), and SF/NYC investment banking. Leavey also runs a STEM-designated MS in Finance and STEM MBA for graduate intl students seeking 24-month OPT extension.
4 years
Cross-listed program drawing on Engineering and Biology faculty; STEM-designated. Capstone projects with Stanford Medicine, Genentech, and Bay Area medtech startups. Strong pre-med pipeline.
4 years
Top-ranked undergraduate entrepreneurship program (top 10 nationally per US News). Direct integration with the Ciocca Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley founder networks; capstone Bronco Venture Accelerator funds student startups.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $85,686
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
