Stories

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 30, 2021—Santa Clara University received a record amount of more than 16,800 applications for the Class of 2025, a 2.3 percent increase from last year. 

Students who applied through the Regular Decision option received their notifications through their SCU application portal on March 17. Santa Clara will bring in a class of 1,400 first-year students this fall along with 210 transfer students.

Notable characteristics of the admitted class include: 

• An average unweighted GPA of 3.81
• 51 percent of admitted students chose to submit test scores
• 48 percent are students of color
• 16 percent are from Catholic high schools 
• 51 percent are from public schools
• Admitted students represent all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and 66 countries

“We spend months reviewing applications, which includes reading transcripts, essays and letters of recommendation all while reviewing in the context of a holistic approach of understanding a student’s high school experience and offerings. It’s a privilege to offer admission to the diverse and very talented group of students who would like to call Santa Clara University their home for the next four years,” said Becky Konowicz, Santa Clara University’s dean of admission. 

To celebrate their acceptance and learn more about SCU, admitted students are invited to Virtual Preview Week, happening April 5-10. More than 30 interactive events, including mock classes, panels and virtual tours, give students a unique and comprehensive experience. “Our community is excited to meet admitted students. We know students are Zoom fatigued, so this year's Virtual Preview Week is more than just basic presentations, with a variety of interactive events for students to experience how Santa Clara is the best choice for their higher education pursuits,” said Konowicz. “The spirit of SCU is contagious, even through a screen.”

During that same week in April, SCU also will welcome students to its diversity program, Unity Week, with invitation-only sessions specifically for students of African, Asian, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and Native American heritage. This celebration of cultures culminates with special socials on Thursday night hosted by student identity groups and organizations.  

Santa Clara University will continue to host admitted student events through Bronco Exchange, an online portal that allows admitted students to connect with current students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The Class of 2025 will be arriving at an exciting time on the Mission Campus:

• As our region makes steady progress in suppressing the virus, we are pleased to announce our intent to fully return to campus with on-campus residential housing, campus activities and in-person classes.
• SCU welcomes T. Shá Duncan Smith as our inaugural vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Alison Benders to be the first vice president for mission and ministry.
• The Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation, opening this fall, will be the new home for the Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics. Inspired by our Jesuit ideals and Silicon Valley’s culture of collaboration and innovation, the campus will allow students to forge breakthroughs and help build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. 
• SCU placed 53rd among nearly 400 national-level universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 “Best Colleges” edition. We were noted for our excellence in undergraduate teaching, undergraduate business, and computer science and engineering.
• We are ranked #5 in Best Catholic Colleges in America according to Niche.
• The new 50,000-square-foot Athletic Excellence Center will help the next generation of Olympians, All-Americans, World Champions and Hall of Fame athletes from SCU.
• Four Broncos won prestigious Fulbright Scholarships in 2020, enabling them to pursue research in fields such as urban environmental mitigation, disability rights, agricultural innovation, and neuroscience. SCU has produced 37 Fulbright winners since 2009.
• We are one of the few universities that has reached carbon neutrality (zero greenhouse gas emissions) for campus operations in 2020. SCU ranked No. 13 out of 312 institutions in The Sierra Club Magazine’s Top 20 Coolest Schools for Sustainability.

Admitted first-year students have until May 1 to accept Santa Clara’s admission offer.

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