September 2012

Santa Clara University School of Engineering rises to No. 14 nationwide

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 12, 2012— In its annual ranking, “America’s Best Colleges 2013,” U.S. News & World Report ranked Santa Clara University second overall among master’s universities in the West. At 93 percent, SCU has the highest freshman retention rate of all master’s universities. Santa Clara’s average undergraduate graduation rate, 86 percent, was the third highest rate of the 625 master’s universities across the country.

The School of Engineering at Santa Clara University rose sharply in the rankings to No. 14, up from No. 21 last year, among engineering schools where the highest degree awarded is a bachelor’s or master’s.

"We are pleased that the hard work of our students, faculty and staff helps fuel the recognition of our excellence," says Dean of the School of Engineering Godfrey Mungal, Ph.D. "We are engineering with a mission and strive to balance rigorous academics, hands-on learning and values-based education that empowers our students to make a real difference in the world as engaged citizens."

Santa Clara also placed No. 12 among 89 master’s universities in the West in a new category called “Great Schools at Great Prices.” The rankings took into account the school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid.

The magazine’s rankings were based on academic reputation, graduation rates, class size, percent of full-time faculty, student/faculty ratios, retention of students, student test scores and grades, student selectivity, financial resource, and alumni giving.

The “Best Colleges” rankings can be found on the U.S. News website. The 2013 edition of the Best Colleges guidebook will be in stores Sept. 18 and is available at USNews.com.

SCU is featured here http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/santa-clara-university-1326.

The Top 10 Regional Universities in the West

1. Trinity University (Texas)

2. Santa Clara University (Calif.)

3. Loyola Marymount University (Calif.)

4. Gonzaga University (Wash.)

5. Mills College (Calif.)

6. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (Calif.)

6. Chapman University (Calif.)

6. University of Portland (Ore.)

9. Whitworth University (Wash.)

10. Seattle University (Wash.)

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 8,685 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. 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 www.scu.edu.

Media Contact
Marika Krause | SCU Media Relations | mekrause@scu.edu | 408-554-5126