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Colleges / Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 4-Year Private
Acceptance Rate54%
Acceptance Rate54%

Santa Clara University Student Life

Santa Clara University is on a 106-acre campus in the suburban setting of Santa Clara, California, not far from San Francisco and San Jose.

Santa Clara University Student Activities

There are many activities and organizations for Santa Clara University students to join – including chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Interested in Greek life? Santa Clara University does not have fraternities or sororities.

Santa Clara University has the Multicultural Center. In fact, more students participate in the Multicultural Center than any other on-campus activity.

Other popular student organizations at Santa Clara University include Associated Student Government, Santa Clara Community Action Program, Activities Programming Board and Into the Wild.

The Santa Clara University community comes together each year for Annual concert hosted by our Activities Programming Board (APB), Global Village hosted by our Multicultural Center (MCC) and Rainbow Prom hosted by our Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP).

Does Santa Clara University Offer Student Housing?

This table offers information on housing at Santa Clara University.

Housing Options Offered? Details
On-Campus Housing Yes Required for sophomore
Guaranteed Housing Yes Priortiy given to freshman
Co-ed Housing Available Yes
Housing for Students with Disabilities No
Percentage of Students Living On-Campus –– 53%
Spots Available in On-Campus Housing –– 3,311
Number of Students Living On-Campus –– 3,136
Percentage of Students Living Off-Campus –– 47%

Santa Clara University offers housing for students. Students are required to live on campus through sophomore year. First year students are given priority for on-campus housing.

The majority of Santa Clara University students live on campus. In 2022, 53% of undergrads at Santa Clara University lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 47% of students lived off-campus or commuted to Santa Clara University. There are 3,311 spots available in on-campus housing for all 5,895 undergraduates. In the 2021-2022 school year, 3,136 students chose to live on-campus. First year students are not allowed to park a car on campus.

Santa Clara University offers coed housing.

Santa Clara University Athletics

At Santa Clara University there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at Santa Clara University:

Sport Men's Intramural Women's Intramural Men's Division Women's Division Men's Scholarships Women's Scholarships
Basketball NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Golf NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Soccer NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Tennis NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Track And Field NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Water Polo NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Cross Country Running NCAA Division 1 NCAA Division 1
Triathlon Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Equestrian Sports Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Lacrosse Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Rugby Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Sailing Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Swimming And Diving Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams
Ultimate Frisbee Intercollegiate Club Teams Intercollegiate Club Teams

Is Santa Clara University Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

Santa Clara University is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The Santa Clara University campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night.

Santa Clara University offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Campus housing is secure and dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards.

Plan a Visit to Santa Clara University

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit Santa Clara University, take U.S. Highway 101 to Santa Clara, CA. If you need to fly, book your flight to Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in California you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore Santa Clara University's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About Santa Clara University

To learn more about Santa Clara University, choose from the options below:

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Santa Clara University.

Santa Clara University Students

48%

Women

52%

Men

98%

Full Time

2%

Part Time

57%

In State

43%

Out-of-State

Ethnicity

42%

20%

18%

9%

6%

3%

2%

0.24%

0.05%

Undergraduate Students

5,895

Graduate Students

3,023

Non-Resident / International Students

324

Santa Clara University Campus Services

Student Services
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Counseling
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Health Clinic
  • 31515C82-8D2D-421D-B67C-E215D0E49BE9 Women's Center
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Veterans Affairs
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Career Planning
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Alumni Networking
  • 31515C82-8D2D-421D-B67C-E215D0E49BE9 ESL
Campus Security
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 Late-Night Transport / Escort
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 24-Hour Emergency Phone / Alarm
  • 1E1A89E0-A58D-422D-B45D-7554EC36A535 24-Hour Security Patrol

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

8,918

Campus Setting

Suburban

Acceptance Rate

54%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$55,860

Out-of-State

$55,860

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Jan 7
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