Santa Clara University

Admission to Santa Clara is highly competitive as it has an acceptance rate of 54%. This means out of 100 applicants only 54 applicants have the chance of getting admission. The admissions committee reviews your application and considers several elements of your profile before arriving at a decision. From academic performance to reference letters, test scores, activities done outside of the classroom, life experiences, and so on. The university aims to seek individuals who are a holistic person and a scholar. This is one of the reasons why the university recommends international UG applicants to sit for an interview. It is a chance to showcase your language skills, interests, professionalism, and interest in the course and university.

Read: Santa Clara Ranking

SCU students often live on-campus during their first and second years. The housing options differ for first-year and graduate students. All first-year students live in Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) housed in SCU’s campus residence halls, such as:

• Alpha - Graham Hall

• Communitas - Campisi Hall

• Cyphi - Swig Hall

• Cura - Finn Hall

• da Vinci - Casa Italiana

• Modern Perspectives - Dunne Hall

• Loyola - Sobrato Hall

• Unity - McLaughlin-Walsh Hall

• Xavier - Sanfilippo Hall

Living on-campus can also be expensive, as all students who live in the RLCs must purchase a meal plan. In addition to the RLCs, SCU also offers housing in university villas, the Nobili Hall, and other neighborhood units.

Source: SCU

Also Read : Cost of Living in USA for International Students

Each year, the university welcomes over 1,500 international students from all over the world. For UG programs, it usually receives up to 16,000 applications, out of which 7,900 are admitted. In Fall 2019, SCU enrolled 5,571 undergraduate students across its schools. As per the university’s expansion plan, the UG enrollment numbers are expected to go in the coming years. In Spring 2020, SCU enrolled 1,950 graduate and 5,369 undergraduate students. For Spring 2022, students enrollment included 8,201 applicants, of which 548 were international students. The top five countries represented at SCU are:

Source: SCU

Note* The latest data is not available on the official site. you can further wait for more information.

You can follow these steps to start your application at Santa Clara University

UG courses

All undergraduate students are advised to apply to through the Common Application portal. Although interview is not mandatory, yet the university recommends international students to sit for an interview. It is an excellent opportunity to showcase language skills, interests, and professionalism to the admissions team.

PG courses

Each graduate school of SCU has its separate application form and portal. Thus, applicants need to choose a school first, then select their course and click on the apply button on the course page. 

Step 1: Log in to the respective school’s application portal. Create a new account as new user and set a password.

Step 2: Click on Start New Application button.It will direct you to the next window, where you have to select the application type and start filling the form.

Step 3: Once you select the programme type, you have to fill in details like background, educational history, employment history, and so on. Then upload your transcripts and supporting documents.

Step 4: After uploading all the documents, you have to sign the form and submit the application.

Eligibility requirements for international applicants vary based on their educational level and citizenship status. In general, the following qualifications are accepted:

Undergraduate Admissions

Applicants should meet the US equivalent of these high school course requirements:

• History and Social Science: 3 years

• English: 4 years

• Mathematics: 3 years required; 4 years recommended

• Laboratory Science: 2 years required; 3 years recommended

• Language Other Than English: 2 years required; 3 years recommended; 4 years preferred

• Visual and Performing Arts: 1 year recommended

Graduate Admissions

As the application process differs for each school and program, the eligibility requirements are also course-specific. Most courses required a three or four-year Bachelor degree in any discipline and English proficiency scores. Other standardized exam scores such as GRE and GMAT may be required as per course. 

University Update: SCU has adopted a two-year Test Optional policy beginning with Fall 2021 first-year applicants. SAT or ACT scores are not mandatory for admission consideration nor the students who do not submit will be disadvantaged. However, for those who wish to submit scores for consideration, self-reported test scores can be submitted through the student's SCU application status portal.