First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early action Apply early, hear early, not binding. | November 1, 2026 |
| Early decision Apply early, hear early, and you must enroll if admitted. Binding. | November 1, 2026 |
| Early decision II A second, later early decision round. Also binding. | January 7, 2027 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 7, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: scu.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Santa Clara University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | AP 8 MATH 11 and elective credit Mathematics | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | AP 4 MATH 11 Mathematics | |
| Biology | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit* No Core Credit | |
| Chemistry | 3 | AP 5 CHEM 11 T Natural Science | |
| Physics 1 | 4 | AP 5 PHYS 11 or elective credit No Core Credit | |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Psychology | 4 | AP 4 PSYC 2 Social Science |
Show all 41 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | AP 8 MATH 11 and elective credit Mathematics | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | AP 4 MATH 11 Mathematics | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | AP 12 MATH 11 & 12 and elective credit Mathematics | |
| Biology | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit* No Core Credit | |
| Chemistry | 3 | AP 5 CHEM 11 T Natural Science | |
| Physics 1 | 4 | AP 5 PHYS 11 or elective credit No Core Credit | |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Psychology | 4 | AP 4 PSYC 2 Social Science | |
| Statistics | 4 | AP 4 MATH 8 for UARSC & UENGR or OMIS 40 for…AP 4 MATH 8 for UARSC & UENGR or OMIS 40 for UBUSN Mathematics | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | AP 5 for C SEN ; 5 for CSCI C SEN 10 & 10L…AP 5 for C SEN ; 5 for CSCI C SEN 10 & 10L (engineering majors only); or CSCI 10 No Core Credit | |
| Computer Science A | 5 | AP 10 for CSEN; 5 for CSCI CSEN 10 & 10L & 11 &…AP 10 for CSEN; 5 for CSCI CSEN 10 & 10L & 11 & 11L (engineering majors only) ; or CSCI 10 No Core Credit | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | AP 4 ECON 2 Social Science | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | AP 4 ECON 1 Social Science | |
| World History: Modern | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit* No Core Credit | |
| Environmental Science | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Physics 2 | 4 | AP 5 Elective Credit* No Core Credit | |
| European History | 4 | AP 4 HIST 23 No Core Credit | |
| Human Geography | 4 | AP 4 ANTH 50T or ENVS 50T No Core Credit | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 SPAN 21 Second Language | |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | AP 4 for CSCI CSCI 3 No Core Credit | |
| Art History | 4 | AP 4 ARTH 21, 22, or 23 No Core Credit | |
| African American Studies | 4 | AP 4 ETHN 30T No Core Credit | |
| Business with Personal Finance | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 CHIN 21 Second Language | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | AP 4 POLI 2T Social Science | |
| Cybersecurity | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Drawing | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 FREN 21 Second Language | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 GERM 21 Second Language | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 ITAL 21 Second Language | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | AP 4 JAPN 21 Second Language | |
| Latin | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit* No Core Credit | |
| Music: Theory | 4 | AP 4–8 MUSC 1T No Core Credit | |
| Physics 1 and Physics 2 | 4 | AP 15 PHYS 11, 12, & 13 or elective credit Natural Science | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | AP 5 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | AP 5 PHYS 33 Natural Science | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | AP 5 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | AP 5 PHYS 31 Natural Science | |
| Precalculus | 4 | AP 4 MATH 9 No Core Credit | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | AP 4 SPAN 22 Second Language | |
| Studio Art: 2-D Design | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| Studio Art: 3-D Design | 4 | AP 4 Elective Credit No Core Credit | |
| U.S. Government and Politics | 4 | AP 4 POLI 1 No Core Credit | |
| U.S. History | 4 | AP 4 HIST 96AT or 96BT No Core Credit |
Source: scu.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Finance | 173 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 104 |
| Psychology | 98 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 90 |
| Computer Engineering | 80 |
| Information Technology | 77 |
| Marketing/Marketing Management | 73 |
| Economics | 71 |
Show the other 37 majors
| Accounting | 53 |
| Political Science and Government | 52 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 47 |
| Organizational Behavior Studies | 43 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 39 |
| Public Health | 32 |
| Neuroscience | 23 |
| Environmental Studies | 22 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 21 |
| Civil Engineering | 20 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 19 |
| Computer Hardware Engineering | 18 |
| English Language and Literature | 17 |
| Child Development | 17 |
| Philosophy | 15 |
| Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design | 15 |
| Sociology | 14 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 13 |
| Biochemistry | 10 |
| Environmental Science | 9 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 7 |
| History | 6 |
| Anthropology | 6 |
| Mathematics | 6 |
| French Language and Literature | 6 |
| Engineering | 6 |
| Chemistry | 5 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 5 |
| Music | 5 |
| Engineering Physics/Applied Physics | 3 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 3 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 3 |
| Physics | 3 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 |
| Women's Studies | 2 |
| Ethnic Studies | 2 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Santa Clara University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #2 for Marketingof 50 colleges
- #6 for Management information systemsof 50 colleges
- #22 for Human resourcesof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, WCC
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Rowing, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor), Track and Field (Outdoor), Water Polo
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, WCC
Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country, Golf, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor), Track and Field (Outdoor), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force, Army
Faith groups
Hillel, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), hillel.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, midsize
Federal locale classification
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1,995,484 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
Nearest hub airport
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 17.8 of 20
Elevation
75 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
42°F
July high
81°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
16 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,710 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- San Jose State University3 mi
- Stanford University14 mi
- California State University-East Bay22 mi
- University of California-Santa Cruz25 mi
- Northeastern University Oakland33 mi
- Saint Mary's College of California35 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- University of Denver6,415 students
- University of St Thomas6,044 students
- Duke University6,488 students
- Lehigh University5,811 students
- University of San Francisco5,729 students
- University of San Diego5,726 students