Santa Clara University, a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, is the oldest operating higher education institution in the state, founded in 1851. Its campus is built around the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís, dating back to 1777, and reflects the Mission's architectural style with Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival designs. Classified as a "Doctoral/Professional" university, it holds historical and educational significance in California.
1911: School of Law Founded
In 1911, the School of Law was founded, offering the Juris Doctor degree and double degree programs in conjunction with the Leavey School of Business.
1912: University of Santa Clara Established
In 1912, the College of Santa Clara separated its secondary school component, Santa Clara Prep (now Bellarmine College Preparatory), and became the University of Santa Clara, with the addition of the School of Law and the School of Engineering.
1912: School of Engineering Founded
In 1912, the School of Engineering was founded at Santa Clara University and began offering bachelor's degrees.
1923: Leavey School of Business Founded
In 1923, the Leavey School of Business was founded and later accredited, offering various degree programs.
1934: Jesuit School of Theology Founded
In 1934, the Jesuit School of Theology was founded. It is located in Berkeley, California, and is one of the member colleges of the Graduate Theological Union.
1936: Construction of an armory in Leland Stanford's honor
In 1936, an armory was built in honor of Leland Stanford, located southwest of the athletic field with a pistol range below the auditorium stage, in return for his previous generosity in presenting the Corps of Cadets with forty Springfield rifles, Model 1839.
1961: Women Admitted
In 1961, Santa Clara University became the first Catholic university in California to admit women, previously being an all-men's university.
1980: NCAA Division II Championship semi-finals
In 1980, Santa Clara participated in NCAA Division II in football, reaching the NCAA Division II Championship semi-finals.
1985: Name Change to Santa Clara University
In 1985, the University of Santa Clara changed its name to Santa Clara University to avoid confusion with the University of Southern California (USC).
1986: Diplomas Printed with New Name
In 1986, diplomas began to be printed with the new name, Santa Clara University.
1989: Campus Unification
In 1989, the Santa Clara University campus was unified when The Alameda (California State Route 82), which had bisected the university, was rerouted. Interior roads were closed and replaced with pedestrian malls and plazas.
February 2, 1993: Discontinuation of football at Santa Clara University
On February 2, 1993, Santa Clara president Paul Locatelli, S.J. announced the discontinuation of football at the university.
2000: Leavey Center Renovated
In 2000, the Leavey Center, a basketball arena, was renovated as part of expansion projects at Santa Clara University.
2001: School of Education and Counseling Psychology Formed
In 2001, the School of Education and Counseling Psychology was formed at Santa Clara University to offer Master's level and other credential programs.
2001: School of Education, Counseling Psychology, and Pastoral Ministries Created
In fall 2001, the School of Education, Counseling Psychology, and Pastoral Ministries was created, bringing together graduate programs in Counseling Psychology, Education, and Pastoral Ministries.
2005: Stephen Schott Stadium Completed
In 2005, Stephen Schott Stadium, a new baseball field, was completed as part of expansion projects at Santa Clara University.
2006: Jesuit Community Residence Completed
In 2006, a Jesuit community residence was completed as part of expansion projects at Santa Clara University.
2008: Library and Business Building Completed
In 2008, Santa Clara University completed a new library and a new building for the Leavey School of Business as part of campus expansion.
2008: Forbes Ranking
In 2008, the first year of the list, Santa Clara University was ranked No. 318 out of 569 by Forbes.
July 2009: Jesuit School of Theology Merged
In July 2009, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (JST) legally merged with Santa Clara University.
2009: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2009, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2009: Jesuit School of Theology Merged with Santa Clara University
In 2009, the Jesuit School of Theology merged with Santa Clara University, becoming the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University.
February 2, 2010: Santa Clara University ROTC "Bronco Battalion" won the MacArthur Award
On February 2, 2010, the Santa Clara University ROTC "Bronco Battalion" won the MacArthur Award granted by the U.S. Army's Cadet Command and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation.
2010: Drew Starbird Becomes Dean
In 2010, Drew Starbird became dean of the Leavey School of Business.
2010: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2010, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2011: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2011, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2011: Santa Clara ROTC won the MacArthur Award
In 2011, the Santa Clara ROTC once again won the MacArthur Award, which is granted to the year's most excellent Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.
2012: Newsweek ranking of Santa Clara University
In 2012, Newsweek ranked Santa Clara University as the second most beautiful college in America.
2012: 50 Years of Women Attending Santa Clara University
In 2012, Santa Clara University celebrated 50 years of women attending the university.
2012: Graham Residence Hall and Admission Building Completed
In 2012, Santa Clara University completed Graham Residence Hall and a new Admission and Enrollment Services building.
2012: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2012, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2013: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2013, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2013: Palm Drive Closed to Automobiles
In 2013, Santa Clara University's main entrance, Palm Drive, was closed to automobiles to create a new pedestrian gateway, highlighting the Mission Church.
2013: Center for Sustainability Established
In 2013, the Center for Sustainability was established at Santa Clara University to advance the understanding of social justice and sustainability.
May 2014: Sustainable Building Policy Adopted
In May 2014, Santa Clara University adopted the Sustainable Building Policy for all new buildings.
2014: Alviso Street Remodeled
In 2014, Alviso Street between Franklin and Market was closed to cars and remodeled at Santa Clara University.
2014: STARS Gold Rating Received
In 2014, Santa Clara University received the STARS Gold Rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
2014: President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
In 2014, Santa Clara University was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for community service programs and student involvement.
2015: Creation of the Campus Sustainability Investment Fund (CSIF)
At the start of the 2015 academic year, Santa Clara University announced the creation of the Campus Sustainability Investment Fund (CSIF) as a revolving green fund to support sustainability projects on the SCU campus.
2015: Caryn Beck-Dudley Replaces Drew Starbird
In 2015, Caryn Beck-Dudley replaced Drew Starbird as dean of the Leavey School of Business, starting in the 2015-16 school year.
2015: Ranked No.19 on Princeton Review's "Top 50 Green Colleges" List
In 2015, Santa Clara University ranked No. 19 on the Princeton Review's new "Top 50 Green Colleges" list and was featured in The Princeton Review Guide to 353 Green Colleges.
2016: Art and Art History Building Completed
In 2016, Santa Clara University completed a new Art and Art History Building.
2018: Charney Hall Completed
In 2018, Charney Hall was completed, consolidating Bannan Hall and the Heafey Law Library into the new Law School.
2019: Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranking
In 2019, Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Santa Clara University 39th on the Best Values in Private Universities list, 123rd overall, and fifth in California.
March 18, 2021: Kevin F. O'Brien Placed on Leave
On March 18, 2021, Santa Clara University Board of Trustees Chairman John M. Sobrato announced Kevin F. O'Brien had been placed on leave pending an inquiry.
May 9, 2021: Kevin F. O'Brien Resigned
On May 9, 2021, Kevin F. O'Brien resigned from Santa Clara University following an inquiry.
May 12, 2021: Kevin F. O'Brien Resigned
On May 12, 2021, John M. Sobrato announced that Kevin F. O'Brien resigned from Santa Clara University on May 9, 2021, following an inquiry.
June 30, 2021: Endowment Value
As of June 30, 2021, Santa Clara University's endowment was $1.54 billion.
July 1, 2022: Julie H. Sullivan Begins Term as President
On July 1, 2022, Julie H. Sullivan, Ph.D., began her term as president of Santa Clara University. She is the first layperson and first woman to serve in this role.
2022: Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation Completed
In 2022, Santa Clara University completed construction of the $300 million Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation (SCDI).
2023: PayScale Ranking
In 2023, Santa Clara was ranked 9th in "Best Universities For a Bachelor's Degree" by PayScale.
2023: Standardized Test Scores and GPA for Enrolled First-Year Class
In 2023, the enrolled first-year class at SCU had middle 50% SAT scores of 630–700 (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) and 650–740 (Math), ACT scores of 28–32, and a GPA of 3.56–3.87.
2023: Class of 2027 Applications Received
In Fall 2023, Santa Clara University received 18,839 applications for the Class of 2027, accepting 42% of applicants.
2024: Student Enrollment Statistics
As of 2024, Santa Clara University has an enrollment of 6,484 undergraduate students and 3,151 graduate students, with an approximate 50:50 gender ratio for undergraduates.
2024: Tuition and Fees 2024-2025
For SCU's 2024-2025 school year, undergraduate tuition and fees were $62,760, room and board cost $19,446, a university enhancement fee cost $753, and total indirect costs were estimated at $5,691, totaling $88,650.
2024: Forbes Ranking 2024-25
For the 2024-25 report, Forbes ranked Santa Clara University 61st out of the top 500 rated private and public colleges and universities in America.
2024: Santa Clara University California Promise and Santa Clara University Cristo Rey Promise Announced
In 2024, Santa Clara University announced the Santa Clara University California Promise and the Santa Clara University Cristo Rey Promise, committing to meeting the full financial need of qualifying students.
2024: Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Ranking
In 2024, The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked SCU 38th on the list of "2025 Best Colleges in the US."
2024: University Statistics Fall 2024
In Fall 2024, Santa Clara University offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees across six colleges, with an enrollment of 6,484 undergraduate and 3,151 postgraduate students.
2025: Application Statistics
As of 2025, Santa Clara University receives over 20,000 applications for its incoming class.
2025: Graduate programs within Leavey School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Law ranking
As of 2025, graduate programs within Leavey School of Business, School of Engineering, School of Law rank nationally on U.S. News & World Report. SCU's Part-time MBA Program ranked 19th, Business Analytics MBA Program ranked 5th, and the Finance MBA Program ranked 6th. SCU's Intellectual Property Law program ranked 4th.
2025: Tuition and Fees 2024-2025
For SCU's 2024-2025 school year, undergraduate tuition and fees were $62,760, room and board cost $19,446, a university enhancement fee cost $753, and total indirect costs were estimated at $5,691, totaling $88,650.
2025: Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Ranking
In 2024, The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked SCU 38th on the list of "2025 Best Colleges in the US."
2025: PayScale Ranking
In 2025, Santa Clara was ranked 7th in "Best Universities For a Bachelor's Degree" by PayScale.
2025: Relocation of Jesuit School of Theology
In 2025, the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University began relocation from Berkeley to the main campus in Santa Clara.
2027: Class of 2027 Application Statistics
For the Class of 2027 (enrolling Fall 2023), Santa Clara University received 18,839 applications, accepting 42% of applicants.
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