Santa Clara U vs University of San Francisco

Santa Clara University and University of San Francisco, both esteemed institutions in the heart of Silicon Valley, offer distinct educational experiences. Santa Clara, a Jesuit university, boasts a lower acceptance rate (54%) compared to USF's (67%), indicating a more selective admissions process. While USF enrolls a larger student body, Santa Clara maintains a smaller student-to-faculty ratio, fostering a more personalized learning environment. In terms of popular majors, Santa Clara excels in engineering, computer science, and business, while USF shines in nursing, biology, and psychology. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Santa Clara's slightly higher at 88% compared to USF's 84%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Santa Clara University logo

Santa Clara University

University of San Francisco logo

University of San Francisco

Overview

Location Santa Clara, California San Francisco, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 94.0% 86.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 54.0% 70.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $73
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $55
SAT range 1330 - 1490 1190 - 1390
ACT range 30 - 33 26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 23.0% 17.0%
Students submitting ACT score 16.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 16,848 22,372
Total number of admissions given out 9,095 15,867
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,549 1,452
Yield rate 17.0% 9.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,999 $75,232
Average net price $48,469 $39,825
Tuition $55,224 $52,920
Room & board $16,533
Room/dormitory: $11,030

Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

73.0%
Average amount $23,770
92.0%
Average amount $31,112
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $5,138
47.0%
Average amount $5,182
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $30,446
6.0%
Average amount $23,306

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,895
Men 52.7% Women 47.3%
5,969
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students 3,023
Men 46.0% Women 54.0%
4,065
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 44.6% 35.6%
International students 12.6% 12.9%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,551 2,800
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Colorado Oregon Texas California Washington Oregon Texas Hawaii

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.9% 75.6%
Dropout rate 9.0% 7.8%
Transferred out N/A 16.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $125,643
  • Year 2: $128,588
  • Year 3: $140,820
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,523
  • Year 2: $103,449
  • Year 3: $131,051
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $125,788
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $129,018
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,729
  • Year 2: $68,379
  • Year 3: $100,639
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,066
  • Year 2: $86,424
  • Year 3: $96,312
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,547
  • Year 2: $74,576
  • Year 3: $94,288
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $86,424
  • Year 3: $93,193
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,821
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $90,013
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $79,473
  • Year 3: $88,047
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,828
  • Year 2: $69,740
  • Year 3: $87,254
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $154,879
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $161,396
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $103,844
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $130,019
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,274
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $127,016
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,668
  • Year 2: $100,292
  • Year 3: $112,643
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,719
  • Year 2: $96,866
  • Year 3: $106,157
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $105,769
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $103,513
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,025
  • Year 2: $79,284
  • Year 3: $95,947
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,019
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $85,917
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,064
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $78,626

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