For the 2024 application year, Santa Clara University has an overall acceptance rate of 47.99%, with 18,970 applicants and 9,105 accepted students. Regular Decision (RD) also shows the same acceptance rate of 47.99%. Transfer students experience a higher acceptance rate of 52.3% this year, accepting 579 out of 1,106 applicants, indicating a strong interest in transfer admissions. The waitlist acceptance rate stands at 3.36%, with 5,871 students offered a spot and only 197 admitted. SAT scores for admitted students range from a 25th percentile of 1360 to a 75th percentile of 1480, while the average GPA is 3.72. Historical acceptance rates have fluctuated, with a high of 54.0% in 2021 and a low of 43.85% in 2023.

Santa Clara University’s overall acceptance rate for the application year 2024 is 47.99%, with 9,105 students accepted from 18,970 applicants. This marks an increase from 43.85% in 2023, when 8,261 of 18,843 applicants were accepted. In the preceding years, acceptance rates fluctuated, with a high of 54.0% in 2021 and a low of 43.85% in 2023. The trend indicates a competitive admissions landscape, with increasing applicant numbers contributing to varying acceptance rates, notably from 52.1% in 2022 to 50.7% in 2020, demonstrating the evolving dynamics of admissions at the university.
Santa Clara University's wait list acceptance rate for the application year 2024 is 3.36%, with 197 students admitted out of 5,871 offered places. This represents a significant decrease from the previous year (2023), which had a higher acceptance rate of 7.37%, with 367 out of 4,978 waitlisted students accepted. In contrast, the acceptance rate was extremely low at 0.2% for the application year 2022, admitting only 8 students from 4,009 offers. Historical trends show fluctuations, with a peak acceptance rate of 14.92% in 2020 when 410 were accepted from 2,749 offered.
Santa Clara University's transfer acceptance rate for the application year 2024 stands at 52.3%, with 579 of 1,106 applicants admitted. This represents a decline from the previous year's rate of 60.5%, where 622 out of 1,027 applicants were accepted. Historical data shows fluctuations in acceptance rates, with a high of 67.3% in 2021 and a low of 44.9% in 2022. The average GPA of accepted transfer students is 3.72, indicating that the competition remains robust despite the decrease in acceptance rate.
| Race | Applicants |
|---|---|
| Asian American | 22.14% |
| White | 36.54% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 21.09% |
| Black/African American | 51.92% |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 0.12% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.06% |
| Two or More Non-Hispanic Races | 9.12% |
| Nonresident Alien | 6.89% |
| Race and Ethnicity Unknown | 2.11% |