Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA · founded 1851 · 9,000 students · religious · West Coast Conference (WCC)

Known for: Santa Clara University is California's oldest operating institution of higher learning, a distinguished Jesuit Catholic university located in Silicon Valley, renowned for its top-ranked business school and its focus on ethics, social justice, and innovation.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #60
QS World: #851
Times Higher Education: #601
Forbes: #112

Top programmes

Business (Leavey School)
Engineering
Law
Computer Science
Psychology
Communications

Notable alumni

Janet Napolitano — Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, President of the University of California
Steve Nash — NBA MVP, basketball Hall of Famer
Diana Doyle — First woman to command a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Brandi Chastain — Two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist
John L. Hennessy — President Emeritus of Stanford University, Turing Award winner
Mike Markkula — Early investor and second CEO of Apple Inc.
Leon Panetta — Former U.S. Secretary of Defense, CIA Director
Julie Snyder — Emmy Award-winning television producer

Traditions

The President's Dinner
Mission Santa Clara de Asís (located on campus)
Bronco Bench Foundation (athletic support)
Senior Night at the Mission

If Santa Clara University were…

As a food: Mission-style burrito — Humble California roots wrapped around serious substance, locally beloved, built on immigrant Jesuit tradition but thoroughly Bay Area in execution. Accessible, filling, and unpretentious—but if you know, you know the qu
As an athlete: Steve Nash — Santa Clara alum and two-time NBA MVP who combined scrappy intelligence with collaborative play and a strong moral compass. Undersized but overachieving, team-first, and beloved for making everyone around him better—pure
As a person alive today: Gavin Newsom — Santa Clara grad who embodies the Bay Area's blend of progressive politics, entrepreneurial swagger, and Catholic-school polish. Ambitious, service-minded rhetoric meets Silicon Valley pragmatism—sometimes more style tha
As a historical figure: Junípero Serra — The Franciscan missionary who founded California's mission system, including Mission Santa Clara on which the university sits. Complex legacy of faith, colonization, and institution-building mirrors the school's ongoing
As a movie or TV show: The Social Network — Set in the Bay Area's startup crucible where ethics, ambition, and innovation collide—exactly the tension Santa Clara students navigate daily. Jesuit education meets Silicon Valley hustle, questioning what you build and
As a US president: Jimmy Carter — Deeply religious, service-oriented, and committed to human rights and social justice over raw power. Underestimated by elites, more substance than flash, built a post-presidency legacy of hands-on community work—the Jesu
As a city: Dublin — A mid-sized city punching above its weight in tech (European Google HQ), historically Catholic, friendly and collaborative rather than cutthroat, overshadowed by flashier neighbors but producing serious talent. Literary
As an element: Silicon — Literally the element that named the valley surrounding campus—abundant, foundational to all modern technology, and essential but often invisible. Santa Clara sits at the geographic and philosophical heart of the semicon
As a car: Tesla Model Y — Silicon Valley-adjacent Jesuit school churning out socially conscious tech entrepreneurs and engineers who want to do well by doing good. Practical electric crossover with Bay Area roots, priced for the upper-middle clas

Campus life

Campus life blends a beautiful, mission-style campus with the energy and opportunities of Silicon Valley. There is a strong emphasis on community service, social justice, and entrepreneurship. The social scene includes a mix of campus events, outdoor activities, and access to San Francisco and the coast.