Record Number of Applicants for the Class of 2027

Santa Clara’s acceptance rate more competitive after the Admissions Department received influx of promising applications

Santa Clara received a record high of 18,800 applications this year, a 13% increase from last year. Most admissions decisions have been sent out to the prospective class of 2027.

“More applications means it's more difficult to make admission offers because we do have capacity challenges,” said Becky Konowicz, the Dean of Undergraduate Admission. “We are residential and offer smaller class sizes, so balancing that results in not being able to offer as many acceptances despite a larger pool. So our acceptance rate last year was 54% and this year it was 42%.”

There was also an increase in applicants applying using the Early Action track and in those completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

“The Early Action track has a November 1 deadline, so many applicants found us earlier and were attracted to Santa Clara earlier,” Konowicz said. “The increase in applications signals that future students are interested and aware of all the great opportunities at Santa Clara.” 

Konowicz also said that the application pool shared an average unweighted GPA of 3.8 and showed extensive experience in and devotion to their work and talents in extracurricular activities.  

“There was a slight increase in the average GPA,” she said. “But GPA means all kinds of things across the vast number of high schools that students earn those grades in.” 

Although Santa Clara does not require applicants to report their SAT or ACT scores, about 52%of applicants submitted their scores.

Applicants additionally reported more elective and community involvement, which holds significant weight in determining whether an applicant is a good fit for Santa Clara.

“Coming back from COVID-19, students were able to have more robust extracurricular experiences,” she said. “The students were able to take advantage of the in-person learning. We thrive best when we're in person, and I think we saw that in our applicant pool as well.” 

Many of the newly admitted students demonstrated interest in and commitment to Santa Clara’s Jesuit academic tradition, which highlights social justice and ethics. 

“Many of the applicants who were offered admission see that when they come to this campus they will be respected and find community,” Konowicz said. “The impact of the increased applications–with the very few that we could offer admission–is that they're going to make great teammates and classmates and keep good energy and good involvement on campus.”

Transfer applicants have until April 15 to submit their applications, so the exact number of prospective transfer students is not known. 

“I think a lot will happen in the next week or so as we head towards April 15,” she said. 

Prospective first-year students have until May 1 to confirm their enrollment decision, prior to which they will be able to attend Preview Day on April 15 and participate in virtual activities offered on Bronco Exchange. 

“A lot of the admission process is about fit,” said Konowicz. “Students may ask themselves: can I imagine myself here? Is this the community, the set of values, the peers and faculty and staff that I want to join? Coming to Santa Clara and making connections with current students, seeing the opportunities to engage with faculty, and the opportunities to find community before they enroll really helps solidify their choice.”