A palpable energy fills campus this fall as Santa Clara University steps into a new chapter. A new class of talented undergraduate and graduate students has joined the Bronco family, bringing unique perspectives, impressive academic accomplishments, and a shared dedication to building a more humane, just, and sustainable world. From notable national ranking milestones to pioneering additions to academic programs, the Santa Clara community continues to set new standards for excellence, innovation, and Jesuit values in action.
Marking its second consecutive year of national upward momentum, Santa Clara University climbed four spots to No. 55 overall among national universities in the latest “U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges” rankings. The University is also No. 34 among private national institutions. Reflecting our deep commitment to personal mentorship, academic rigor, and a superb student experience, the University climbed four positions to No. 19 nationally for Undergraduate Teaching Programs.
The U.S. News results join a strong year of national recognition. TIME named Santa Clara No. 29 nationally in its inaugural America’s Best Colleges rankings, placing the University in the top 10% of schools evaluated, along with recognition as the No. 2 Jesuit university, No. 3 Catholic university, and No. 6 school in the Western U.S. Forbes ranked Santa Clara No. 61 among national private universities by Forbes, and rated it top tier for 20-year return on investment.
‟These rankings reflect what our faculty, staff, and students embody and foster on campus every day: a commitment to a rigorous, values-driven education rooted in our Jesuit mission, paired with a student experience immersed in Silicon Valley, the innovation capital of the world,” said President Julie Sullivan. “We’re especially proud of our gains in teaching, social mobility, and value, and across multiple programs, including our top 10 ranking in entrepreneurship.”
Santa Clara’s performance in this year’s rankings showcases significant strides across key areas that define a modern, transformative education:
The momentum extends across campus. The School of Law welcomed 285 new JD students this fall, up 11 percent from the year prior, while also increasing selectivity. The incoming class posted a median LSAT score of 161, the highest in the School of Law’s history.
“Our faculty are experts in their fields and educators dedicated to teaching and mentoring students, one relationship at a time,” said James M. Glaser, provost and executive vice president. “Seeing that commitment recognized nationally, alongside our momentum in value and social mobility, speaks to a foundational element of a Santa Clara education.”
Advancing this commitment to instructional excellence, the newly established Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning is poised to support and empower faculty to navigate modern pedagogical challenges and opportunities while preparing students to thrive in an ever-changing professional landscape.
Students arriving at Santa Clara this year are walking into a campus in motion.
This spring, the University launched the Cunningham Shoquist Center for Applied AI and Human Potential, a hub pairing technical AI research with ethics and hands-on industry partnership. The center gives students the chance to work on real problems brought by Silicon Valley companies, from healthcare and transportation safety to education, while considering the society-altering questions this new technology raises through a human-centered perspective.
And in May, the University announced the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine in partnership with Sutter Health. Made possible by a $175 million naming gift from the couple, it will be the first new medical school in the Bay Area in more than a century, and a bold expansion of Santa Clara’s mission into health care and medical training.
In recent rankings, Santa Clara’s undergraduate business program climbed to No. 58 nationally, with several Leavey School of Business programs advancing:
Taken together, the picture is of a university leaning into the questions the moment demands: how technology should serve people, how health care should reach communities, how a rigorous education can stay within reach of all families.
Santa Clara has been asking versions of those questions since 1851. What is different now is the scale of the answer.
