SCU vs. Stanford

Should I go to Santa Clara University or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if SCU or Stanford is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Harvard Loyola Marymount Caltech MIT UC Berkeley UCLA Duke USC Yale Princeton Pomona USD
Santa Clara University vs. Stanford University comparison
Santa Clara University Stanford University College 3 College 4
Santa Clara University Stanford University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

SCU Stanford
Location Santa Clara, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 9,178 18,283
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #62 #2
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website scu.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

SCU Stanford
Tuition (In State) $56,880 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $56,880 $57,693
Room & Board $17,112 $18,619
Avg Net Price $50,551 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $25,295 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 53%

Admission

SCU Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,650 56,378
Admitted 8,677 2,075
Acceptance Rate 52.1% 3.7%
Enrolled % 18.9% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.67 3.96
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/33 33/35
SAT Range 1290/1480 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 7, 2024 Jan 2, 2024

Academics

SCU Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

SCU Stanford
Graduation Rate 85% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $81,900 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $222 $128

Diversity

SCU Stanford
% Men 50% 53%
% Women 50% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 49% 37%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 17% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 10%
% International 3% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

SCU Stanford
% In-State 50% 35%
% Out-of-State 40% 48%

Campus

SCU Stanford
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Stanford University is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (18,283 students vs. 9,178 students)

SCU vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SCU or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 1.4% more expensive to attend than SCU for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $56,880.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.4% higher at Stanford than Santa Clara University ($57,693.00 vs. $56,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than SCU ($18,279 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Santa Clara University are 8.8% lower than costs at Stanford University ($17,112 vs. $18,619)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Santa Clara University than Stanford University (72% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 139.6% larger than aid received Santa Clara University ($60,619 vs. $25,295)

SCU vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, SCU or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or SCU .

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 166 points higher than at SCU (1313)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at SCU (30)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at SCU (3.67)
  • SCU has a higher acceptance rate (52.1%) than Stanford (3.7%)

SCU vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SCU or Stanford? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Stanford and SCU.

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than Santa Clara University (96% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $41,000 more per year than SCU graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $81,900)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $9,025 lower median federal student loan debt than SCU graduates. ($12,475 vs. $21,500)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $94 less per month on federal student loans than SCU graduates. ($128 vs. $222)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SCU students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 84%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/