USF vs. SCU

Should I go to University of San Francisco or Santa Clara University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USF or SCU 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. 

San Francisco State Loyola Marymount USD Oxy UCSC Pepperdine UC Davis SMU Chapman San Jose State Cal Poly UCSB
University of San Francisco vs. Santa Clara University comparison
University of San Francisco Santa Clara University College 3 College 4
University of San Francisco Santa Clara University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

USF SCU
Location San Francisco, CA Santa Clara, CA
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 9,688 9,178
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #137 #62
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usfca.edu scu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USF SCU
Tuition (In State) $54,980 $56,880
Tuition (Out of State) $54,980 $56,880
Room & Board $16,550 $17,112
Avg Net Price $42,953 $50,551
Avg Grant Aid $30,916 $25,295
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 72%

Admission

USF SCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,103 16,650
Admitted 16,444 8,677
Acceptance Rate 71.2% 52.1%
Enrolled % 9.5% 18.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/31 29/33
SAT Range 1210/1410 1290/1480
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 15, 2024 Jan 7, 2024

Academics

USF SCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (33%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

USF SCU
Graduation Rate 70% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,400 $81,900
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $222

Diversity

USF SCU
% Men 35% 50%
% Women 65% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 49%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 19% 17%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 19% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 4%

Students

USF SCU
% In-State 55% 50%
% Out-of-State 34% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of San Francisco is larger than than SCU based on total student enrollment (9,688 students vs. 9,178 students)

USF vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USF or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 3.5% more expensive to attend than USF for in-state tuition ($56,880.00 vs. $54,980.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.5% higher at SCU than University of San Francisco ($56,880.00 vs. $54,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of San Francisco than SCU ($42,953 vs. $50,551)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 3.4% lower than costs at Santa Clara University ($16,550 vs. $17,112)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than Santa Clara University (96% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 22.2% larger than aid received Santa Clara University ($30,916 vs. $25,295)

USF vs. SCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Santa Clara University (1313) is 141 points higher than at USF (1172)
  • Incoming SCU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at USF (26)
  • Accepted freshman SCU students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at USF (3.57)
  • USF has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than SCU (52.1%)

USF vs. SCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USF or SCU? 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 SCU and USF.

  • The graduation rate at SCU is higher than University of San Francisco (85% vs. 70%)
  • Graduates from Santa Clara University earn on average $11,500 more per year than USF graduates after ten years. ($81,900 vs. $70,400)
  • Santa Clara University students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than USF graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,000)
  • SCU graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than USF graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
  • More SCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 73%)

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