USF vs. SCU vs. BU vs. NYU

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.
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University of San Francisco vs. Santa Clara University vs. Boston University vs. New York University comparison
University of San Francisco Santa Clara University Boston University New York University
University of San Francisco Santa Clara University Boston University New York University
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Overview

 USF SCU BU NYU
Location San Francisco, CA Santa Clara, CA Boston, MA New York, NY
Setting Large City Midsize City Large City Large City
Enrollment 9,212 9,340 36,624 57,335
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #116 #54 #77 #39
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website usfca.edu scu.edu bu.edu nyu.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 USF SCU BU NYU
Tuition (In State) $57,670 $58,587 $63,798 $60,438
Tuition (Out of State) $57,670 $58,587 $63,798 $60,438
Room & Board $17,300 $18,984 $18,110 $22,786
Avg Net Price $44,104 $49,651 $27,551 $30,730
Avg Grant Aid $32,492 $28,375 $55,080 $48,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 73% 50% 41%

Admission

 USF SCU BU NYU
Applied 25,709 18,843 80,495 113,578
Admitted 13,052 8,261 8,733 10,693
Acceptance Rate 50.8% 43.8% 10.8% 13.3%
Enrolled % 8.6% 18.8% 36% 66.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.67 3.79 3.79
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Low Low Very High Extreme
ACT Range 26/31 30/33 32/34 33/35
SAT Range 1210/1390 1340/1500 1400/1520 1480/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 7, 2026 Jan 4, 2026

Academics

 USF SCU BU NYU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1 10:1 8:1
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%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Business (32%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (30%)
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (17%)
  • Communication (14%)

Outcomes

 USF SCU BU NYU
Graduation Rate 70% 85% 85% 86%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,400 $81,900 $72,000 $76,000
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 84% 82% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $21,500 $27,000 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $258 $222 $279 $240

Diversity

 USF SCU BU NYU
% Men 13% 15% 21% 20%
% Women 24% 18% 28% 28%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 27% 49% 43% 34%
% Black 3% 3% 4% 5%
% Hispanic 19% 17% 11% 12%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7% 4% 4%
% International 19% 3% 20% 17%
% Unknown Race 2% 4% 5% 8%

Students

 USF SCU BU NYU
% In-State 58% 50% 14% 23%
% Out-of-State 32% 40% 61% 50%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Santa Clara University is larger than than USF based on total student enrollment (9,340 students vs. 9,212 students)

USF vs. SCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USF or SCU?

  • Santa Clara University is 1.6% more expensive to attend than USF for in-state tuition ($58,587.00 vs. $57,670.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.6% higher at SCU than University of San Francisco ($58,587.00 vs. $57,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of San Francisco than SCU ($44,104 vs. $49,651)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of San Francisco are 9.7% lower than costs at Santa Clara University ($17,300 vs. $18,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of San Francisco than Santa Clara University (97% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of San Francisco students is 14.5% larger than aid received Santa Clara University ($32,492 vs. $28,375)

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 (50.8%) than SCU (43.8%)

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/