Santa Clara is a selective midsized California university now drawing increased national attention. Gorgeous Silicon Valley campus is within easy reach of San Francisco, and the large endowment also contributes to an air of prosperity. A well-developed core curriculum keeps students focused on basic academic and other values. Offers engineering and business in addition to the liberal arts.

Steeped in history and tradition, Santa Clara University was founded by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1851 with a mission that emphasizes a commitment to academics and the community. The class schedule is based on 10-week quarters, classes stay small and intimate, and the curriculum focuses on an expanding global society. “Santa Clara’s personality is warm, friendly, inquisitive, and passionate about social justice,” says a marketing major. Add to that the infinite opportunities for networking and internships in Silicon Valley, and Santa Clara offers a well-rounded educational experience that is tough to beat.

SCU’s old-world charm includes 106 acres complete with lush green lawns, palm trees, and luscious rose gardens, accented by authentic Spanish architecture. The Mission Gardens, replete with olive trees, are a beautiful escape from the pressures of school. The famous classic mission church was rebuilt in 1926 in the design of the six previous churches that were destroyed by seemingly biblical disasters ranging from fires to floods. Newer facilities include the Dowd Art and Art History Building and the 366-bed Finn Residence Hall.

The Core Curriculum is designed to express the school’s “most basic values.” It prescribes courses in three broad categories-Knowledge, Habits of Mind and Heart (skills), and Engagement with the World. The Core Pathways program supplements the major and core curriculum by offering 24 sets of courses with innovative common themes across disciplines, such as design, hunger and poverty, justice and the arts, and values in science and technology; students choose one Pathway and complete three or four courses. It culminates in an integrative Pathway Reflection Essay. All first-year students are members of a Residential Learning Community (RLC) and take two-quarter sequences of Critical Thinking & Writing and Cultures & Ideas linked to their RLC. Students must complete a requirement that involves community service, and most majors require a capstone experience or senior project.

In addition to liberal arts, Santa Clara offers preprofessional programs in engineering and business. Engineering students can opt for a dual-degree program that allows them to get a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The Leavey School of Business is renowned along the West Coast, with finance, economics, and marketing all strong. In the College of Arts and Sciences, communication and psychology remain popular. Other notable majors include environmental science, environmental studies, public health science, bioengineering, and computer science and engineering.

While courses are challenging, students say the quarter system gives them more control over the intensity of their workload. “Every 10 weeks you can change your workload to something that fits best for you,” explains a public health science major. Small classes-45 percent enroll fewer than 20 students-taught by full professors allow plenty of time for one-on-one interaction. Students in all fields opt to engage in research supervised by a faculty member, much of it subsidized by grants. “It’s very easy to get research or TA positions,” says an economics major. “If you want to be a big fish in a small pond, SCU is a great choice.”

For students looking for more of a challenge, the honors program places 65 to 70 selected freshmen in seminar-style classes, and an endowed scholarship sponsors one student’s junior year at Mansfield College, Oxford University. The LEAD (Leadership, Excellence, and Academic Development) Scholars Program invites students whose parents did not attend college to join a small community of peers who work closely with faculty and staff to cultivate leadership skills. The study abroad program is extensive, with options in 42 countries on every continent except Antarctica, and about a quarter of undergrads study internationally during their four years. Those seeking professional experience find ample assistance at the Career Center, which offers mock interviews, résumé edits, cover letter help, goal-setting, and more. “I cannot stress enough how much of a perk Silicon Valley is for going to SCU,” enthuses a sophomore. “Internship opportunities are endless.”

According to a psychology major, Santa Clara students are “very driven and ‘go, go, go’ all the time.” Thirty-eight percent of undergraduates are Roman Catholic, and religion, while not intrusive, is a force in many aspects of campus life. The campus ministry provides counseling and opportunities for spiritual development, and many students are active in local volunteer organizations. Fifty-nine percent of undergraduates hail from California, 3 percent come from foreign countries, and the rest are from 48 states. The student body on this liberal campus is almost evenly split between public school graduates and alumni of religiously affiliated or other private schools. Eighteen percent of the students are Asian American, 3 percent are African American, 18 percent are Hispanic, and 8 percent are multiracial, but socioeconomically, the school is much less diverse. “Our school is quite posh,” concedes an accounting major. “Being located in the heart of Silicon Valley, there is a lot of luxury.” Merit-based academic awards averaging $17,000 and nearly 200 athletic scholarships are available to those who qualify. The Johnson Scholars Program rewards up to 10 outstanding incoming students with four-year, full-tuition scholarships and special opportunities to develop leadership skills.

Almost all freshmen and sophomores live on campus before packing up and heading for shared houses or apartments for the last two years; 58 percent of all undergrads reside in campus housing. All first-year students, including commuters, participate in one of the nine Residential Learning Communities, living in themed dorms and taking courses with students who share similar academic or social interests. The campus offers one central dining hall. “Everything is made fresh,” says an environmental science major, “and we have a killer salad bar for those who like their veggies.” Students report that the university’s handling of recent sexual assault cases has been controversial. “In regards to the process of conduct hearings for perpetrators, SCU has seriously dropped the ball,” says a student.

Santa Clara ended its support of fraternities and sororities, but Greek organizations and a lively off-campus party scene persist, albeit independently. On-campus social life is led by the nearly 200 student organizations that coordinate events, making it “easy to join in on the fun,” says a senior. The Bronco is a sports and recreation area where students can hang out, play billiards, and enjoy a late-night meal. Fall Concert, the Global Village celebration, the Gonzaga basketball game, and the Love Jones talent show are favorite annual events. The town of Santa Clara is mostly residential. For those who want to bask in the sun, Santa Cruz is only 20 miles away. San Francisco lies within 45 minutes, and other short road trips include Napa Valley, Monterey, and Palo Alto.

The Santa Clara Broncos compete in Division I; men’s and women’s soccer and basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis, and baseball are among the more successful programs. Fourteen intramural and 17 club sports draw the enthusiastic participation of a third of the undergraduates. “Every patch of grass usually has someone either chucking a Frisbee or kicking a ball around,” says a political science major.

Santa Clara University is a warm place in every sense of the word. The physical setting is comfortable and scenic. More important, the SCU community gives meaning to the traditional Jesuit ideals of infusing morality and ethics into strong and coherent academics. Students say they are reminded of all this daily by their school’s nickname: “Claradise.”

-Fiske Guide