Quad

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Finance, General (14% of graduates). 11 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 68% of colleges. 72% of faculty are full-time. Spends $22,421 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

1,601 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 41% of graduates; 45 programs in 20 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Finance, General 52.080114% 226
    Graduates in this field earn $118,737 4 years out
  2. Mathematics and Computer Science 30.08017.4% 119
    Graduates in this field earn $147,013 4 years out
  3. Speech Communication and Rhetoric 09.01016.4% 103
    Graduates in this field earn $84,206 4 years out
  4. Psychology, General 42.01016.4% 102
    Graduates in this field earn $75,742 4 years out
  5. Marketing/Marketing Management, General 52.14016.3% 101
    Graduates in this field earn $104,723 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Interdisciplinary studies, 1.1% → 7.4% of graduates since 2014–15 (119 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Engineering$163,765 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $103,804

    4 years after completion$163,765
    National median: $109,015Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $164,452 · Non-Pell: $149,806(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $24,833 · 166 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Management Information Systems and Services$153,926 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $93,042

    4 years after completion$153,926
    National median: $83,290Above typical

    Median federal debt: $19,995 · 73 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Mathematics and Computer Science$147,013 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $91,851

    4 years after completion$147,013
    National median: $118,943Above typical

    Median federal debt: $21,500 · 210 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Accounting and Related Services$130,087 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $78,417

    4 years after completion$130,087
    National median: $76,194Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $102,445 · Non-Pell: $102,080(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $18,625 · 151 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Mechanical Engineering$122,111 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $81,865

    4 years after completion$122,111
    National median: $92,135Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $105,360(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $19,000 · 88 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college11 to 1
11 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 68% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 11 to 1 in its Common Data Set (7,504 students, 707 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

42%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 1% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–912410%
10–1940732%
20–2941533%
30–3926921%
40–49363%
50–99101%
100+00%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Double major
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Student-designed major
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty72%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$132,554

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$22,421
$22,421
← Lessmore than 89% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$182,971
$182,971
← Lessmore than 86% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Santa Clara University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)