Santa Clara University welcomed more than 1800 new undergraduate students to campus this weekend with festivities that included an after-dark dance party, welcome liturgy, and official affinity group receptions for students of different backgrounds and cultures.

The class of 2028 is the second-largest class in SCU history, comprising 1,612 Broncos from 46 states and 30 countries or regions across the world. The 212 students joining as transfers come from 140 other institutions, including 60 community colleges.

“You are talented, you are kind, and you have diverse perspectives and lived experiences,” said President Julie Sullivan in kicking off Welcome Weekend. “We are all a reflection of our own lived experiences. You can’t broaden your perspectives without learning more about the lived experiences of others.”

Who is the Class of 2028?

Santa Clara’s newest Broncos come to SCU with an academically strong profile with an average 3.7 unweighted GPA supported by rigorous coursework. The top five expressed majors of interest are computer science & engineering, finance, psychology, biology, and marketing. Forty-six percent will study in the College of Arts and Sciences, thirty-one percent in the Leavey School of Business, and twenty-three percent in the School of Engineering.

Other notable characteristics:

• The class was selected from the largest-ever pool of applicants, 18,940
• The highest-ever percentage of first-generation students, at 18%
• The highest percentage of students eligible for federal Pell Grants, at 17%
• The highest percentage of Latiné/x students in a first-year class, at 21%
• 54% identify as persons of color
• 7% are international
• 230 students, the largest cohort yet, will join SCU as LEAD Scholars, a program for students who are the first in their families to attend four-year institutions.

“Santa Clara University aspires to build a vibrant and engaged campus that is welcoming to talented students from all backgrounds,” said Eva Blanco Masias, vice president for enrollment management. “We are so proud that our Class of 2028 is highly diverse in its socioeconomic, racial, and cultural makeup and strong in its academic excellence and commitment to values like sustainability, social justice, and the betterment of humanity.”

Hispanic-Serving Institution

The strong increases in historically underserved students reflect Santa Clara’s commitment and efforts to expand access and ensure success for all talented students who aspire to attend Santa Clara. As part of that vision, Santa Clara University has committed to a goal of becoming a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, defined as institutions where at least 25% of enrolled undergraduate students are Hispanic. With more than half of California public K-12 students being Hispanic and 21% of college students nationwide, the record 21% Latiné/x students in the Class of 2028 is a testament to the strong draw of Santa Clara University’s values and rigor to this student population.

Headwinds from Supreme Court, FAFSA

This was the first admitted class following last year’s Supreme Court ruling banning the deliberate consideration of race in admissions. This year also featured unusual complexity and delays in federal FAFSA financial-aid calculations.

One likely consequence of such headwinds was the percentage of the Class of 2028 identifying as Black decreased to 3.7% from last year’s 7.5%. In recent years, the University has shown gains in enrollment levels for this important student demographic and is committed to continuing to increase its outreach and engagement with historically underrepresented groups in light of the changes this year.

“Our University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion strengthens and drives our recruitment efforts, ensuring students from all backgrounds see Santa Clara as a place of opportunity and belonging,” said Blanco Masias. “We are confident that our various recruitment efforts will help us grow the number of applicants from all communities and call on our entire campus community to join us in this vital work.”

Outreach and Recruitment Efforts

Such outreach efforts have included creating a path for historically underserved students by:

• Co-launching the CA Private College is Possible initiative, which provides students, families, and counselors with valuable information they need when applying to independent California colleges and universities.
• Partnering with the Posse Foundation to offer full-tuition scholarships to select student leaders of diverse backgrounds in/from the Los Angeles area
• Joining the 130+-member American Talent Initiative, which collectively aims to enroll 50,000 additional talented low- and moderate-income students at colleges and universities with strong graduation rates by 2025.
• Expanding our community-college Transfer Admission Agreements to include guaranteed admission to all three undergraduate schools of SCU for eligible students from 43 community colleges.

Financial Support: SCU’s New Promise

The University also continues its focus on financial support. At this year’s Convocation, President Sullivan announced that beginning with the Class of 2029, Santa Clara will meet the full demonstrated financial need for incoming first-year students who are eligible for Cal Grants and for those admitted from the 40 Cristo Rey Network high schools nationwide. This change is part of SCU’s newly created California Promise and Cristo Rey Promise financial aid commitment.

“This is a tremendous effort to help more low- and middle-income families make our Santa Clara Jesuit education possible,” said Sullivan.

Santa Clara recently concluded its largest $1 billion Innovating with a Mission comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised $280 million for scholarships. In its most recent Impact 2030 strategic plan, SCU has committed to raising another $500 million for scholarships.

About Santa Clara University

Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. For more information see www.scu.edu.

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