Santa Clara University

09/01/2026

Santa Clara University ranked No. 29 nationally in TIME and Statista's inaugural America's Best Colleges list, and No. 2 among the 27 Jesuit universities in the United States.

Part of what makes that possible: an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with classes small enough that professors know students by name.

The ranking weighs student outcomes, like graduation rates and earnings after graduation, more heavily than any other factor, based on federal data rather than reputation surveys.

We're proud of what this says about our students, alumni, faculty and community. ❤️

Full ranking details in the comments.

08/31/2026

As a math-loving undergraduate at Santa Clara University, Kyle Pietrzyk ’16, M.S. ’18 wasn’t just sitting in lectures. He was working alongside Professor On Shun Pak, learning to formulate original research questions and tackling problems no one had solved before.

That mentorship shaped everything that followed. Today, Kyle's research is helping scientists build longer-lasting batteries and clean up chemical pollutants in soil. This fall, he joins Princeton as an assistant professor.

"It's very rare. It's very unique. It's very special," Kyle says of his experience at Santa Clara. "In academia, it can be hard to find people who are willing to give you their time, and the further I go, the more you realize how special it was."

Progress needs people like Kyle, and mentors who challenge them early.

Watch Kyle's journey at Santa Clara University's School of Engineering.

08/30/2026

How far can a $230 budget and creative grit take a college student?

For Evan Fine ’25, it was enough to write, direct, edit, and score an award-winning sci-fi horror film that screened at 14 festivals in San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Ireland, and Scotland.

A music and political science double major with no prior filmmaking experience, Evan transformed ordinary campus spots, like a Bergin Hall stairwell and a hidden room in Varsi Hall, into cinema sets. Guided by faculty mentors Michele Sieglitz and Anthony Rivera, he taught himself every stage of production, from scriptwriting and cinematography to color-grading.

Evan chose Santa Clara believing it would offer the freedom to explore across disciplines, a vision that fully paid off. Beyond making two films as an undergraduate, he performed violin recitals, competed in mock trial, and served in student government. Next up? He's heading to Stanford Law School this fall to specialize in space law.

Read more about how Santa Clara helped Evan pursue all of his passions: https://go.scu.edu/45UUJBm

Now, he’s headed to Stanford Law to pursue space law.

08/28/2026

From her time conducting archival research in Florence, Italy, to her work with young people in San Jose, ethnic studies professor Jesica Siham Fernández brings a global perspective to creating local impact.

As a Fulbright-Schuman fellow, Fernández studied youth sociopolitical development and European Union discourses surrounding economic, migrant, and environmental issues.

Today, she brings those questions into her Santa Clara University classroom. Many of her students join her research initiatives, including the Youth for Justice Project (YJP), an afterschool program in San Jose where they collaborate to create curricula and lesson plans for middle school students.

Her commitment to youth is also personal. Fernández’s own experiences witnessing social and economic injustices shaped her early desire to understand the world around her. That search continues to inspire her research, teaching, and work alongside young people.

Read Professor Fernández’s full “Five Questions” interview:

An associate professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies, Fernandez describes her desire to create spaces and opportunities where youth voices can be heard and valued.

08/27/2026

Smashed mugwort, hand-carved linocuts, and 10,000 years of Bay Area history.

This summer at the fourth annual Ohlone Culture Camp, Muwekma Ohlone youth spent an afternoon in Santa Clara University's Forge Garden foraging native plants —mugwort, elderberry, white sage— grinding them into custom inks, and carving prints rooted in their community's ancestral stories.

The Muwekma Ohlone tribe traces their ancestry through several Spanish missions, including Mission Santa Clara de Asís, around which Santa Clara University was built in 1851. The camp is part of a decade-long partnership between the University and the tribe that has grown to include a redesigned Ohlone history exhibit at the de Saisset Museum, an annual Powwow, and a campus-wide augmented reality tour highlighting Indigenous sites.

Isabella Gomez '27 created a print of Hummingbird, a central figure in the Ohlone creation story, honoring the matriarchal lineage of the tribal community. Sixteen-year-old camper Lucas Arellano crafted a Big Head dancer singing prayers to the Great Spirit, a piece made more meaningful, he said, because his aunt Rosemary helped him with it. Two tribal elders joined the youth throughout the day, carrying forward cultural traditions from decades-past campouts.

English professor Amy Lueck, who helped launch the camp in 2023, and printmaking lecturer Kathryn Kain guided the group through the University's linocut press as they pulled their first prints.

See the prints the youth created and hear from them in their own words. Link in comments.

08/27/2026

Santa Clara University has appointed veteran PBS NewsHour special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro as its inaugural Journalist in Residence, beginning Sept. 1, 2026. The University will also become the new home of the acclaimed Under-Told Stories Project.

Joining the Santa Clara University College of Arts and Sciences Department of Communication, de Sam Lazaro brings four decades of journalism experience, with reporting from more than 70 countries.

At Santa Clara, he will guest lecture in journalism and digital storytelling classes, lead hands-on reporting workshops, collaborate with the Miller Center for Global Impact, and mentor students in the journalism program.

Keep reading to learn more about Fred de Sam Lazaro and his new role: https://go.scu.edu/3SAeZVD

08/24/2026

This Santa Clara University English class is ditching AI for ink, paper, and a 1,000-pound Chandler & Price platen press from 1917.

In the course “Letterpress Composition: Writing with Heavy Metal,” taught by Department Chair Kirstyn Leuner, students step away from digital noise and into a collaborative, tech-free sanctuary. Because these historical presses don't connect to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the campus letterpress studio is a unique space where students slow down, learn traditional craftsmanship, and build deep, real-world connections.

🔗 Read Professor Leuner's full reflection on how Santa Clara is redefining the future of writing in a digital age: https://go.scu.edu/4wJXBvz

📸 Photo courtesy of SCU Letterpress

08/23/2026

That feeling when campus feels like home. 🥹❤️

Good news: less than 30 days until move-in weekend. 👀

08/22/2026

Co-authoring an artificial intelligence research paper with eBay.

Presenting at major tech conferences.

Placing second in an NVIDIA Hackathon.

These are the real-world achievements our students unlock by working side-by-side with world-class faculty like computer science and engineering professor Yuhong Liu.

Instead of teaching solely from a textbook, Professor Liu brings her students directly into her trusted computing lab to help solve critical challenges, from designing transparent AI systems to ensuring autonomous vehicles operate safely alongside humans. Her dedicated mentorship has helped first-year students secure prestigious Clare Boothe Luce Scholar Awards, publish conference papers, and confidently launch their careers in tech.

🔗 Read Professor Liu's full "Five Questions" interview to discover how Santa Clara University connects academic excellence with the common good: https://go.scu.edu/3LvN8CH

08/21/2026

When a torn ACL sidelined Laura Hollison '20 during a dance rehearsal at Santa Clara, she turned a major personal setback into her professional calling. Today, she combines her love of science and dance as an orthopedic physical therapy resident at Kaiser Permanente, following a dream clinical rotation caring for elite performers on Broadway.

During that rotation, Laura worked backstage on MJ the Musical, The Lion King, and Ragtime, helping cast members navigate intense physical schedules.

At Santa Clara, she double-majored in biology and theatre arts with a dance emphasis, minored in public health science, and founded the University's chapter of Delta Epsilon Mu, a co-ed pre-health fraternity. She credits the university with giving her the support and confidence to explore her dual passions.

Read more of Laura’s story: https://go.scu.edu/3SGosuG

📸 Photo courtesy of Getty Images