Santa Clara University Again Ranked No. 2 in West in Ranking by U.S. News; Magazine Lists SCU Best Regional University West of the Rockies

Business Wire, August 20, 1999

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 1999--

Santa Clara University, for the 10th consecutive year, was ranked second among all regional universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

In its annual ranking of the "Best Colleges" in the U.S., the magazine gave the Jesuit Catholic university in Santa Clara an overall score that ranked it seventh in the entire country among the 504 regional universities -- comprehensive universities that offer a range of undergraduate programs, as well as master's degrees.

A large photograph of the SCU campus was featured in the magazine article, with the caption: "Santa Clara is one of the best in the West."

The magazine's overall rankings relied on: academic reputation, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

"The higher the proportion of freshmen who return to campus and complete their studies, the better a school is likely to be offering the classes and services students need to succeed," the magazine said in its Aug. 30 issue. Nationally, the retention rate is around 75 percent.

SCU was ranked tops among all western regional universities in graduation rate -- 81 percent -- and in freshman retention rate -- 92 percent.

Across the entire U.S. among regional universities, SCU ranks fifth in graduation rate (the percent of freshmen who finish in six years or less) and sixth in freshman retention (the percentage of first-year students that move on to the second year in college.)

Santa Clara emphasizes a quality learning experience built on personal relationships in its classes and educational programs, and the personal contact on tours and in meetings are important components of the SCU admissions process. In 1998, more than 5,600 high school students applied for the approximately 1,000 freshmen spots at Santa Clara University.

Santa Clara University, the oldest institution of higher education in California, is a private Jesuit university with approximately 4,200 undergraduate and 3,800 graduate students, located in Santa Clara.

Home to the Mission Santa Clara de Asis, the university celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2001.

The "Best Colleges" rankings will be published in the U.S.News Web site, www.usnews.com, on Aug. 20, in the magazine on Aug. 23 and in the annual Best Colleges special publication on Aug. 24.

Texas was again included in the western states by the magazine, and Trinity University in Texas was again ranked first among regional universities in the West by the magazine.

SCU ranked second nationally among all 20 Jesuit regional universities, behind Creighton University in Omaha, which was ranked first among Midwest regional universities.

Two other Jesuit Catholic universities, Loyola Marymount University and Gonzaga University, were ranked third and fourth, respectively, among the western regional universities.

Two Jesuit universities considered "national universities" -- Georgetown and Boston College, were ranked among the top 40 national universities.

For more information about Santa Clara University and its programs, see http://www.scu.edu, or call Barry Holtzclaw, Director of Media Relations, 408/554-5126.