According to a recent issue of U.S. News & World Report, Santa Clara University, a Jesuit University in the Silicon Valley, was ranked #1 in the West, earning a perfect 100 out of 100. Not bad for a university with 9,000 students in the graduate and undergraduate programs.

For students seeking a school close enough to home but far enough away to validate living on campus, Santa Clara University is a campus to consider. The campus is beautiful and the facilities are considered state-of-the-art, even though the décor is traditionally Mission-style. The campus itself is built around the Santa Clara Mission which was built in 1777. The school began in 1921 and has grown from a small college to a prestigious university.

It was originally an all-male student body, but in 1961, 75 women were admitted to the undergraduate program. Over the years, it has remained a staunch supporter of supporting the mind, body and spirit through Catholic traditions, although events like weekly mass are not required for any student.

The campus offers “more than 50 majors, minors, and special programs for law, medicine, and teaching. Our graduate programs span business, engineering, education, counseling psychology, law, theology, and pastoral ministries,” according to their website at www.scu.edu.

If this campus sounds interesting to you, check out their website and discover what Santa Clara University has to offer you.