Santa Clara University

SANTA CLARA, Calif., August 31, 2010—Santa Clara University School of Law recently welcomed an academically strong first-year class that is also diverse in experiences, ethnicity, and interests.

The 247 full-time and 82 part-time students who began taking classes August 16 hail from 29  states and 14 foreign countries including China, Estonia, India, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. They attended 131 different undergraduate schools, and 34 of them already have advanced degrees— including 10 Ph.D.s.

Last year’s trend toward younger first-year students continued again this year— with full-time students again having a median age of 24, versus 25 three years ago. Part-time students (who tend to be working professionals) have a median age of 25, down from 27 last year and 29 four years ago.

More than 4,900 people applied to Santa Clara Law this year, the strongest level of interest since 2004. The class encompasses a diverse range of backgrounds, including students who have worked as opera singers, horse trainers, and kickboxing instructors, and some who have graduated from culinary school.

“Santa Clara Law is pleased to welcome this new class of highly motivated and diverse students who have excelled academically prior to coming to Santa Clara Law,” said SCU Law Dean Donald Polden. “This talented class of students was attracted to Santa Clara Law due to its reputation for providing a rigorous legal education and its long history of educating men and women for leadership responsibilities in the practice of law.”

Santa Clara’s specialized programs in high tech, public interest, and international law continued to draw applicants. Forty-two percent of the students expressed interest in Santa Clara’s computer/high-tech law program; 38 percent indicated an interest in public interest and social justice law, and 31 percent in international law.

Other facts about SCU School of Law’s incoming first-year students:

Gender
Women 48%; Men 52%

Top ethnicities reported
Caucasian (48%); Asian (24%); Hispanic (8%); Bi- or Multi-racial (8%); African-American (3%)

Top five home states
California, Texas, Washington, Massachusetts and Virginia

About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

About Santa Clara Law
Santa Clara University School of Law, founded in 1911 on the site of California’s oldest operating higher-education institution, is dedicated to educating lawyers who lead with a commitment to excellence, ethics, and social justice. One of the nation’s most diverse law schools, Santa Clara Law offers its 1,000 students an academically rigorous program, including graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law; combined J.D./MBA and J.D./MSIS degrees; and certificates in intellectual property law, international law, and public interest and social justice law. Santa Clara Law is located in the world-class business center of Silicon Valley, and is distinguished nationally for its top-ranked program in intellectual property. For more information, see law.scu.edu.

Media Contact:
Deborah Lohse | Assistant Director, SCU Media Relations | (408) 554-5121 | dlohse@scu.edu