Santa Clara University

Date: Jul 08 2010
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
The great recession hit here hard. The previous model of riding the coat tails of silicon valley money is over. Enrollment down, faculty cut, financial aid suddenly miserly. Because of the high cost of the valley the school can not afford a better faculty. Scantron is used shamelessly as the faculty do not get paid enough to grade blue books (essays). The deans can do better. The Jesuits try and save the day and the weather is fantastic. The admin staff is unsupervised and as a result somewhat inept.

If you want good academics, a reasonable intellectual faculty and a place that is good value for your money, you might consider someplace else. The president of three decades just went to the Vatican and left the place upgraded but unprepared for the debacle of the new economics. There are too many adjuncts teaching here that are paid a pittance and as a result teach according to what they are paid. There seems to be very little guidance from top school officials as to faculty performance probably because it is very difficult to hire new ones at this level of pay.

If your parents have money and you are a relaxed student, you will love it here. If you need the admin to help you or have financial issues go elsewhere.

I had to transfer and nobody at the admin level seemed to care. If they supervised the faculty like they draconianly supervise the dorms this would be an outstanding school. Somehow they forgot that discipline and focus are required for the faculty and administrators as well. The school is on a downward trend primarily because it does not try and communicate with the students. It has a very top down approach to education. God bless them and I hope they turn themselves around. I actually loved my year here but my parents were upset at the schools ineptitude and pettiness. In the end I could not afford to stay.