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Santa Clara University
California's oldest operating institution of higher education, founded in 1851 as a Jesuit college and now enrolling approximately 9,000 students.
Santa Clara University was established in 1851 by Father John Noboli, S.J., as Santa Clara College on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asís, which was founded in 1777 by Father Junipero Serra as the eighth of California's 21 original missions. The institution began as a preparatory school and added college-level courses in 1853. In 1912, with the addition of law and engineering schools, it became The University of Santa Clara. The business school, added in 1926, was among the first in the nation to achieve national accreditation. In 1961, it became California's first Catholic coeducational university by admitting female undergraduates, and in 1985 it adopted the name Santa Clara University.
Today, Santa Clara University enrolls approximately 9,000 students from around the world and is recognized as a leading research university. The campus combines the historic Mission with modern facilities and sits in the heart of Silicon Valley, allowing students and faculty to engage directly with the region's technology and innovation ecosystem. The university's Jesuit tradition emphasizes educating leaders who seek to leave the world a better place through both intellectual achievement and social consciousness.
For families with college-bound children, Santa Clara University exemplifies the kind of institution that requires financial planning: tuition, housing, and living expenses span four or more years of education. Parents planning for their children's futures often find that term life insurance—covering the years when educational expenses are highest and dependents are most vulnerable—provides the foundation for that plan.