Santa Clara University
Santa Clara is a Jesuit university built around the historic Mission Santa Clara and its rose gardens, in the heart of Silicon Valley. It runs on the quarter system, so move-in comes late — mid-to-late September — into warm, dry California weather. Nearly every first-year lives on campus and joins a Residential Learning Community, which shapes both where you live and who you live near.
What to wear in Santa Clara, month by month
This corner of the country breaks every generic packing list. It is not about surviving cold — it is about staying dry through a long gray winter and a famously short, beautiful summer.
| Move-in (mid–late Sept) | 62–85°F | Warm, dry, and sunny — early fall in the valley can push into the 90s. Shorts and tees, plus a fan for halls without A/C. |
| October | 55–78°F | Still warm and dry, with cool evenings. Light layers and a jacket for after dark. |
| Nov–Dec | 45–63°F | Mild days, chilly nights, and the winter rains set in. A warm layer and a rain jacket. |
| Jan–Feb | 42–60°F | The coolest, wettest stretch — mild by most standards and rarely near freezing. A warmer jacket and an umbrella. |
| Mar–Jun | 50–75°F | Warming, drying, and green — a classic California spring. Layers you can shed by afternoon. |
What Santa Clara University lets you bring
- A box or tower fan — A/C varies by hall, and Swig, Sanfilippo, and McLaughlin-Walsh rooms have none; mid-September move-in can be hot
- A mini-fridge (up to 4.5 cu ft) and a small microwave — both allowed, must be Energy Star certified, or rent a MicroFridge combo (mymicrofridge.com)
- A light rain jacket and warm layers for cool evenings — California winters are mild and wet, not cold
- A coffee maker or hot pot without exposed coils — allowed if Energy Star certified
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Air-conditioning units of any kind
- Halogen torchiere lamps, sunlamps, and space heaters
- Toaster ovens, hot plates, crockpots, and anything with an exposed heating element
- Candles, incense, and open flames
These come from Santa Clara University's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Santa Clara University
- 01After you enroll (spring)
Apply for housing and rank your RLCs
First-years complete the housing application and rank Residential Learning Community preferences — your RLC determines your building and community. About 95% of first-years live on campus, and even students with a residency exception are invited into an RLC.
- 02Summer
Roommate matching and appliances
A lifestyle questionnaire feeds roommate matching within your RLC. This is also the time to sort appliances — a mini-fridge and microwave are allowed (Energy Star), or reserve a MicroFridge combo through mymicrofridge.com.
- 03Early August
Get your assignment and mailbox
Final housing assignments — hall, room, roommate(s), and your campus mailbox number — release in early August, with detailed move-in instructions arriving about a month before your date.
- 04Mid–late September
Move in for Welcome Weekend
New-student move-in falls in mid-to-late September (around September 19), followed by Welcome Weekend and quarter classes a few days later. Orientation, LEAD Scholars, and international students may move in a day or two early.
Where you'll live at Santa Clara University
The Residential Learning Communities (RLCs)
About 95% of first-years live on campus, and each one joins a Residential Learning Community — a themed living-learning community tied to a specific hall, with a faculty director, linked courses, and programming. You rank RLC preferences on the housing application, and your RLC decides your building. A/C varies by hall, so it's worth knowing which have it before you rank.
Santa Clara's tallest residence hall — a central 11-story tower of traditional double rooms with communal baths, and the classic first-year experience. Social and unmistakable, but no air conditioning, so bring a fan.
Two classic first-year halls of traditional doubles with communal restrooms — Dunne (Modern Perspectives RLC) is air-conditioned in rooms and common areas; McLaughlin-Walsh (Unity RLC) has A/C only in the common spaces, not the rooms.
An air-conditioned mini-suite community where two rooms share a bathroom with separate toilet and shower spaces — a bit more privacy than the traditional halls.
The rest of the first-year RLCs: da Vinci in Casa Italiana (Italian culture, science, and the arts) and Magis in Campisi and Sanfilippo, plus Cura in Finn and Loyola in Sobrato's suites. Most are air-conditioned — Sanfilippo is the exception.
The Santa Clara University move-in checklist
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Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Your items
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Santa Clara logistics, sorted
How to send a package to an SCU student
Mailbox [####]
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Everyone lives in an RLC
The quarter system sets the calendar
Santa Clara & around
Downtown Santa Clara & Franklin Square
Walkable shops, cafés, and restaurants just off campus, plus the historic Santa Clara Caltrain station a few blocks away.
Santana Row & Valley Fair
San Jose's premier shopping and dining district — Santana Row and the Westfield Valley Fair mall — a few minutes away for supplies, restaurants, and a movie.
Caltrain & VTA light rail
The Santa Clara Caltrain station and VTA light rail connect campus up the Peninsula toward San Francisco and across Silicon Valley — the car-free way around the Bay.
San Francisco & the coast
San Francisco is about an hour north by train or car, with Santa Cruz's beaches and the Pacific over the hill to the southwest — easy weekend trips.
Where to stay near Santa Clara University
Downtown Santa Clara hotels
under 1 mileSeveral hotels sit within a mile of campus in Santa Clara — the closest and easiest option for move-in day.
Hotel Valencia (Santana Row)
~5-min driveA stylish hotel on San Jose's Santana Row and a longtime favorite of SCU families — walkable to dozens of restaurants and shops, a few minutes from campus.
SCU family hotel partners
Discounted SCU ratesSanta Clara partners with local hotels that offer discounted rates and room blocks for families — the university's family-travel page keeps the current list.
Santa Clara University gear & gifts
Santa Clara University — links & contacts
- University Housing: Visit page
- Campus Post Office: Visit page