University of Silicon Valley is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in San Jose, California. It enrolls 455 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarTrimester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Fair
51/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes11
Value14
Affordability52
Selectivity82
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of Silicon Valley admits 51.2% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
51.2%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Silicon Valley is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
2.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $27,815 a year on average, it sits in line with what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$22,480
Room & Board (on-campus)
$19,926
Room & Board (off-campus)
$19,632
Books & Supplies
$944
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,952
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,160
Total Cost of Attendance
$35,722
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$24,350
$30,001 – $48,000
$27,140
$48,001 – $75,000
$28,102
$75,001 – $110,000
$28,144
Over $110,000
$34,379
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,75010%percentile
$8,25025%percentile
$31,000Medianpercentile
$31,00075%percentile
$44,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $19,631
↓ $11,369
No Pell $14,499
↓ $16,501
Dependent students $17,863
↓ $13,137
Independent students $18,852
↓ $12,148
Female students $23,000
↓ $8,000
Male students $16,047
↓ $14,953
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($31,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
45% of students who start here finish within six years, and 64% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
45%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
64%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $51,017 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$51,017
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
What this means:
Moderate return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$1.8 of median earnings 10 years out. Compare carefully against your funding plan.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 455 students, an intimate, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
455
Part-Time
21%
First-Generation
28%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 28.6%130
Hispanic 26.6%121
Asian 16.7%76
Black 12.1%55
Other 7.7%35
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Silicon Valley. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Silicon Valley offers
a focused set of programs:
8 distinct programs across
4 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$74,867
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
9 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
2
22%
$63,375
Associate Professors
3
33%
$83,100
Assistant Professors
2
22%
$90,000
Instructors
2
22%
$58,875
Pros & Cons of University of Silicon Valley
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Silicon Valley is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, University of Silicon Valley is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Silicon Valley
The questions families ask most about University of Silicon Valley, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of Silicon Valley hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Silicon Valley are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 51.2%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Silicon Valley?
51.2% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does University of Silicon Valley cost?
Budget around $27,815 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Silicon Valley worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $51,017 a year against a net price of $27,815, about 1.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Silicon Valley known for?
Mostly Graphic Communications, Design, Computer Software & Media. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do University of Silicon Valley graduates earn?
About $51,017 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Silicon Valley accredited?
Yes. University of Silicon Valley is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend University of Silicon Valley?
455 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of Silicon Valley?
45% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of Silicon Valley a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is University of Silicon Valley located?
University of Silicon Valley is located in San Jose, California.
What programs does University of Silicon Valley offer?
8 different programs, most commonly Graphic Communications, Design, Computer Software & Media. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Silicon Valley?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,811 colleges. The median school costs $16,296 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,280 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
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Acceptance rate
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Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
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