You can consider my reasons but you can also ignore them because they are my reasons. It’s under Santa Clara University forum category so it should be okay to share my opinions here.
- SCU was hidden by USNews because it's a master-level university and based on USNews Ranking Category Methodology, only doctor-level university can participate in National College Rankings. SCU cannot offer enough PhD degrees per year, so it was a master-level university in the past and couldn't participate in National College Rankings. However, new Carnegie Classification has changed the category method, and SCU is classified as "Doctoral/Professional University" for the first time. On 2019, SCU will participate in USNews College Rankings, which will also bring national attention and even world attention.
- SCU located in Silicon Valley. The location of high-tech attracts not only clever students but also professors. Job opportunity in Silicon Valley is huge.
- SCU has good endowments. It is constructing new 285-million-dollar STEM campus (https://www.scu.edu/news-and-events/feature-stories/stories/sobrato-campus-for-discovery-and-innovation.html) and new Athletic Excellence Center (https://www.scu.edu/news-and-events/press-releases/2018/november-2018/athletic-excellence-on-the-rise.html). And one student dormitory will be completed.
- SCU is searching new president and new dean of School of Engineering. Currently, interim dean of School of Engineering is Jon C Strauss (https://www.scu.edu/news-and-events/press-releases/2018/august-2018/santa-clara-university-appoints-interim-dean-for-school-of-engineering.html), who served the 4th president of Harvey Mudd College, and vice president Dennis C. Jacobs served the vice president of University of Notre Dame from 2004 to 2011 . Therefore, the new leadership of SCU should be among the top few.