Gavin Newsom went to Santa Clara University , a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, where he graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

He attended on a partial baseball scholarship and played baseball during his early college years before an elbow injury ended his varsity ambitions. His time at Santa Clara, including its Jesuit focus on critical thinking and social justice, is something he has credited with shaping his independent political outlook.