3.6%
Acceptance Rate
$65,910
Avg Cost (In-State)
$65,910
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
92.4%
Graduation Rate
7,554
Total Enrollment
What they weigh most
Source: Common Data Set
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 5
Early Deadline
November 1 (Restrictive Early Action)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
4
Letters of Rec
2
Application Fee
$90
Interview
Not required
Essays: 1 personal insight essay (250 words) and 3 short essay questions (100-250 words each)
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$102,887
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$124,080
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
92%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | $138,613 | $214,907 | 91 |
| Human Biology. | $50,179 | $81,529 | 47 |
| Engineering, Other. | $49,741 | $115,206 | 39 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies. | $41,156 | $45,519 | 32 |
| Cognitive Science. | $105,695 | $131,650 | 29 |
| Economics. | $98,104 | $112,700 | 29 |
| Science, Technology and Society. | $44,736 | $107,375 | 25 |
| Engineering-Related Fields. | $100,788 | — | 24 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
Write a review →Verified with .edu email. We moderate for spam/abuse, never for sentiment. Reviewer names stay private.
No verified reviews of Stanford University yet.
Are you a current student here? Be the first to share what you wish you'd known before enrolling.
Verify with .edu and write oneWhat will you actually pay?
Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Stanford University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Stanford University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
California Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) — UC
~$25k valueCalifornia's top 9% by their own high school's UC GPA distribution are guaranteed admission to at least one UC campus (not necessarily their first choice).
Who it helps: California residents in the top 9% of their high school class by weighted UC GPA, especially those at less-selective high schools.
How to use: Apply to UC via the system-wide application by November 30. UC determines ELC eligibility automatically from your transcripts.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗Cal Grant
~$14k valueCalifornia's main need-based aid: covers full tuition at UC, CSU, or community college for in-state residents who meet GPA + income thresholds.
Who it helps: California residents attending UC, CSU, or qualifying private/community colleges, with family income under the published Cal Grant cap.
How to use: File FAFSA (or CADAA for undocumented students) by March 2. Confirm your school submits the GPA Verification Form. Award notification by April 30.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Stanford HAI Hoffman-Yee Research Grant
Up to $200,000 per project
nationalStanford-affiliated grad students + faculty pursuing interdisciplinary human-centered AI research; Hoffman-Yee Fund seeds high-risk projects.
Deadline: Annual (Spring)
Learn more ↗Yellow Ribbon — Stanford University
Covers full tuition gap (unlimited match)
federalPost-9/11 GI Bill-eligible veterans + dependents at Stanford.
Deadline: Through Stanford + VA
Learn more ↗Stegner Fellowship (Stanford)
Full tuition + stipend at Stanford for 2 years
universityTop admits to Stanford Stegner Fellowship in Creative Writing.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Cal Grant (California)
Up to $14,296/year (Cal Grant A) or $1,656/year (Cal Grant B)
stateCalifornia residents attending eligible California colleges. Based on GPA and financial need via FAFSA/CADAA.
Deadline: March 2
Learn more ↗Cal Poly SLO President's Honors Scholarship
$5,000-$10,000/year
universityTop Cal Poly SLO Honors College freshmen with academic merit.
Deadline: November 30
Learn more ↗San Jose State Honors Scholarship
$2,000-$6,000/year
universityTop SJSU Honors College admits with academic record + leadership.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗CA Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents Grant
Up to $14,000/year
stateChildren/spouses of CA peace officers, firefighters, or correctional officers killed in line of duty.
Deadline: FAFSA/CADAA
Learn more ↗San Diego State Presidential Scholarship
Full cost of attendance for 4 years
universityTop SDSU freshmen via competitive process; combines academics + leadership.
Deadline: November 30
Learn more ↗CA Child Development Permit Stipend
Up to $2,000-$3,000/year
stateCA students pursuing early childhood education with commitment to teaching service.
Deadline: Through institution
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 3.6% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Restrictive Early Action
8%
acceptance
ED edgeSingle-Choice Early Action (restrictive). REA rate not officially published; estimate based on historical pattern.
Source ↗Regular Decision
3.7%
acceptance
Overall admit ~3.7% Class of 2028.
Source ↗Regular Decision
3.61%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
3.5% acceptance
Both admit around 4% of applicants, with 12k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
3.7% acceptance
Both admit around 4% of applicants, with 8k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY
4% acceptance
Both admit around 4% of applicants, with 9k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
8.6% acceptance
Similar selectivity (9% vs 4%) but out-of-state cost runs $45k — meaningfully less than $66k.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
11.6% acceptance
Similar selectivity (12% vs 4%) but out-of-state cost runs $46k — meaningfully less than $66k.
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (9% vs 4%) but out-of-state cost runs $49k — meaningfully less than $66k.
Safer alternatives
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
26.7% acceptance
Same s setting in the West, but higher admit rate (27% vs 4%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
28.6% acceptance
Same s setting in the West, but higher admit rate (29% vs 4%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
33% acceptance
Same s setting in the West, but higher admit rate (33% vs 4%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Transfer pathways
Routes in from a community college.
From CA community colleges
articulation onlyStanford admits roughly 20-30 transfer students per year out of ~2,000 applicants, a sub-2% rate. Transfer applicants must complete at least one year and no more than two years of full-time college work. The deadline is March 15. Stanford has no articulation agreements with speci…
Ready to dig deeper?
Get your personalized research report for Stanford University — scholarships, admissions strategy, costs, and a step-by-step playbook.