Stanford University
Stanford, California · Private · 7,554 undergraduates · stanford.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test required
Send an SAT or ACT score
Admit rate
3.8%
of 60,646 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1520 to 1570
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$101,450Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Stanford University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
3.8% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 3.8% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$101,450
a year in 2027-28, from a $101,450 sticker price
What to do with your 1550
Send your score
This college requires an SAT or ACT score.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test required
You must send an SAT or ACT score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Standardized Testing : Stanford University · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Oct15Restrictive Early Action · October 15, 2026Not binding, but limits other early applications.
- Nov1Restrictive Early Action · November 1, 2026Not binding, but limits other early applications.
- Dec5Regular Decision · December 5, 2026The standard deadline.
- Jan5Regular Decision · January 5, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
3.8%
of applicants were admitted: 2,302 of 60,646 for fall 2025.
Restrictive Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 12/15.
Wait list
669 students were offered a spot; 57 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 56% of them sent SAT scores and 21% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1520 to 1570
Reading and Writing 750 to 780
Math 770 to 800
ACT composite 34 to 36
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160098%
- 1200 to 13991.6%
- 1000 to 11990%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.94
- 4.073%
- 3.75 to 3.9916%
- 3.50 to 3.747.9%
- 3.25 to 3.492.9%
- 3.00 to 3.240.1%
- 2.50 to 2.990%
- Below 2.500%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$101,450
a year
- Tuition$70,440
- Fees$880
- Food and housing$23,860
- Books and supplies$890
- Transportation and other$5,380
Stanford University published $97,545 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$1,067
- $30,001 to $48,000Not reported
- $48,001 to $75,000Not reported
- $75,001 to $110,000$6,603
- Over $110,000$47,575
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$72,166
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
0.2%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $11,890 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 2/16
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
19 of 19
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,040Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 5 | 6 | MATH 19, 20 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 6 | MATH 19, 20 |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 10 | MATH 19, 20, 21 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 5 | 6 | MATH 19, 20 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 10 | CHEM 31A/31B or 31E |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 5 | CS 105,106A |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 5 | CS 105 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
| Latin | 5 | 10 | CLASSICS 1L, 2L, 3L |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | ECON 1 | |
| Microeconomics | 4 | ECON 1 | |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 8 | PHYSICS 21 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 8 | PHYSICS 21 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PHYSICS 23 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 4 | PHYSICS 43 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PHYSICS 21 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 4 | PHYSICS 41 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 10 | (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
92%
Come back for a second year
98%
Typical earnings
$125,340
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Stanford University$236,767
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 14 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Stanford University. The Stanford University logo is a trademark of the college.