Stanford acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
Stanford University · Private nonprofit · Stanford, CA · 8,054 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Stanford admitted 3.9% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 5.7% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $68,544 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5.7% | 38,828 | 2,208 |
| 2014 | 5.1% | 42,167 | 2,145 |
| 2015 | 5.0% | 42,497 | 2,140 |
| 2016 | 4.8% | 43,997 | 2,118 |
| 2017 | 4.7% | 44,073 | 2,085 |
| 2018 | 4.4% | 47,452 | 2,071 |
| 2019 | 4.3% | 47,498 | 2,062 |
| 2020 | 5.2% | 45,227 | 2,349 |
| 2021 | 3.9% | 55,471 | 2,190 |
| 2022 | 3.7% | 56,378 | 2,075 |
| 2023 | 3.9% | 53,733 | 2,099 |
Applications went from 38,828 in fall 2013 to 53,733 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $1,067 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | Not reported |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $6,603 |
| Over $110,000 | $47,575 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $68,544 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $92,892 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $12,307 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 47% submitted the SAT, 22% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| USC CA | 10.0% | $75,162 same for all |
| LMU CA | 40.3% | $65,857 same for all |
| Santa Clara University CA | 43.8% | $63,513 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Stanford admitted 3.9% of applicants for fall 2023, the same rate as for fall 2021.1 Its rate was already low in fall 2013 at 5.7%, and it has slipped another 1.8 percentage points since.1 The rate fell in 8 of the 10 year-to-year changes between 2013 and 2023.1 Applications grew 38%, a smaller increase than at many selective colleges, reaching 53,733 for fall 2023 with 2,099 admitted and 1,699 enrolled.1
Its policy for fall 2023 was test-optional, and the SAT math scores of the middle 50% of submitters ran from 770 to 800.1
The 2025-26 tuition and fees are $68,544, and the 2024-25 cost of attendance is $92,892.2 Aided families earning $0 to $30,000 paid an average net price of $1,067 in 2024-25; the Scorecard leaves the middle income bands unreported for Stanford.2 Above that the average climbs: $6,603 for families earning $75,001 to $110,000 and $47,575 above $110,000.2 Its overall average net price of $12,307 compares with a $28,427 median across 67 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges in California.2
Former students earned a median $125,340 a year 10 years after entering.2 Graduates who borrowed owe a median $10,750 in federal loans, and 92% of students who started in 2019 finished within 6 years.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 53,733 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 2,099 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 1,699 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 8,054 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 780 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 47% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 22% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $68,544 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $92,892 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $12,307 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $1,067 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $6,603 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $47,575 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 92% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 98% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 22% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $125,340 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $10,750 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median average net price, private nonprofit colleges, California (N = 67) | $28,427 | College Scorecard, median NPT4_PRIV, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2024-252 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Stanford, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page