Stanford, CA · private · 7,554 undergraduates
Stanford University acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
Stanford admitted 3.80% of applicants for fall 2025, about 1 in 26, and families under $100,000 with typical assets pay no parent contribution.
Net price per year at Stanford
$11,092
Reach · admit rate 3.80%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 3.80% (1 in 26) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,520 to 1,570 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $97,545 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $11,092 |
| Share of the sticker price | 11% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Stanford net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Stanford University Common Data Set 2025-2026, C1 (31,609 men + 29,011 women + 26 unknown applied; 1,162 + 1,140 admitted; 945 + 894 enrolled) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 3.80%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,520 to 1,570
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $97,545
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $3,212
Stanford's acceptance rate for the class that entered in fall 2025 (Class of 2029) is 3.80%: 2,302 admitted out of 60,646 applicants, and 1,839 enrolled, per the Stanford Common Data Set 2025-2026. That class was the last to apply without a test, which makes its score range a picture of students who chose to report. Since applications for fall 2026 entry, the SAT or ACT is required; enrolled students who reported the SAT scored 1,520 to 1,570 in the middle half and 34 to 36 on the ACT. The standard 2026-27 budget is $97,545 before travel. Aided families paid little in 2023-24: $0 on average between $30,001 and $48,000 and $11,092 between $75,001 and $110,000. Today, parents below $100,000 owe nothing and those below $150,000 see all tuition covered.
The first Stanford class chosen with required scores
Stanford reinstated its testing requirement starting with applications for fall 2026, so the freshmen who arrived in September 2026 are the first class admitted under the renewed rule. The figures above still describe the fall 2025 class, in which 56% of enrolled students reported an SAT and 21% an ACT. For now the median reported SAT is 1,550.
On our fitted curve, a 1,500 sits at about 11% of reporting students, below the 25th percentile. Applicants self-report scores and send official reports only if they enroll; English proficiency tests cannot replace the SAT or ACT.
Stanford: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
55%
| Middle 50% | 1,520 to 1,570 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,022 SAT submitters, 385 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
Restrictive Early Action rules out MIT early
Stanford's early round, due November 1, is not binding, but its restriction is strict. An REA applicant may not apply early to any other private US college, under Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification, and may not use a binding plan at a public university. Stanford names MIT's non-binding Early Action as off limits. A student denied in December cannot reapply in Regular Decision, due January 5. For fall 2025, 573 students accepted a waiting-list place and 57 were admitted from it.
Stanford: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$3,212
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 4% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
What the $150,000 line covers on a quarter budget
The 2026-27 budget assumes three quarters, Autumn, Winter and Spring: $67,731 of tuition, $22,944 for housing and food, a $2,610 fees allowance that includes the mandatory $843 health service fee, $855 for books and $3,405 of personal costs. New students also pay a $525 orientation fee and a $250 document fee. Below $150,000 of parent income with typical assets, the expected contribution is low enough that grants cover all tuition charges; below $100,000 the parents owe nothing. Home equity and retirement savings are left out of the asset count, which helps families whose wealth sits in a house. Compare Stanford with MIT, Caltech and Harvard in the comparison tool.
From Stanford University’s own documents
- Stanford reinstated required SAT or ACT scores starting with applications for fall 2026 entry; the fall 2025 class (55.6% SAT submitters) applied test optional. source
- Restrictive Early Action bars applying early to any other private US college (even MIT's non-binding Early Action) and to any public university's binding plan; students denied in REA cannot reapply in Regular Decision. source
- Families with income below $100,000 and typical assets pay no parent contribution, and below $150,000 all tuition is covered. source
- The 2026-27 standard budget is $97,545 before travel, on a quarter calendar (Autumn, Winter, Spring). source
- For fall 2025, Stanford offered 669 applicants a waiting-list place; 573 accepted and 57 were admitted. source
Net price at Stanford University by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $3,212 | 4% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $11,092 | 13% |
| $110,001 and up | $53,882 | 61% |
| All aided students | $13,807 | 16% |
Cost of attendance at Stanford University, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $67,731 | |
| Fees | $2,610 | |
| Housing and food | $22,944 | |
| Books and supplies | $855 | |
| Personal | $3,405 | |
| Total | $97,545 |
Stanford University admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 60,646 | 2,302 | 1,839 | 3.80% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3.61% |
SAT and ACT scores at Stanford University
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,022 SAT submitters, 385 ACT submitters)) | 1,520 | 1,550 | 1,570 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,022 SAT submitters, 385 ACT submitters))) | 34 | 35 | 36 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 740 + 770 | n/a | 780 + 800 |
Outcomes at Stanford University
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 92% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 98% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $124,080 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $12,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 7,554 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 19% | 2023-24 |