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Acceptance Rate History

Stanford University Acceptance Rate (2013–2025)

CA · Current rate: 3.8%

College Scorecard · IPEDSU.S. Dept. of Education

Stanford University admits the SAT 1510–1580 range — you might be closer than you think.

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What is Stanford University's acceptance rate in 2025?

Stanford University's acceptance rate in 2025 is 3.8%, roughly unchanged from 3.6% in 2024.

Common Data Set 2025-2026

How many applicants does Stanford University admit, and what is its acceptance rate?

In its 2025 admissions cycle, Stanford University admitted 2,302 of 60,620 applicants — an overall acceptance rate of 3.8%.

Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026

Does Stanford University's 2025 acceptance rate include early-round applicants?

Yes. The 3.8% rate is one whole-cycle figure covering all 60,620 applicants Stanford University received for 2025, early and regular rounds counted together; it is not the rate of any single round.

Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026

Year-by-Year Data

YearAcceptance RateApplicantsAdmitted
20253.8%60,6202,302
20243.6%57,3262,067
20233.9%53,7332,099
20223.7%56,3782,075
20214.0%55,4712,190
20205.2%45,2272,349
20194.3%47,4982,062
20184.4%47,4522,071
20174.7%44,0732,085
20164.8%43,9972,118
20155.0%42,4972,140
20145.1%42,1672,145
20135.7%38,8282,208

Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard

Cost

Sticker pricePublished cost of attendance — tuition, fees, housing and food. (AY 2023–24)
$87,833/yr
What families actually payAvg. for families receiving federal aid (AY 2023–24)
$13,807/yr
4-year totalSticker cost of attendance × 4 years. (AY 2023–24)
$351,332
Tuition(AY 2024–25)
$65,910/yr
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entryFormer students, federal earnings records. (measured 2020–21, entry cohort 2009–11)
$124,080/yr

The same school, two different prices

Family income under $30k: -$2,536/yr · Family income over $110k: $53,882/yr (AY 2023–24)

Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard). International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price. Aid exceeded cost of attendance.

High-income families typically pay closer to sticker.

Aid for international students

Stanford University awarded institutional aid to 260 international undergraduates, averaging $85,424 (2025-2026 Common Data Set).

These figures describe only the international students who actually received aid — not what a typical international admit can expect. International students outside this group pay the full sticker price.

Source: official Common Data Set filing

Admitted Student Profile

SAT Range · Middle 50% (25th–75th)

15101580

College Scorecard 2024

Admitted students at Stanford University scored between 1510 and 1580 on the SAT (middle 50%).

Source: College Scorecard · U.S. Dept of Education

What this school weighs — Stanford University

Course rigor and GPA are not in this table. Nearly every school rates both at the top, so they tell you nothing about this one. These six are where schools differ.

Common Data Set 2025–26
Class rankVery important
Standardized test scoresVery important
Application essayVery important
RecommendationsVery important
Extracurricular activitiesVery important
Character / personal qualitiesVery important

Stanford University Common Data Set 2025–26, section C7

How to read these numbers

  • The 2025 rate covers Stanford University's whole applicant pool — early and regular applications counted together in one figure. It is not the rate of any single round.
  • 1510–1580 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1510, and a quarter scored above 1580.
  • The table above holds 13 reported years, 2013 through 2025. Across them Stanford University's rate ranged from 3.6% to 5.7%, so any single year is one point inside that range.

Each figure above describes a class a school already admitted in a completed cycle. It is a record of who was admitted, not a measurement of any one application.

Source: College Scorecard · IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · U.S. Dept. of Education

Where do you stand?

School

Stanford University

Stanford University

SAT

40015101580

Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1510–1580.

This is SAT only. Your free full score also weighs your GPA, activities, and awards.

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Trend Analysis

Stanford University's acceptance rate has decreased from 5.7% in 2013 to 3.8% in 2025, reflecting increased selectivity.

Analysis compiled from official data trends.

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Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.