Early Decision
Stanford University Early Decision: there is no Early Decision round
CA
What is Stanford University's early decision acceptance rate?
Stanford University has no Early Decision acceptance rate to give: it runs no Early Decision round. Its early option is Restrictive Early Action (not binding). The figure that compares early and regular odds there would be an early-round admit rate, and this page does not hold one.
Source: Stanford University's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
Does applying early decision to Stanford University help?
There is no Early Decision application to make: Stanford University runs no Early Decision round. Its early option is Restrictive Early Action (not binding): an offer does not commit you to attend, but applying restricts where else you may apply early, so check its rules before planning an Early Decision application elsewhere.
Source: Stanford University's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
Is early decision at Stanford University binding?
Stanford University has no Early Decision round, so there is no binding early application to make there. Its early option is Restrictive Early Action (not binding): an offer does not commit you to attend, though applying limits where else you may apply early. Early Decision itself is binding wherever a school offers it.
Source: Stanford University's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
Admitted SAT · middle 50% · College Scorecard 2024
1510–1580
Half of admitted students scored inside this range. It is the admitted band, not a minimum and not a cutoff, and it covers the whole entering class rather than the Early Decision round alone.
What families actually pay (AY 2023–24)
An Early Action offer is not binding, so applying early here does not end the option of comparing two aid offers. These are the published averages either way.
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard).
Aid exceeded cost of attendance.
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.
Across the 8 recorded cycles from 2018 to 2025, Stanford University's overall acceptance rate fell from 4.4% to 3.8%. That is the whole entering class — Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision together — not the Early Decision round on its own.
See the year-by-year series →Common Data Set — the school's own annual filing, published by the school itself for the cycle named beside each figure. Stanford University’s filing