Early Decision
Stanford University Early Decision: there is no Early Decision round
CA
Does Stanford University have Early Decision?
Stanford University reports no Early Decision round (Common Data Set 2026-2027). Its early option is Early Action, which is not binding — an Early Action offer does not commit you to attend. There is no Early Decision application to spend here.
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 →Should you use your one Early Decision application here? — see the call on your list, $49
This page is one school. The call needs the rest of your list beside it — the same published figures, read against each other.
Read my list →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