Stanford: the complete school report for parents

What’s new at Stanford for 2026-27

Tuition is held flat, and the aid thresholds now cover most middle-income families. Stanford held undergraduate tuition steady for 2026-27. Families earning under $150,000 with typical assets pay no tuition, and families under $100,000 pay no tuition, room or board. Home equity is no longer counted in the aid calculation. One thing parents should expect: Stanford has declined to publish application counts or an admit rate at decision time since 2018, a deliberate move to reduce the weight placed on admit rates. The figures on this page come from its Common Data Set, filed annually, which remains the reliable source.

Source: Stanford holds undergraduate tuition steady for 2026-27; Stanford will no longer announce undergraduate application numbers

What does Stanford actually weigh in admissions?

Stanford rates 9 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent, class rank. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Stanford's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

73% of enrolled students had a 4.0 GPA or above. The average was 3.94 on a 4 scale, reported for 69.6% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the Stanford waitlist really like?

Stanford offered a place on its waiting list to 669 applicants and 573 accepted one. 57 were ultimately admitted. That is 9.9% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Stanford admitted 2.3% of 4,532 transfer applicants, against 3.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Stanford reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

Stanford sets no fixed course requirements, but recommends 20 academic units. A college-preparatory program is recommended. A GED is accepted.

What will Stanford actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $13,807 a year at Stanford after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $67,731. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 3 merit awards averaging $11,890 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

14% of Stanford graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $28,507 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $127 a month in repayment. Stanford’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Stanford pay off?

Graduates earn a median $124,080 ten years after entering, and $102,887 at six years. 90% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 90% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$247,797 to $56,399, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Stanford:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

97% of first-years return for a second year. 45% graduate within four years and 92% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 89.5% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 92.3% of everyone else, a gap of 2.8 points.

How big are the classes?

70% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 5% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 6:1, and 99% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.

What is life at Stanford like?

7,346 undergraduates, 56% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 93% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 22% of men join a fraternity and 28% of women a sorority. 30% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $80,275.

Students who enter as first-years are guaranteed twelve quarters of academic-year housing, which covers all four years; transfer students are guaranteed nine. About 98% of eligible undergraduates live in campus housing.

Source: Housing Guarantee and Eligibility for Undergraduate Housing, Stanford R&DE

How is Stanford ranked, and how strong is the alumni network?

Stanford is ranked #4 for national universities in the U.S. News Best Colleges 2026. Its full set of published positions, including the ones that are less flattering:

Shown in full, including the less flattering ones.

Source: Cardinal Athletics, Stanford Facts

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. Stanford recommends 20 academic units.
• 73% of enrolled students are at a 4.0 GPA or above, averaging 3.94. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Stanford rates test scores Very Important, so a score at or above its middle-50 range is close to expected rather than optional.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 57 of 573 who waited were admitted, about 10%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $247,797 five years out against $56,399 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Stanford