More selective than 99% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $87,833. College Scorecard.
Higher than 94% of California colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 97% of California colleges we cover and 100% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Stanford University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 53,733 applicants, Stanford University admitted 2,099 and 1,699 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1510–1580 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Stanford University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
Stanford University majors, earnings & careers
Stanford University offers 51 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 14
- Engineering · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Arts & Design · 4
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Stanford University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $214,907 | $10,399 |
| Cognitive Science | $131,650 | $8,055 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $117,072 | — |
| Engineering, Other | $115,206 | $7,500 |
| Economics | $112,700 | $12,500 |
| Science, Technology and Society | $107,375 | — |
| International Relations | $91,075 | — |
| English | $82,036 | — |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering—
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Archeology—
- Area Studies—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science$131,650
- Communications—
- Computer Science$214,907
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$112,700
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- Engineering, Other$115,206
- English$82,036
- Environmental Engineering—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$45,519
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- Human Biology$81,529
- International Relations$91,075
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$117,072
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Religious Studies—
- Science, Technology and Society$107,375
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Systems Science and Theory—
- Theatre—
- Urban Studies / Affairs—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Jose
Overall prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,272. Housing costs 112% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 15 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Santa Clara County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Santa Clara County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Stanford University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 4% | $13,807 | 92% | $124,080 | This school |
| Pomona College | 7% | $19,285 | 93% | $77,779 | |
| California Institute of Technology | 3% | $16,075 | 94% | $128,566 | |
| Claremont McKenna College | 10% | $28,849 | 91% | $104,736 | |
| Harvey Mudd College | 13% | $35,924 | 92% | $138,687 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Stanford University would cost you $5,478 less per year than Pomona College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Stanford University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$3,102).
- Stanford University gives aided families $8,011 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | Stanford University | Pomona College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $65,910 | $65,420 | +$490 |
| Books & supplies | $825 | $1,100 | −$275 |
| Housing & meals | $19,922 | $20,374 | −$452 |
| Personal & travel | $4,602 | $1,500 | +$3,102 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,426 | −$3,094 | −$332 |
| Sticker price | $87,833 | $85,300 | +$2,533 |
| Average grants | −$74,026 | −$66,015 | −$8,011 |
| You pay | $13,807 | $19,285 | −$5,478 |
“+” means Stanford University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Stanford University
What is the Stanford University acceptance rate?
Stanford University accepts 4% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,099 of 53,733 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1510–1580 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
How much does Stanford University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $87,833 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,807 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $0 and families earning $110k+ pay $53,882.
How much do Stanford University graduates earn?
Former Stanford University students earn a median $124,080 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Stanford University graduation rate?
92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Stanford University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/stanford-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).