Should Stanford University be your Top Choice to Get a Degree?

Stanford University is among the top US universities and is also considered as the Ivy League alternative. The university offers programs that help develop creativity and strong research skills. The educational institute is also ranked 2nd among the top universities in the USA by QS.

It was built in 1885 as a co-educational and affordable university for the citizens of the United States. It offers educational opportunities for 9000 graduates and 7000 undergraduate students each year.

According to statistics, the cost of studying for a single year at Stanford University can be around $97,545. This cost of attendance includes tuition fees, housing fees, food, living expenses, and other student activity charges.

Want to build your academic career at a prestigious university in the US? Explore Stanford University.

What are the majors offered at Stanford?

Stanford University is considered an Ivy League alternative and offers 7 schools, including:

1. Graduate School of Business: It helps develop experts who are creative, perform experiments, and build something effective. The Stanford Leadership Institute SLI helps in refining the process of teaching, studying, and practicing leadership.
2. Doerr School of Sustainability: This school was launched in 2022 and focuses on areas that can support the sustainability of humanity on Earth. It offers 7 departments, two institutes, and a Sustainability Accelerator.
3. Graduate School of Education: GSE allows students to learn through research and training. It is also considered the home of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning.
4. School of Engineering: The Stanford School of Engineering played a huge role in establishing the foundations of Silicon Valley. It creates engineers who also have creativity, cultural awareness, and entrepreneurial skills.
5. School of Humanities & Sciences: H&S is the largest school at Stanford University, which offers world-class education in liberal arts. The school includes 45 departments with various degree programs in arts, language, social sciences and more.
6. Stanford Law School: The SLS prepares students to become attorneys and leaders who can practice and refine the law.
7. School of Medicine: It is the oldest medical school in the USA, which allows students to solve the problems of medicine and science.

These schools at Stanford University are home to 59 of the best degree majors both at graduate and undergraduate levels:

Art

• Art History, Criticism and Conversation
• Drama and Dramatics/ Theatre Arts, General
• Film / Cinema Studies
• Fine/Studio Arts, General
• Music, General

Business

• Economics, General

Health

• Cognitive Science

Humanities

• African American/Black Studies
• American Indian/Native American Studies
• American/United States Studies/Civilization
• Area Studies, Other
• Asian American Studies
• Chinese Language and Literature
• Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
• Communication and Media Studies, Other
• Comparative Literature
• East Asian Studies
• English Language and Literature, General
• Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
• French Language and Literature
• German Language and Literature
• Hispanic American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican American/Chicano Studies
• History, General
• Italian Language and Literature
• Japanese Language and Literature
• Linguistics
• Philosophy
• Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other
• Religion/Religious Studies
• Russian Language and Literature
• Spanish Language and Literature

Law and Politics

• Archeology
• International Relations and Affairs
• Political Science and Government, General
• Public Policy Analysis
• Sociology
• Urban Studies/Affairs

STEM

• Applied Mathematics, Other
• Biology/Biological Sciences, General
• Biomedical/Medical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry, General
• Civil Engineering, General
• Computer Science
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Engineering, Other
• Engineering/Industrial Management
• Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
• Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
• Geology/Earth Science, General
• Geophysics and Seismology
• Human Biology
• Materials Engineering
• Mathematics, General
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physics, General

Social Science

• Anthropology
• Psychology, General
• Science, Technology and Society

What are the best degree programs at Stanford University for domestic and international students?

The following is a list of the top three majors at Stanford that are popular for their research, solid career paths, and opportunities:

Economics

Stanford ranks as number 1 in the USA for Economics along with MIT and Harvard. It helps students explore how modern economies work, along with analysis of issues like inflation and more.

The degrees offered under this major are STEM-designated and include:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Science (BS)

Computer Science

It is also among the top-ranked majors to study at Stanford University. It offers strong research, highly educated faculty, and industry connections.

The CS program at Stanford offers:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computational Biology
• Computer Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Information
• Systems
• Visual Computing
• Theory

Engineering

The Engineering majors helped Stanford University achieve their 2nd ranking. It also includes 16 undergraduate departments for applicants to choose from, such as:

• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Chemical Engineering 
• Bioengineering
• Civil Engineering
• Environmental Systems Engineering 
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering 
• Management Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering 

How to get into Stanford University?

Students who want to get into the institute should explore the following eligibility criteria for graduates and undergraduates.

Undergraduate admission

Here’s how undergraduates can get admission to Stanford University:

• First-year applicants

The first-year applicants are those students who want to start their bachelor’s degree after completing high school. The following eligibility criteria should be met by interested students:

1. They should fill out the common application form.
2. They should submit a one-time $100 non-refundable application fee or request a waiver.
3. They should include their highest ACT and SAT scores. The SAT requirements include a 1420+ score for a bachelor’s degree.
4. A school report form and a letter of recommendation from the school counselor.
5. An official transcript or academic result report.
6. Two letters of recommendation from teachers. One should be from the teacher relevant to the university major a student is interested in.
7. An optional interview with a Stanford alum. 

• Transfer applicants

The transfer applicants are those students who have already completed a maximum of two years in a bachelor’s or associate program. To be eligible for transfer admission, the student must have completed coursework at an accredited university or institute.

Moreover, students who already have a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to get admission in either the transfer or first-year option. The following is a list of eligibility factors that transfer applicants should check:

1. Complete the common application form.
2. Submit a one-time $100 non-refundable application fee or request a waiver.
3. Include their highest ACT and SAT scores. (SAT requirements: 1420+ score)
4. Official high school transcript along with graduation date or equivalent (such as GED)
5. Official transcripts from school/college/university attended.
6. Get a college report from your current academic dean or advisor.
7. Include two letters of recommendation from teachers. One should be from the teacher relevant to the selected university major.

• International applicants

Stanford University international student requirements involve the same set of steps for domestic first-year and transfer applicants. However, the financial aid policy is a bit different for international students.

Students who don’t have a US citizenship must mention in their admission form to be considered for financial aid. International applicants who miss this might not be considered for the university scholarship.

Moreover, students who don’t have English as their native language should include their English proficiency test scores. The university might require 101+ TOEFL scores.

Graduate admission

The Stanford University graduate admission requirements include the following:

• A US bachelor’s degree or international equivalent from a university or college that is recognized. The applicants can confirm the equivalence of their degree through World Education Services (WES) degree equivalency tool.
• English proficiency test scores (TOEFL: 101+). Applicants who are US citizens, have English as their first language or earned a bachelor’s in English don’t need a proficiency test.
• Submit standardized test scores for the GRE and GMAT. (GRE: 307+ and GMAT: 600+)
• Have a 3.72+ GPA in their bachelor’s degree.

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What are the application deadlines for academic degree programs at Stanford University?

Here’s a list of the dates and admission deadlines for different types of Stanford admission:

First-year applicants

These applicants are required to submit their common application by 11:59 p.m. according to their time zone on the following dates:

• If you want to submit your application in restrictive early action (REA), remember these dates:
• October 15 for submitting an application with an optional arts portfolio.
• November 1 is the standard application deadline for REA.
• If you want to submit your admission through regular decision, check these deadlines:
• Application with an optional arts portfolio should be submitted on December 5.
• The standard application deadline is January 5 for first-year regular decisions.

Transfer applicants

Students who want to study at Stanford as a transfer student should know about the following admission deadlines:

Note: The international students who want to study at Stanford as first-year or transfer applicants have the same deadlines.

Graduate applicants

Admissions for Stanford academic programs at the graduate level are closed for 2026. However, students can wait for admissions for the 2027 session that will open in mid-September 2026.

What is the Stanford University cost of attendance and tuition fees?

The average cost to study one year at Stanford is around $67,731 for the year 2025 to 2026. However, the total estimated cost of attendance that involves charges like housing fees, living expenses, food, and health is $97,545.

Explore the estimated cost of attendance and tuition fees for undergraduates and graduates at Stanford.

Undergraduate & Graduate cost of attendance

The estimated Stanford university’s cost of attendance for undergraduate students for year 2026-2027 is:

The estimated Stanford University cost of attendance for graduate course includes the following expenses:

Undergraduate and Graduate tuition fees

The Stanford University undergraduate tuition fees for the year 2025-2026 is around:

Meanwhile, the tuition fees for graduates at Stanford is around:

Note: The unit represents three hours of work per week. According to this, a three-unit course will require 9 hours of work on a weekly basis.

What are the types of aid offered by Stanford University undergraduates?

Stanford offers need-based scholarships or financial aid for the applicants to make education affordable at the undergraduate level.

University scholarship

The Stanford University scholarship is considered the primary source of funding for need-based cases. The eligibility criteria for the university scholarship are determined by evaluating the financial condition of one’s family from the CSS profile.

Federal grants

The undergraduates at Stanford can also apply for the following federal grants by US government:

1. Federal Pell Grant
2. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant

To be eligible to receive this scholarship grant, the applicants should fill out their family’s financial information in the FAFSA form.

Note: The international applicants are not eligible to apply for federal or state-level funds.

State grants

The students who aren’t eligible for the university funds can apply for the Cal grant funds. They can share the copy of the Cal Grant fund award notification with the university.

Student employment

The applicants can also cover the student’s responsibility in the financial aid section by exploring employment opportunities. They can look for on-campus or off-campus jobs.

These employment opportunities often involve direct pay from the employer or combined pay, including funds through the Federal work-study program. In this case, the students are required to do some community work for the Federal work-study program.

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Outside scholarship

Students can also deal with the student responsibility portion by getting outside scholarships. However, if you get a Stanford University scholarship and an outside scholarship that exceeds your student’s responsibility, your need-based eligibility will decrease.

Loans

The university doesn’t recommend the students to take student loans if they don’t want to work. However, they assist the students who can’t work during their studies and require loans.

How to get a scholarship at Stanford University?

The university offers a range of need-based scholarships for students to make education affordable. According to statistics, 70% of undergraduates at Stanford University have received some form of financial assistance.

Stanford University offers complete tuition, board and room financial aid for the student with an annual family income below $100,000. Moreover, the university also provides free tuition for undergraduates whose annual family income is below $150,000.

Learn how to get eligible for a scholarship or financial aid at Stanford in different cases:

Stanford financial aid for domestic students

Here are the steps to get financial aid as a local applicant:

• Create a CSS profile: Apply online by using code 4707. Divorced or separated parents should provide separate CSS forms. Use a Noncustodial Parent Waiver Request form if you don’t have contact with your non-custodial parents. Submit the profile to the IDOC.
• IDOC (Institutional documentation service): After submitting a CSS profile, applicants will be notified to complete the IDOC process. Submit the tax returns, W-2 forms, and income statements of your parents. Applicants should include the documents of both parents if they are separated or divorced.
• FAFSA: It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Applicants can apply online by using code 001305. Applicants should provide the tax return and income statements of their parents.

Stanford financial aid for international students

To get the Stanford financial aid as an international student, check the following requirements:

• Create a CSS profile: Apply online by using the university code 4707. Separated or divorced parents will have to provide separate CSS profiles. Get a Noncustodial Parent Waiver Request form and provide supporting documents if you aren’t in contact with parents. If you can’t pay the fees for a CSS profile, submit the International Student Application for Financial Assistance through the document upload process.
• International Student Supplement: Submit the form after completing and signing it.
• IDOC for Canadian citizens: Complete the IDOC process after submitting a CSS profile. Submit signed copies of Canadian tax return statements through the IDOC process.

Stanford financial aid for graduate students

The graduates who want to avail the Stanford University scholarships or financial assistance have two options:

•  FAFSA: It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It can be submitted to the US Department of Education to get federal grants. (International applicants can’t get this grant.)

• Graduate Student Loan Application: It is an online application by Stanford that helps students apply for student loans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Stanford University harder than Harvard University?

Stanford also offers the majors that are offered by Ivy League schools in the United States. It is a well-known institute to study majors like computer science, engineering, political science, and more.

It also achieved third spot in the ranking of national universities by the US news. The Stanford University ranking was besides Ivy League famous schools like Harvard and Yale.

The acceptance rate of the university is around 4 to 5 percent according to various sources. Meanwhile, the acceptance rate of Harvard University is around 3.6%, which means it is more difficult to get into.

Q. Can a 3.7 GPA get you into Stanford?

According to Stanford, the undergraduate admission criteria focus on holistic application review. However, even though there isn’t a fixed Stanford GPA requirement, the applicants should consider the GPA of enrolled students.

However, according to research, the average students who’ve been admitted to the undergraduate programs has a 3.94 high school GPA. This means you need to get a GPA between 3.7 and 4.0 to get into Stanford easily.

Q. Does Stanford offer any exchange student programs for undergraduates?

No, the university doesn’t offer any exchange student programs for the undergrads. If you are already pursuing a bachelor’s degree at another university, then you can utilize the transfer application.

However, if you are not even eligible for the transfer application for bachelor’s in Stanford University, use the graduate option. Moreover, interested students who can’t get a bachelor’s degree from Stanford should choose a course from Stanford Summer Session.