Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026

Stanford University Acceptance Rate & Average GPA

Check here Stanford University Acceptance Rate for all year. Here I have listed Stanford University Acceptance Rate

• Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2022
• Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2023
• Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2024
• Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2025
• Stanford University Acceptance Rate 2026

Stanford University Acceptance Rate: Stanford University can be found in Stanford, CA, and is a private, non-profit institution focused on a small limited number of available programs. Stanford University has an enrollment of around 18,000 students.

Students may submit ACT and SAT results for evaluation at Stanford University. Scores in the range 1440 to 1570 in the SAT exam or between 32 or 35 for the ACT are within the 25th-75th percentile of accepted students.

Based on samples of GPA data gathered and applied, it’s believed that Stanford University’s average GPA range for accepted students ranges from 3.90 between 3 and 4.

The acceptance rate at Stanford University is considered highly competitive, with just 4 percent of students who applied being accepted.

Utilizing data on acceptance rates from the previous years, we can predict an acceptance rate of around 4%. Stanford University’s acceptance rate in 2021 will be about 4 percent.

Stanford university overview

Stanford University (Leland Stanford Junior University) is a Private research institute situated within Stanford, California, just 35 miles south of San Francisco and 20 miles north of San Jose. It is situated in an area of 8,180 acres.

Stanford is among the largest universities in the United States, with nearly 17,000 students, 18 interdisciplinary research institutes as well as seven schools located all on one campus.

Stanford is well-known for its entrepreneurial students who invent, create and promote important initiatives that are globally recognized.

Established in 1885 with the help of California Senator Leland Stanford and his spouse, Jane, Stanford’s mission is “to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization. “

From humble beginnings up to today, Stanford is a university open to teachers and students from every walk of life.

Great minds of all walks of life, gender and religion, race and age groups work together at this prestigious college by sharing ideas, creating companies, and becoming global influencers.

Stanford Acceptance Rate

Unfortunately, Stanford will not be divulging admissions data for the class of 2026 as of this moment. The total amount of applicants won’t be available for several months. Our best estimation of the 2026 class of 2026’s acceptance rate is within the range of 3.5-4.5 percent.

Stanford received 55,471 applicants to be part of 2025’s class; they only accepted 2,190. The acceptance rate of 3.95 percent was the lowest in the school’s history.

In terms of historical context, The Class of 1978 was accepted at a 31% rate, and the class of 2011 marked the only time the school had an acceptance rate of double-digits.

Stanford Admissions – SAT, GPA, and Class Rank

The mid-to-low 50 percent SAT area for class for 2025 ranged from 1420-1570, for the ACT range was between 32 and 35. In the previous year, an astounding 83% of students scored higher than 700 on the math portion of the SAT, and 77% achieved a score above 700 in the reading section.

Ninety-six percent have been able to rank within the top 10 percent of high school’s graduating class, and the median GPA was 3.96. Amazingly, 96 freshmen earned a 3.75 or better overall GPA that was not weighted throughout their college career.

It is vital to know that because of COVID-19, Stanford was a test-optional school for the past two admissions cycles.

Stanford GPA Requirements

A lot of schools have minimum GPA requirements. However, this is typically only the minimum required for applicants to be able to submit their applications without having to worry about being rejected immediately.

The GPA is the most important requirement. It is the GPA you require to have a real chance of getting into. To determine this, we analyze the average GPA of the current students.

Stanford’s mean GPA at the University of Stanford at Stanford is 3.96.

(Most schools have a weighted GPA based on 4.0. However, some schools have an unweighted grade.

With a GPA that is 3.96, Stanford requires you to be at the highest in your field. It is essential to score nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete against other applicants.

Additionally, you must be taking challenging classes that are AP and IB courses to prove that college-level education is effortless.

If you’re an undergraduate or senior, your GPA is difficult to alter before college applications. If your GPA is below or below the average of your school, which is 3.96, you’ll need more of an SAT or ACT score to make up for it. This will allow you to be competitive against candidates with higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Other Stanford Application Requirements

These are the general academic requirements for Stanford. What about all the other requirements? Stanford admissions officers want to know about everything else.

Stanford admissions require that you report your grades and SAT scores. However, there are a few other key aspects to the process.

• SAT and two SAT Subject Test Scores, or ACT scores
• Two teacher recommendations and one counselor letter
• A high school transcript
• A mid-year report
• A $90 application fee or fee waiver
• A completed Common Application
• Stanford-specific essays

How Stanford Evaluates Applicants

Stanford lists the nine categories listed below as “very important” to the admissions process: the application essay, recommendation letters, and extracurricular activities, the rigorousness of the secondary school records and class rank GPA, GPA, the scores of standardized tests, talent/ability, and personal qualities.

They consider zero aspects in the category of “important” and seven as “considered.” These are the following: first-generation interview status, second-generation status, geographical residency, and racial/ethnic background, as well as volunteering as well as paid work experience.

For extracurricular activities, it’s crucial to have a “hook” when applying to Stanford. For instance, Stanford has the top athletic program in the nation and has 36 varsity sports teams. Of the 900 students participating in intercollegiate athletics, over 350 are awarded athletic scholarships.

Suppose you’re a great player who is heavily sought after by coaches at Stanford. The chances of being accepted increase exponentially, especially if you’re “in range” academically.

If you are less athletically inclined, perhaps you are a star orator and future member of the Stanford Debate Society or possess talents such as an ethnographer, playwright, cellist, poet, scientist, robotics engineer, app designer, or community organizer.

How do I apply to Stanford?

To apply to Stanford as a freshman, you will need a Common Application and the Coalition Application. A $90 non-refundable fee or a request to waive the fee will be required. You will need to submit your ACT and SAT scores. However, you can either self-report or have them sent to school.

You will need a school report from your guidance counselor, two teacher recommendations, official transcripts, and a midyear transcript for your senior years by February 15.

You will access the Stanford questions when you open the Common Application or Coalition Application. These questions are unique to Stanford, and you will need to answer them as part of your application. A Common Application essay prompt or Coalition Application essay prompt will be required.

You must write an essay on it. Stanford University provides three short essay questions that are specific to Stanford University. You will need to answer them all.

Give yourself enough time to complete your application. You can start your application well before the deadline to allow others to review it and give feedback before you submit it.

This will help you avoid making mistakes and missing important details. Once you are happy with your application, you should submit it by the deadline. After you have been admitted, listing the degrees you are interested in will not make you commit to them.

How does Stanford’s application process work?

You can apply to Stanford in your senior year of high school. You will likely have a high GPA and top scores on the ACT and SAT. You should have also been involved in a few other areas and ranked at the national or state level.

Stanford has two application processes, including regular decision and restrictive early action. If you already have the ACT and SAT scores you need, you may choose to apply for the restrictive early action process.

Stanford’s policy states that you cannot apply to another private university’s early decision, early action, or restrictive early application processes if you apply through the early action process.

You will be allowed to apply to other private universities via their normal decision process if you apply through the restrictive early action plan. Stanford’s restrictive early action plan is not binding, so you won’t be required to enroll if accepted.

Regular decision is Stanford’s traditional application procedure. If your grades are rising or you require more time to retake the ACT or SAT, this might be a better option. This is a great choice if you’re taking more challenging courses than you did in your high school years.

Admissions Trends & Notes – (Class of 2025)

• The Class of 2025 will have 18% first-generation students, a decrease of 20% from the previous cycle.
• After being admitted to the Class in 2024, 369 Class of 2025 members took a gap year.
• The 2025 Class was the largest in school history, with 2,126 students (including gap-year students).
• The number of international students grew from 9.9% (Class 2024) up to 12%.
• Between the 2019-20 and 2020-21 admissions cycles, the acceptance rate dropped from 5.19% down to 3.95%.

Tips for Applying to Stanford

This is important information for all 55,000+ Stanford applicants:

• Interviews are not required for admissions. However, all applicants have the option to pursue an optional alum interview. Interviews can be conducted in person or via video chat. Volunteers invite applicants to apply by email.
• College Interview Tips – For tips on the types of questions that you should prepare to answer/ask, visit our blog
• Due to the aforementioned high yield rate, Stanford doesn’t consider ” displayed interest.” This is why you don’t need to contact the university for this purpose. Because of their high yield rate, they don’t need to worry about this factor that can play a greater role at other institutions.
• Do your best to make your application come to life. This includes finding recommenders who share your passion and can help you showcase your unique personality. Writing essays is also important.
• Because there are eight of them, ensure you give enough time and effort to the supplemental essays. Correct! They are 8! They were the following in the 2021-22 cycle:

Who Actually Gets Into Stanford?

Let’s take a look at the demographics of Stanford undergraduates. Stanford:

Geographically terms of geography, it is said that the Cardinal student body consists of students who are from the following countries:

• California: 35%
• Other U.S.: 52%
• International: 13%

Stanford, as with most elites, prefers to attain a degree of geographical diversification that lets them declare that they have class members from nearly every state. The class of 2025 includes students from 48 states and seven nations.

If you’re in or are from the Deep South or a less-populated state, such as Montana or Idaho, where you live, your place of residence is more likely to increase your admission chances than if you reside somewhere in California or New York.

In analyzing the ethnicity of the entire undergraduate student body, the break-up was as below:

• White: 29%
• Asian American: 25%
• Hispanic: 17%
• African American: 7%
• American Indian: 1%
• International: 11 %
• A race or two A minimum of 10 10%

Examining the kind of high school class 2025, the places they came from including the following:

• Public: 60%
• Private: 27%
• International: 13%
• Homeschool: 1%

The breakdown of genders among students in the current academic year is as the following:

• Men: 49%
• Women: 51%

Applying to Stanford As An International Student

Stanford believes that international students constitute a vital part of the university’s community as they provide knowledge and experiences that diversify the campus and develop a deep culture.

Many admissions team members have experience evaluating international students based on their regional and cultural differences. They assess international students by their academic program and resources in their country of origin.

Yield Rate

The yield rate at Stanford, which is the percentage of accepted students who choose to enroll divided by the total number who were admitted, was 80% for Class 2025.

This ranks Stanford behind Yale (83%), Harvard University (85%), and Yale (83%) for the highest school ranking in the country. Both Penn and Dartmouth have yield rates of 70-77%. The yield rates at elite schools such as Duke, Notre Dame, and Cornell are above 60%.

SAT Score Choice Policy

Your school’s Score Choice policy is an important part of your testing strategy.

Stanford’s Score Choice policy is “All Scores.” “

Stanford will require you to submit all SAT scores that you have ever taken to their office.

Although this sounds scary, most schools don’t consider all scores equally. They won’t average scores from two different tests, so if one score is 1300 and the other is 1500, it doesn’t mean they will average them.

We researched the score policies at Stanford and found the following policy:

We will be focusing on the SAT’s individual Critical Reading, Math, and Writing scores.

Some students still worry about too many test scores. Stanford may not approve of too many attempts at improving your score. But how many is enough?

We learned from research and speaking with admissions officers that 4-6 is the safest number to submit. Retaking the test can help you get the best chance of being admitted to college. They don’t care how many times it’s been taken. They will only care about your score.

Colleges will start to question why you aren’t improving each time you take the test more than six times. They will question your ability to learn and study.

We strongly recommend that you retake the test if your score is below 6. If your SAT score is below 1550, you should seriously consider preparing for the SAT and retaking.

There is nothing to lose, and you have the potential to raise your score significantly and increase your chances of being accepted.

ACT Score Sending Policy

When you’re studying the ACT instead of the SAT, You have an advantage in how you submit scores. This drastically influences your testing strategy.

Here’s the thing: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you are in complete control over the tests you submit. You could take 10 tests and then only send your top one. This is in contrast to the SAT; many schools will require you to send all the tests you have ever taken.

This means you’ll have greater chances than you think to increase the quality of your ACT score. To try to achieve the school’s ACT requirements of 35 or above, you must make an effort to take the ACT at least as many times as you can. When you’ve received the score you are happy with, then forward that score only to all of your schools.

Application Fee

In addition, you’ll have to pay $90 for the application fee to complete your application via these online portals. This fee can be waived if you can prove the financial hardship.

Application Deadlines

As you create the needed materials, bear your eye on the deadlines you’ll need to meet! Everything you submit to Stanford is due by the deadline:

* November 1 for Single-Choice Early Action

* January 1 for Regular Decision

Early Action results are made public around mid-December. Regular decision applicants are notified online in April. Admissions students must decide on May 1 whether they’ll attend.

What should I put in my personal statement for Stanford?

You must respond to the Common or Coalition Application essay prompt and answer Stanford’s questions. Draft responses might be something you consider writing in the summer before your senior year.

You can use your essay and answer short questions to demonstrate why Stanford should accept you. Your story must be memorable and compelling. You should also be able to explain your passion and what makes you tick.

Write several drafts of your essay, along with short answers. Then have someone else review them. It would help if you did not use words you found in a thesaurus.

Instead, your written responses should be written in your own words. Make sure to proofread and edit your written responses, so you don’t make grammatical mistakes.

Your parents should never write essays or short answers. This is not a good idea and could lead to your application being rejected quickly.

Admission officers read thousands of applications annually and can identify when a parent has written essays for their child. You can ask someone you trust to help you brainstorm ideas. Write, rewrite and rewrite until you have a great idea.

Does Stanford require an interview?

Interviews will be conducted by Stanford alums, who may not be all applicants. Interviews are conducted by Stanford alumni volunteers, who will give you the chance to learn more about Stanford. Interviews also allow the admissions office to get to know you better.

The alum will contact the candidate by phone or email if they are selected for an interview. You must respond quickly to the email to schedule a time and place for your interview. Talk to other Stanford interviewees and browse blogs about Stanford interviews.

These people can help you understand the questions you may be asked and how to prepare. It is a good idea to practice interviewing with someone who can ask the questions you expect in the same place you will be interviewing. This will help you feel more at ease and less anxious during the day.

Dress nicely, but don’t overdress when you meet your interviewer. Be on time and ensure eye contact with your interviewer. Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and respond thoughtfully.

Do not interrupt someone interviewing you. Be prepared to ask your questions. Your interview should last between 30 and an hour. The interviewer will then write a brief report about you and what impression they have about your compatibility with Stanford.

Is Stanford Right For You?

Stanford is a top school with a wealth of professional and academic resources. However, it’s not ideal for all. Please do not apply to Stanford due to its prestigious reputation or rankings.

Stanford admissions officers can tell whether you’re passionate about the school or just choosing it because of the name. Pick Stanford because it resonates with you like no other institution and provides the training and programs required to excel in your future career.

Stanford is a place full of open-minded, positive, optimistic, and smart people. If you’re ambitious, creative-driven, and enjoy working in an environment of diversity with some of the most innovative minds, It’s time to apply to Stanford!

But remember that only a small portion of applicants are admitted to Stanford. Don’t get discouraged if you do not get accepted. Many students who are among the globe’s most skilled and gifted students are not accepted into this top school. You might want to consider a school within the Ivy League or one of the top universities within the University of California system.

You should have a clear list of security and targets and achieve schools that meet your career and academic goals. If you decide you want to go to Stanford next time, you should focus on enhancing the weaker parts of your application to be more successful than the previous one!

FAQS

Is it harder to get into Harvard or Stanford?

Stanford University is the most popular college in America, even higher than Harvard. In March, it declared that the admission percentage for its class for next year is 5.05 per cent.

Is Stanford or Harvard better?

Harvard: Rankings. Stanford is a better choice in terms of ranking. Both schools have a small amount of difference on various rankings lists.

For instance, QS World University ranks Stanford first and Harvard 5th as the top business school of 2020.

What kind of people do Stanford accept?

The most important criterion to be considered for the admission process at Stanford will be high academic performance. We are looking for your potential and preparation to be successful.

We expect you to push yourself through high school and to perform exceptionally proficiently. The most important credential to evaluate your academic performance is your transcript from high school.

What is the lowest GPA Stanford will accept?

A 3.96 GPA

You must also be able to boast at least a 3.96 GPA or more. If you’re GPA is less than this, you’ll need to make up for it with an ACT or SAT higher score.

For a school as selective as Stanford and Stanford, you’ll need to impress them with the other components of your applications.

Is 1450 a good SAT score for Stanford?

Stanford SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

That is, a score of 1440 is lower than average, while 1550 can bring you above average. There isn’t an absolute SAT prerequisite at Stanford; however, they need at least 1440 to stand the chance of getting considered.

Final Thoughts

One more point to remember is that Stanford University is so selective that even if an excellent candidate, it is logical to apply to schools similar to it, such as Yale University, Harvard University and Princeton University.

Have fun! Remember, in case you need help with how to figure out your GPA, when you should take your SAT or ACT or what extracurricular activities you can take part in and how to enjoy your time in summer, or what is the best topic to write your essays on–you can find us!