Private nonprofit · University

Stanford University

Stanford, California · Large suburb

#3 most selective in California#4 for grad earnings in California
3.6%
Admit rate
$13,807
Avg net price
92%
Graduation rate
$124,080
Median earnings

Stanford University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Stanford, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 7,554 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 7,554 undergradsLarge suburbHighly selective · 4% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Atlantic Coast ConferenceNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Stanford University's admitted students.

Admit rate
3.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1510–1580
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Stanford University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Stanford University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Stanford, California

Stanford is a census-designated place in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the home of Stanford University, after which it was named. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
17 miles to San Jose, CA
To the ocean
4 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to San Carlos (SQL)

How Stanford University compares

Selectivity3.6%

More selective than 99% · #3 most selective of 107 in California

SAT average1553

Higher than 99%

Graduation rate92%

Higher than 97% · #11 of 122 in California

First-year retention98%

Higher than 96%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$124,080

Higher than 99% · #4 of 130 in California

Average net price$13,807

Cheaper than 77% · #30 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$12,000

Lower than 96%

Student–faculty ratio6 : 1

Lower than 94%

Undergraduate enrollment7,554

Larger than 85%

Percentiles compare Stanford University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Stanford University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

18,275students
  • Undergraduate7,55441%
  • Graduate10,72159%

Undergraduates by gender

7,554undergrads
  • Women3,73249%
  • Men3,82251%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White23%
  • Black7.4%
  • Hispanic17%
  • Asian29%
  • Other or multiracial24%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,554
Graduate enrollment
10,721
Student–faculty ratio
6 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
19%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$44,842
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$226,782
Endowment
$37,631,059,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,699 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California37%
  • Other U.S. states47%
  • International16%

A national draw — only 37% of first-years come from California; 47% arrive from other states.

16% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
3.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1510–1580
SAT average
1553
SAT reading
740–780
SAT math
770–800
ACT composite
34–35
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$65,910
Room & board
$21,315
Books & supplies
$825
Total cost of attendance
$87,833
Average net price
$13,807

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
92%
Graduated on time (4 years)
51%
First-year retention
98%
Transferred to another college
1%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$102,887
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$124,080
Median debt at graduation
$12,000
Students with federal loans
6%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
86%

About 41% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
51%
Low-income (Pell)
72%
First-generation
74%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
14,415
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$12,597
Meal plan (year)
$7,325
Application fee
$90
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
Varsity athletes
945 (452 men · 493 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (24)

Football110
Rowing75
Track and Field (Outdoor)73
Track and Field (Indoor)71
Soccer57
Swimming and Diving (combined)55
Water Polo49
Basketball40
Gymnastics39
Baseball38
Cross Country35
Lacrosse32
Sailing32
Volleyball31
Fencing27
Wrestling26
Field Hockey25
Beach Volleyball24
Softball22
Other Sports19
Synchronized Swimming18
Tennis18
Golf17
Squash12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
15.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
241
Property offenses (2022–2024)
607

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 12 campuses (18,625 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

283reported offenses a year
80 violent a year202 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
173
Rape
30
Burglary
28
Fondling
24
Aggravated assault
21
Robbery
3.0
Statutory rape
1.7
Arson
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
-$2,536
$30–48k
-$193
$48–75k
$3,212
$75–110k
$11,092
$110k+
$53,882

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$15,002

$3,212/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

55%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$61,082
average award, among those who get one

Stanford University discounts heavily: 55% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $61,082. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,733 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$124,080
Typical debt at graduation
$12,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
10%
Out-earn a HS grad
84%

Typical debt would take roughly under a year to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$106,831
Men
$138,258

Men out-earn women by $31,427 (29%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
39°F
Annual rain
15.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.63.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Palo Alto, CA US station (1.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Stanford University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Stanford University side by side →

Colleges near Stanford University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.