Stanford University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Stanford University is considered to be one of the best universities in the world as it has consistently retained its rank in the top 5 universities in the world. The quality of teaching and lifestyle at Stanford University is top-notch and makes it stand out as the leading research-intensive university. Standford University is an award winning university with more than 68 faculty, staff, and alumni gaining the Nobel Prize since 1952 and the institution has the most Turing award winners. Stanford has claimed the rank #6 in QS World University Rankings 2025 and is one of the most successful universities when it comes to entrepreneurships.

Below we have given Stanford University admission requirements for undergraduate courses

• USD 90 nonrefundable application fee
• ACT or SAT test scores (as applicable)
• School Report form and counselor letter of recommendation
• Official transcript (s) or academic results
• Letters of recommendation from two teachers
• Midyear transcript (by February 15)
• Proof of English proficiency

Stanford University admissions are not limited to academic scores, the university looks at the overall profile of the candidate. In a clear sense, the primary factor for admission is academic excellence. However, the university also wants to learn about your nonacademic interests and extracurricular activities that help them in understanding your contribution to its community.

Graduate Admissions 

• International students willing to take admission to Stanford University graduate courses must have a U.S. bachelor's degree or its international equivalent from a college or university of recognised standing. In other words, Indian students must have a bachelor's degree in Engineering or Medicine; or four-year bachelor's degree

Read: Requirements to Study in USA for International Students 

Stanford University acceptance rate is 3.9%. An acceptance rate of around 4% makes it one of the most selective universities in the world. Stanford University is a synonym for excellence in education. Tens of thousands of students from across the United States and around the world apply at Stanford University each year. It is one of the hardest universities to get into for international students. Stanford University has one of the most competitive admission processes in the world.

In order to complete Stanford University admissions process, the applicants are required to follow an application process. Given below are the steps to apply to Stanford University:

Undergraduate Admissions

The components required to complete Stanford University application for undergraduate courses are:

• Common application
• Application fee of USD 90
• School report form and counselor letter of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• Letter of recommendation from two teachers
• Any other document (as applicable)

Graduate Admissions

For the submission of Stanford University graduate application, the applicants are required to follow the steps given below:

• First of all, check the entry requirements
• Then, click on the relevant application button present on the Graduate admissions page of Stanford University
• Next, create a new application account and enter all the asked details like name, email id, birth date, etc.
• Then, follow the instructions to establish the account password
• Lastly, login and fill out the application and submit it
• The application fee to apply for Stanford University graduate courses is USD 125

Documents required for Stanford University graduate admissions

• Academic transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• CV / resume
• Letter of recommendation
• Statement of purpose

Stanford University's Graduate School of Business is quite difficult as its acceptance rate is between 6% - 7%. Even Forbes has listed that the Graduate School of Business acceptance rate is 6%. This indicates that the university's course of the School of Business are very selective. As such, the university has not mentioned the average GPA for MBA admission. But, average GPA for the MBA Class of 2026 is 3.75 and the average years of work experience is 5.1.

As of Autumn Quarter 2023, the total number of students enrolled at Stanford University is 17,000+. Out of this, 7,800+ are UG students and 9,600+ are PG students. Including all the study field, each year, around 500 Indians are enrolled at Stanford. UG international applicants are required to submit the following to take admission:

• USD 90 (Around INR 7,700) application fee
• Standardized test scores (if applicable)
• School report form and counsellor letter of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• Letters of recommendations from two teachers
• Mid-year transcript

For graduate courses requirements, the applicants can check the official website.

Harvard University acceptance rate is around 3.5%, whereas, Stanford University acceptance rate is around 3.9% or roughly 4%. This means that though Harvard is a little more selective than Stanford. But, both the universities are competitive on the similar lines. In order to get into Stanford, the applicants are required to have an exceptional academic record. On top of this, the applicants must aim to have some achievements in the extracurricular activities.

Students applying to Stanford in Fall 2025 will not require SAT or ACT scores. The university will review applications with or without standardized test scores, leaving the decision with the applicants. IF students do not submit SAT or ACT score, they will not be at a disadvantage. On the other hand, if the students feel these scores are a reflection of their achievements then they could do so. However, for Fall 2026, the university may require SAT or ACT score.