Stanford University Admissions 2025: Application Deadline, Requirements & Costs

Typically, GPAs are at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) for Stanford University MS applicants. Apart from this, we have given basic admission requirements to study graduate programs at Stanford University.

• Basic Education: To enroll in Stanford’s graduate programs, applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree or bachelor's degree in Engineering or Medicine.
• Standardized test scores (as applicable)
• English Language Proficiency Test scores: A TOEFL (iBT) exam score is sufficient to prove the English skills of international applicants. The minimum score required is 100 (except for the School of Engineering) and 89 if applying to the School of Engineering

Documents required for graduate programs at Stanford.

• Academic transcripts
• Standardized test score reports
• English language proficiency test scores (only TOEFL iBT accepted)
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Statement of Purpose
• Essays
• Resume

Also Read: Top 100 Universities for MS in USA

There are three academic quarters of graduate tuition. We have given estimated expenses for a regular graduate and school of engineering.

Full-time enrollment may be considered 8-10 or 11 units per quarter depending on the type of program. Note: It is an estimate of tuition only and does not include additional fees or class materials.

Also Read: Cost of Studying in USA for International Students 

There is no minimum GPA or test score required for securing admission at Stanford. Also, there is no specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted to Stanford. Stanford follows a policy of holistic admission.

This means that everything in your application is part of the application process and will be evaluated by the admissions committee. The primary factor for Stanford University admissions is academic excellence. It looks for students who can push themselves throughout high school and do very well. Apart from this, the school also wants to see your intellectual Vitality and like to see your commitment and interest in expanding your intellectual horizons

A. Stanford University cost for Indian students for some of the popular courses can be checked from the table given below: 

Living Expenses for Undergraduate Students 

Average Graduate Student Expenses

Read: Cost of Living in USA for International Students 

Stanford University follows a holistic admission policy. For undergraduate applicants, each and every part of the application is reviewed before granting admission. Below-given are the factors that are considered for Stanford University admission:

• The primary criterion is academic excellence through the transcripts
• Intellectual vitality
• Extracurricular activities such as what impact students had in their jobs (if any), in the club, in the school, etc.

Stanford University MBA program is one of the most selective programs by top business schools. The school received more than 6,000 applications and accepted just 431 candidates. Just the test scores won't be enough to secure admission to Stanford MBA. Apart from this, you need an excellent undergraduate GPA and relevant work experience.

Stanford University admissions requirements for MBA programme are given below: 

• The average undergraduate GPA for the class of 2025 was 3.77 
• The GMAT score required was 738
• Work experience of 5 years

Read: MBA Colleges in USA

For Stanford University admissions to the MBA program, the applicants are required to have the following things:

• A U.S. bachelor’s degree or equivalent is required. Also, the two-year master’s degree following the three-year bachelor’s degree is preferred but not required
• Academic transcripts
• GMAT / GRE test score
• Work experience is not required but applicants can submit CV if they want to (one-page resume)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Essays
• Optional short answer question
• Application fee

Indian students who want to take admission to the undergraduate courses at Stanford University should pay attention to the following:

• A very competitive SAT / ACT score
• TOEFL / IELTS scores
• Academic transcripts
• Records of leadership skills (if any)
• Records of internships
• Recommendation letters
• Statement of Purpose
• Any other aspect that reflects uniqueness
• Writing skills for essays

Stanford's admission committee assesses its foreign applicants’ academic qualifications as per the volume of nations’ educational systems. It includes the type of school they attended and the level of education they attained. Hence, there are some things mandatory for international applicants.

Given below is the list of the general Stanford University entry requirements for international students:

Stanford University MS in Computer Science admission requirements are given below:

• A bachelor’s degree
• While the university does not require a specific undergraduate coursework, it is important that applicants have Quantitative and Analytical skills; a bachelor’s degree is CS is not required
• Academic transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• TOEFL score
• Any relevant experience
• 3 academic or professional experiences
• Statement of Purpose
• Any other admission material

Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the top-ranked MBA programs in the U.S and graduates here are paid amongst the best globally.

• The median base salary reported by the graduates of 2022 was USD 175,000
• 93% of graduates received job offers within 3 months of graduation and about 85% of graduates accepted job offers in that time frame 
• Top industries were Finance, Technology and Consulting 

While considering the cost for an MBA programme at Stanford, one needs to take into factor various expenses. Below we have given the cost for different components that need to be considered for pursuing MBA. The living expense includes rent, food, and other personal expenses that a student will bear while pursuing his MBA at Stanford. Further, medical insurance is included in the cost of attendance for all the students even if they are covered by any other insurance plan.

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

The acceptance rate at Stanford is 3.68% which means that it is highly selective. Getting into an Ivy League university is a relatively tough call. Stanford is the most selective US college. Thousands of students in the US and across the world apply to Stanford every year, however, the ones with an excellent profile can make it. Being regularly ranked among the top universities in the world, the selection process at Stanford is highly selective. As per Stanford, out of 56,378 prospective students, 2,075 applicants were admitted and 1,736 matriculated, with a yield rate of 83.66%. Stanford University acceptance rate of 3.68% for the class of 2026 is a historic low for the university. Harvard was the only school that had an acceptance rate lower than Stanford's.

As a student at Stanford, here’s what they can do on the weekends:

• Join organizations that take you to places – teams or clubs with school-funded travel
• Take weekend trips with the Outdoor Center to Yosemite, St. Reyes, and other local landmarks
• Head north to Marin for amazing coastal hikes, food, and some quaint little towns like Bolinas
• Sit in the library and study
• Go to sporting events
• Go to California Avenue for brunch / dinner / lunch