First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Restrictive early action Apply early and hear early, but you usually cannot apply early to other private colleges. Not binding. | November 1, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 5, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: admission.stanford.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Stanford University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 5 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Chemistry | 5 | 10 CHEM 31A/31B or 31E | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 5 CS 105,106A | |
| Microeconomics | 5 | ECON 1 | |
| CS Principles | 4 | 5 CS 105 | |
| Calc AB Subscore | 5 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Chinese French German Italian Japanese Spanish | 5 | 10 (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 |
Show all 11 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 5 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 10 MATH 19/20/21 | |
| Chemistry | 5 | 10 CHEM 31A/31B or 31E | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 5 CS 105,106A | |
| Microeconomics | 5 | ECON 1 | |
| CS Principles | 4 | 5 CS 105 | |
| Calc AB Subscore | 5 | 6 MATH 19/20 | |
| Chinese French German Italian Japanese Spanish | 5 | 10 (LANG*) 1A/2A or 1/2/3 | |
| Physics 1 and Physics 2 | 4 | 4 PHYSICS 21 | |
| Physics 1 and Physics 2 | 4 | 8 PHYSICS 21/23 | |
| Physics C Elect/Mag | 4 | 4 PHYSICS 23 | |
| Physics C Elect/Mag | 5 | 4 PHYSICS 43 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 PHYSICS 21 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 4 PHYSICS 41 |
Source: bulletin.stanford.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 341 |
| Human Biology | 133 |
| Engineering, Other | 117 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 109 |
| Cognitive Science | 101 |
| Political Science and Government | 80 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 76 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Other | 74 |
Show the other 50 majors
| Engineering/Industrial Management | 62 |
| International Relations and Affairs | 59 |
| Mathematics | 57 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 56 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 40 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 40 |
| Science, Technology and Society | 39 |
| English Language and Literature | 34 |
| Applied Mathematics, Other | 33 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 30 |
| Physics | 24 |
| Philosophy | 23 |
| Chemistry | 19 |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other | 19 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 19 |
| History | 17 |
| Sociology | 17 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 13 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 13 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 13 |
| Materials Engineering | 12 |
| Comparative Literature | 11 |
| Chemical Engineering | 10 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 10 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 10 |
| Civil Engineering | 9 |
| Linguistics | 9 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 9 |
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 8 |
| East Asian Studies | 7 |
| Anthropology | 7 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 7 |
| Music | 7 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 6 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 6 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 6 |
| Asian-American Studies | 5 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 4 |
| Data Science | 4 |
| American Indian/Native American Studies | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 3 |
| Geophysics and Seismology | 3 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other | 3 |
| Energy Systems Engineering | 2 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other | 2 |
| Archeology | 2 |
| Area Studies, Other | 1 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 1 |
| Italian Language and Literature | 1 |
| French Language and Literature | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Stanford University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #1 for Aerospace engineeringof 50 colleges
- #1 for Geology and earth sciencesof 50 colleges
- #1 for Materials science and engineeringof 49 colleges
- #1 for Mathematicsof 50 colleges
- #1 for Mechanical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #1 for Physicsof 50 colleges
- #1 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
- #2 for Chemistryof 50 colleges
Show the other 6 ranked programs
- #2 for Computer scienceof 50 colleges
- #3 for Biologyof 50 colleges
- #3 for Chemical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #3 for Electrical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #4 for Biomedical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #13 for Economicsof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, ACC
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing, Soccer, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor), Track and Field (Outdoor), Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, ACC
Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country, Fencing, Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Other Sports, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming and Diving (combined), Synchronized Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field (Indoor), Track and Field (Outdoor), Volleyball, Water Polo
Coed varsity · NCAA Division I, ACC
Sailing
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Greek life
21% of men in fraternities · 25% of women in sororities · 23% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2022–23)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), connection.newmanministry.com · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
Suburb, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
1,995,484 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
Nearest hub airport
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 19.0 of 20
Elevation
76 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
39°F
July high
79°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
12 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,980 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Santa Clara University14 mi
- California State University-East Bay17 mi
- San Jose State University17 mi
- Northeastern University Oakland24 mi
- San Francisco State University26 mi
- California College of the Arts27 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, suburban campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- University of Notre Dame8,968 students
- Southern Methodist University7,115 students
- Villanova University7,063 students
- Sacred Heart University6,960 students
- Elon University6,402 students
- Quinnipiac University6,248 students