Admissions Factors
What Stanford University Looks For
Stanford University rates 9 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
How Stanford University rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
3.8%
2,302 of 60,646 applicants
Early decision admit rate
No early decision
Admitted from the waitlist
9.9%
57 of 573 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.94. 97% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Stanford University look for in applicants?
Stanford University rates 9 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent or ability and character and personal qualities.
Does Stanford University consider legacy status?
Stanford University rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Stanford University track demonstrated interest?
Stanford University rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Stanford University's waitlist acceptance rate?
573 students stayed on the waitlist and 57 were admitted, a rate of 9.9%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
Source: Stanford University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
