Stanford Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

Stanford admitted 2,067 students out of 57,326 applicants for the Class of 2028, resulting in a 3.61% acceptance rate, the lowest in the university’s history.

For the Class of 2030, Stanford has not yet released complete admissions results. The university also does not publicly disclose Restrictive Early Action (REA) or Regular Decision (RD) data, meaning detailed early and regular acceptance rates remain unavailable. Typically, Stanford releases its overall admissions statistics later in the admissions cycle once the class is finalized.

In this blog, we’ll break down Stanford’s latest available overall, early, regular, waitlist, and transfer acceptance rates and explore how they have changed over time.

• Stanford Acceptance Rates
• Stanford Early Action Acceptance Rate
• Stanford Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• Stanford Transfer Acceptance Rate
• Stanford Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Stanford Acceptance Rates

Stanford’s most recent overall admissions data show a 3.61% acceptance rate for the Class of 2028, with 2,067 students admitted from 57,326 applicants. This marks a slight decline from the 3.91% acceptance rate for the Class of 2027.

Over the past several years, Stanford’s acceptance rate has hovered between roughly 3.6% and 4%, a notable drop compared with earlier cycles when rates were above 4%. While the number of admitted students has stayed relatively stable at just over 2,000 per class, fluctuations in application volume continue to influence the final acceptance rate. Here’s the complete picture:

Note: All data has been compiled from Stanford’s Common Data Set.

Applications to Stanford have climbed noticeably over the past decade, rising from 44,073 for the Class of 2021 to 57,326 for the Class of 2028. A major inflection point came during the pandemic, when Stanford adopted test-optional admissions in 2020, a policy change that likely encouraged more students to apply and contributed to the surge in application volume.

Meanwhile, the number of admitted students has stayed relatively stable, generally just above 2,000 admits per year. With the class size remaining consistent while applications increased, Stanford’s acceptance rate gradually tightened from 4.73% for the Class of 2021 to 3.61% for the Class of 2028.

Stanford Early Action Acceptance Rate

Stanford does not publicly release detailed Restrictive Early Action admissions statistics. As a result, it’s not possible to calculate Stanford’s REA acceptance rate from official data.

That said, at many peer institutions that offer early programs such as Restrictive Early Action, Early Action, or Early Decision, early applicants historically have higher acceptance rates than Regular Decision applicants. While Stanford’s specific numbers are not disclosed, the early round is still widely considered a strategic option for applicants who are confident that Stanford is their top choice.

Stanford Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

Stanford does not publish detailed Regular Decision admissions statistics, including the number of RD applicants, RD admits, or the RD acceptance rate. Because the university only releases overall admissions totals, it is not possible to calculate a separate RD acceptance rate from official data.

Even without separate RD figures, it is widely understood that at highly selective universities, Regular Decision acceptance rates tend to be lower than early round rates, since the RD pool is significantly larger and includes the majority of applicants.

For Stanford, the overall acceptance rate therefore offers the clearest available indicator of how competitive the admissions process is each year.

Stanford Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available Stanford transfer data comes from Fall 2024, when the university reported a 1.58% transfer acceptance rate. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Fall 2024 transfer data is from Stanford’s Common Data Set for 2024-2025, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2028 first-year admissions data.

Stanford’s transfer process is even more selective than its already competitive first-year admissions. The 1.58% transfer acceptance rate is significantly lower than the 3.61% overall first-year acceptance rate reported for the Class of 2028.

Stanford Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent waitlist data available comes from the Class of 2028 cycle, which had a 6.04% waitlist acceptance rate. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Waitlist data is sourced from Stanford’s Common Data Set for the corresponding admissions cycle.

Like at many highly selective universities, Stanford’s waitlist is highly unpredictable because it depends largely on the year’s yield rate, or how many admitted students accept their offers. If the yield is higher than expected, the university may admit few or no students from the waitlist. If it is lower, more waitlisted applicants may receive offers.

If you find yourself on Stanford’s waitlist, reviewing our comprehensive Stanford waitlist guide can help you understand what steps may strengthen your chances if the university turns to the waitlist later in the cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Stanford’s current acceptance rate?

The most recent confirmed acceptance rate is 3.61% for the Class of 2028. Stanford received 57,326 applications and admitted 2,067 students.

2. Is it easier to get into Stanford through Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision?

Stanford does not publish separate Restrictive Early Action and Regular Decision acceptance rates. However, at many peer institutions, early applicants historically have higher acceptance rates than RD applicants, though the early pool is often extremely competitive.

3. How hard is it to transfer to Stanford?

Transferring to Stanford is extremely difficult. For Fall 2024, only 65 out of 4,120 applicants were admitted, resulting in a 1.58% transfer acceptance rate. This is significantly lower than Stanford’s 3.61% overall first-year acceptance rate for the Class of 2028.

4. What are my chances of getting off Stanford’s waitlist?

Your chances depend largely on the year’s yield and Stanford’s enrollment needs. In the Class of 2028 cycle, 25 students were admitted from the waitlist out of the 414 who confirmed their spots, resulting in a 6.04% waitlist acceptance rate.

5. Why is Stanford’s acceptance rate so low?

Stanford’s low acceptance rate reflects the gap between massive application volume and a limited class size. Each year, tens of thousands of students apply, but the university admits only a little over 2,000 students, making admission extremely competitive.

Takeaways

• Stanford’s acceptance rate has steadily declined from 4.73% for the Class of 2021 to 3.61% for the Class of 2028, the lowest in the university’s history.
• Stanford does not release Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision acceptance rates, publishing only overall admissions totals each year.
• Stanford’s Fall 2024 transfer acceptance rate was 1.58%, significantly lower than the 3.61% first-year acceptance rate for the Class of 2028.
• Waitlist admissions are even more unpredictable, with 25 students admitted out of 414 confirmed spots, a 6.04% waitlist acceptance rate for the Class of 2028.
• Given Stanford’s extremely selective admissions process, working with a college admissions expert can help you strengthen your profile and present your strongest possible application.