Stanford University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Stanford University is a private nonprofit college in Stanford, CA. Students pay about $13,807 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $124,080 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 0.9 years and adds $706,572 over a decade, ranking it #5 of 918 (top 1%) by value added.
What is Stanford University's acceptance rate?
Stanford University has an acceptance rate of 3.6%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Stanford, CA enrolling about 7,554 students, with a 92.4% graduation rate.
How much does Stanford University cost?
Stanford University costs about $13,807 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $67,228. Published sticker cost of attendance is $87,833 per year.
How much do Stanford University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Stanford University student earns $124,080 per year. That is $77,380 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Stanford University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Stanford University pays back its roughly $67,228 cost in about 0.9 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $706,572 net of cost, a 11.51x return on the money invested. That ranks it #5 of 918 (top 1%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by a low net price and strong graduate earnings.
Top 10% value
Stanford University graduation rate and student debt
92.4% of Stanford University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $12,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 10% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Stanford University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Stanford University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $13,807 | $20,299 | cheaper than 80% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $124,080 | $54,768 | 99th |
| Graduation rate | 92.4% | 57.0% | 97th |
| Acceptance rate | 3.6% | 75.7% | more selective than 100% |
| 10-yr value added | $706,572 | -$28,192 | 100th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 11.51x | 0.73x | 100th |
| Payback period | 0.9 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 100% |
How Stanford University compares with its nearest rivals
Stanford University ranks #5 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 1 of them cost less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Stanford University is a private nonprofit college in Stanford, CA with 7,554 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $87,833 a year, but the average aided family pays $13,807, an 84% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $12,000, equal to 10% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Stanford University: 3.6% of applicants are admitted.
- Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Albany, NY; #5 of 918; 68.2% graduate) costs $16,075 more per year ($29,882 net), and its graduates earn $7,346 more ten years out ($131,426). Stanford University adds $4,340 more ten-year value than Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences pays back its cost in 1.7 years.
- Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA; #4 of 918; 92.8% graduate) costs $22,117 more per year ($35,924 net), and its graduates earn $14,607 more ten years out ($138,687). Harvey Mudd College adds $44,602 more ten-year value than Stanford University. Harvey Mudd College pays back its cost in 1.8 years.
- MCPHS University (Boston, MA; #6 of 918; 62.7% graduate) costs $25,738 more per year ($39,545 net), and its graduates earn $1,477 more ten years out ($125,557). Stanford University adds $101,182 more ten-year value than MCPHS University. MCPHS University pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA; #3 of 918; 93.8% graduate) costs $2,268 more per year ($16,075 net), and its graduates earn $4,486 more ten years out ($128,566). California Institute of Technology adds $47,788 more ten-year value than Stanford University. California Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 0.8 years.
- Princeton University (Princeton, NJ; #7 of 918; 97.4% graduate) costs $7,679 less per year ($6,128 net), and its graduates earn $14,014 less ten years out ($110,066). Stanford University adds $107,744 more ten-year value than Princeton University. Princeton University pays back its cost in 0.5 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | #3 | $16,075 | $128,566 | 93.8% | $754,360 |
| Harvey Mudd College | #4 | $35,924 | $138,687 | 92.8% | $751,174 |
| Stanford University | #5 | $13,807 | $124,080 | 92.4% | $706,572 |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | #5 | $29,882 | $131,426 | 68.2% | $702,232 |
| MCPHS University | #6 | $39,545 | $125,557 | 62.7% | $605,390 |
| Princeton University | #7 | $6,128 | $110,066 | 97.4% | $598,828 |
Stanford University and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences share rank #5: Stanford University was added after the 918-college snapshot was ranked and is placed against it without renumbering, so existing ranks stay stable.
Paying for Stanford University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Stanford University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Stanford University ranks #5 of 918 (top 1%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 11.51x the money invested over a decade.
Is Stanford University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $13,807 average net price is below the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 80% of them.
Do Stanford University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $124,080 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 99% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Stanford University compared to other colleges?
Its 3.6% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 100% of the colleges in the snapshot.
Get the full college ROI dataset (free, CC-BY)
The ranked dataset in JSON. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.