Stanford has officially released its admissions offers for the Class of 2028. Last year, the overall acceptance rate at Stanford was 3.91% (for the Class of 2027 incoming freshman class), making its acceptance rate the second lowest in the nation, behind only Harvard. The prior year the rate was one full notch lower, having sunk to 3.68%, for the Class of 2026. Based on recent trends, we think you should anticipate an acceptance rate at Stanford somewhere between 3.6 and 4.6%, or a number in this vicinity, for its Class of 2028. More detailed statistics for the Class of 2028 will be revealed when Stanford releases the school's Common Data Set for the '24-'25 academic year.

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Stanford’s Acceptance Results for the Class of 2028

While Stanford has officially made offers to freshman who applied during the Regular Decision round for the fall semester of 2024 (Class of 2028), we'll have to wait for the Common Data Set to be released to get a close look at Stanford's admissions statistics for this year.

But, this year's numbers are not likely to stray substantially from recent trends. Last year, 53,733 students applied and only 2,099 received offers, yielding an acceptance rate of 3.9% for Stanford's Class of 2027, according to Stanford statistics.

With 1,699 students matriculating, Stanford experienced what has to be regarded as a remarkable yield rate of 81%, attesting to the school's stellar reputation.

The prior year, Stanford received 56,378 applications and admitted 2,075, delivering an even lower acceptance rate of 3.61% for the Class of 2026, the lowest acceptance rate in Stanford's history, and mirroring current trends at the nation's very top institutions.

Projecting Stanford's Class of 2028 Admissions Results

Based on recent admission trends at Stanford, it's reasonable to suppose that between 50,000 and 60,000 students have applied for admission to the Class of 2028.

As for the overall 2028 acceptance rate, it makes sense to project the rate will strike somewhere between 3.6% and 4.6%.

Unfortunately, Stanford probably won't elect to share admissions statistics for its Class of 2028, leaving us to wait until those figures are released in Stanford's Common Data Set for '24–'25.

Impact & Future of Test-Optional Admissions

It's widely believed that the adoption of test optional policies at top schools, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has often increased the size of applicant pools. Stanford admissions statistics mirror this trend, with the applicant pool rocketing up in size more than 20% at Stanford between admissions for the Class of '24 and the Class of '25.

Currently, Stanford officials have said the test optional policy will remain in place for now, at least for those applying for the Fall of 2025 (Class of 2029). If you plan to apply after that — for the Class of 2030 or beyond — it's too early to know how Stanford's testing policy may change, but a return to testing requirements would likely have a sizeable impact on Stanford's admissions statistics.

Stanford's Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

Beginning with Stanford's Class of 2024, Stanford officials have provided the public with limited admissions statistics, making it hard to discern acceptance rates that are disaggregated based on early vs. regular round applicants.

It's not uncommon for Regular Decision (RD) rates to hover well below overall admissions rates, and even further below the acceptance rates for early action rounds, such as Restrictive Early Action (REA) for Stanford. Differences in regular round and early action acceptance rates are common at highly selective schools and show up at Stanford as well, historically, in the years when the school provided more detailed admissions statistics.

Going back five or six years, we can get a more nuanced glimpse into how students who apply to Stanford during RD rounds are likely to be in a very competitive arena, with RD acceptance rates hovering approximately 1% lower than the overall acceptance rate.

Therefore, if the overall acceptance rate for Stanford's Class of 2028 turns out to be 4.25%, it's reasonable to estimate Stanford's RD acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 will strike somewhere between 3.3 and 3.7%.

With this in mind, you may thinking more seriously about applying early to Stanford, so let's look at Stanford's acceptance rate for early action rounds...

Stanford's Restrictive Early Action Acceptance Rate

Stanford officials discontinued reporting early round admissions statistics five years ago (Class of 2023), so we have to rely on some guesswork to consider what the Restrictive Early Action (REA) acceptance rate could be for Stanford's Class of 2028.

Five years ago, the REA acceptance rate at Stanford was 8.24% and was trending down from the prior years, down from 8.93% (Class of 2022) and 9.22% (Class of 2021), but well above the same year's overall acceptance rate of 4.2%.

Also, five years ago Stanford received 49,000 total applications, compared to 53,000 total applicants last year, for the Class of 2027, pointing to increasing competition in recent years.

If the overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 does indeed fall a bit below 4%, as in the last two years, then we could expect that the REA acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 will be about two times higher, yielding an estimated REA acceptance rate of just under 8% for Stanford's Class of 2028.

Your Potential REA Advantage

As challenging and competitive as an 8% admissions rate may be, Stanford's REA acceptance rate still seems to offer some advantages in comparison to the estimated RD decision rate.

If the RD rate for the Class of 2028 is indeed as low as 3.25 to 3.7%, the estimated REA acceptance rate, closer to 8%, would certainly be more favorable, making it an effective approach for many students.

That said, given the restrictive conditions Stanford imposes, and the more demanding timeline, students always should consider their options carefully.

In addition to being up to the challenge of applying early, you'll want to be sure to submit a meticulously prepared application that highlights your unique strengths and showcases exceptional academic readiness.

• Demonstrated Interest: As an early round applicant you're better positioned to demonstrate your strong interest in attending Stanford in particular, so it's important to highlight this alignment in your application materials as well.
• Statistical Advantage: In terms of numbers, applying early also puts you in a smaller applicant pool, offering you a straightforward numerical advantage.

Stanford's Admissions Statistics & Key Trends

Stanford's acceptance rate has generally remained near or below 5% over the last decade, with only nuanced moves up and down.

Four years ago, however, the overall acceptance rate changed more dramatically, dropping to 3.95% for the Class of 2025, from 5.19% for the Class of 2024.

For now and going forward, the larger applicant pools and excruciatingly low acceptance rates seem to be here to stay.

Let's highlight some of the more important trends and what they mean for prospective applicants.

Key Trends

• A Highly Competitive Status Quo: Over the past four years, Stanford's overall acceptance rate has hovered slightly beneath 4%, creating a steady and predictable, but remarkably competitive, admissions environment. However, even the higher acceptance rates that preceded Covid and test-optional admissions were quite competitive, well below 5% at Stanford. Given Stanford's high rankings and overall reputation as a Crimson Education top school, admission rates at Stanford are certain to remain very competitive.
• Shrinking Acceptance Rates Highlight the REA Advantage: With Stanford's overall acceptance rate for 2028 probably hovering just below 4% and the RD rate likely to be somewhere below 3.7%, the REA admission rate seems to offer a clear advantage, making an REA strategy something to seriously consider.
• Test-Optional Uncertainty: While several Ivy League schools are walking back test-optional admissions policies, we know that Stanford has committed to its test-optional policy for at least one more year, to include students applying to enter in the Fall of 2025. If Stanford reverts back to a test-mandatory policy beyond that, it's likely to have a sizeable impact on admissions statistics.

These trends align with the broader landscape of college admissions at top universities and colleges today, with admissions rates as competitive as they've ever been.

Stanford's reputation for excellence and its focus on recruiting high achieving students with strong academic and vocational aspirations and visions, and the school's commitment to test-optional admissions, are all factors likely to keep the school highly competitive.

Clearly, REA acceptance rates are at least somewhat more favorable, potentially offering a crucial advantage in a very competitive arena.

What Kind of Student Gets Into Stanford?

Stanford maintains a strong commitment to a holistic admissions process, with each piece of a student's application important for admissions.

Stanford’s Class of 2027 is made up of 1,705 matriculated students, about 50.2% women and 49.8% men, and is racially and ethnically diverse.

Stanford students excel academically, with academic excellence being "the primary criterion for admission" according to Stanford's officials. About 70% of students submitted either SAT or ACT test scores, and 96% ranked in the top tenth of their high school graduating class. The overall GPA of entering students, on average, was 3.9.

About 12% of students entering as first-year students are international students, representing some 76 different countries. Matriculated students also represented 49 different states.

About 20% of the entering students for the Class of 2027 were first-generation college students.

Keep engaged, and we'll provide more updates about admissions statistics and class profiles for the Class of 2028 as information becomes available.

How Crimson Can Help You Stand Out

Stanford's acceptance rates are lower now than ever, highlighting how challenging it has become to gain entry into top universities. In this highly competitive landscape, an experienced college admissions advisor can provide you with a significant edge.

Advisors offer personalized support informed by experience and insight, taking chance and guesswork out of the application process and helping you:

• Craft a Compelling Narrative: They work with you to identify your unique strengths, passions, and experiences. This helps shape a cohesive application that showcases your potential to contribute to the Stanford community.
• Navigate Strategic Choices: Advisors can provide insights on application timing (early vs. regular), test score submission, and highlight areas where you can further boost your profile.
• Excel in Every Aspect: From essay coaching to interview preparation, advisors ensure each application component is polished and demonstrates your preparedness for Stanford's exceptionally rich academic and research environment.

Proven Success in a Competitive Landscape

Crimson Education has a track record of helping students achieve their admissions goals. This year alone, over 200 Crimson students were accepted to top US universities in the early round. Here's a breakdown of our early-round numbers:

• 87 offers to the Ivy League.
• 163 offers to the US Top 20, including offers to Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, University of Chicago, Rice, Vanderbilt, and University of Notre Dame.
• 15% of Ivy League and 27% of top 20 early round applicants received offers to their dream schools.
• 670+ offers to the US Top 50, including offers to NYU, University of Michigan, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, University of Virginia, and Washington University in St. Louis.
• 1000+ offers to each student’s first choice school.

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Join our free webinars on US university applications
• Free eBooks and guides to help with the college application process