Stanford’s undergraduate application opens Aug. 1 for admission to the class entering in fall 2026. As previously announced, the university will reinstate a standardized testing requirement. The university will continue to study the consideration of legacy status in admissions and opt out of state financial aid funding in order to comply with recent California legislation.
The Faculty Senate’s Committee on Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid (C-UAFA) explored the role of standardized testing and voted to recommend the reinstatement of a mandatory testing requirement. Academic excellence is the primary criterion for admission to Stanford. Last year’s entering undergraduate class at Stanford had an average 3.94 high school GPA and an average 1540 SAT score, for those who submitted scores. Stanford considers each component of an application in context as part of an integrated and comprehensive whole.
Stanford leadership, trustees, and C-UAFA agreed to defer a definitive judgment on legacy considerations, following the passage of recent California legislation. California bill AB 1780, passed in 2024, restricts alumni or donor preference in admissions beginning this fall at a university “that receives, or benefits from, state-funded student financial assistance.” Stanford currently considers alumni and donor status for academically qualified students.
To comply with the statute while undertaking further review, Stanford will substitute university scholarship funding for California student financial assistance programs, including the Cal Grant program. Students do not need to take any action; the university will automatically adjust financial aid packages.
The university has been reviewing a variety of aspects of admissions and will be conducting additional analysis in the period ahead. President Jonathan Levin announced the goal of finding new ways to expand access to a Stanford education for more students. As an initial step, the university has increased the size of this fall’s entering class by about 150 students and is studying further expansion of the undergraduate class.
In recent years, about 20% of each first-year class at Stanford has consisted of first-generation college students. Financial aid remains a critical part of Stanford’s accessibility for students of all backgrounds. About 88% of Stanford undergraduates complete their degree without student debt. Parents with family incomes below $100,000 pay no tuition, room, or board at Stanford; those below $150,000 pay no tuition; and those with higher incomes may also qualify for aid based on family circumstances.
