U.S. News #4 · 2026
Stanford University
Student size 7,554 · admission rate 3.6%
Data methodology
School-level earnings use institutional College Scorecard data, prioritizing median annual earnings 10 years after entry. Major-level earnings below use program-level College Scorecard data, measured in the fourth full year after completing the credential.
- In-state tuition / year
- $65,910
- Out-of-state or international tuition / year
- $65,910
- Tuition year
- 2025-2026
- Tuition source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Ranking source
- U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities 2026
- Earnings source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Earnings measure
- 10 years after entry median earnings
- Completion rate
- 91.9%
- Median debt
- $9,851
Tuition residency and loan estimate
U.S. colleges commonly price tuition differently for in-state and out-of-state students. This model uses four years of tuition as the loan principal and excludes room, board, scholarships, taxes, and opportunity cost. Fixed-payment formula: payment = principal x monthly rate / (1 - (1 + monthly rate)^-months).
| Annual tuition | $65,910 | |
| Four-year tuition | $263,640 | ROI percentages use this as the denominator |
| 5-year ROI | $356,760 | 135% |
| 8-year ROI | $729,000 | 277% |
| Monthly payment estimate | $2,927 | 10 years, 6% APR |
| Total interest estimate | $87,593 | Fixed-rate amortization estimate only |
Major earnings, tuition, and loan-adjusted ROI
Major-level earnings are College Scorecard program data: median annual earnings in the fourth full year after completing the credential among people who are working and not enrolled. Loan-adjusted ROI equals cumulative earnings minus estimated total loan repayment, with the percentage shown against four-year tuition.
| Major | Major earnings | Four-year tuition | Total loan repayment | 5-year ROI | 8-year ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer Science Sample 293 · quality 5/5 | $214,907 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $723,302 274% | $1,368,023 519% |
Cognitive Science Sample 83 · quality 3/5 | $131,650 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $307,017 116% | $701,967 266% |
Mechanical Engineering Sample 56 · quality 3/5 | $117,072 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $234,127 89% | $585,343 222% |
Engineering, Other Sample 89 · quality 4/5 | $115,206 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $224,797 85% | $570,415 216% |
Economics Sample 112 · quality 3/5 | $112,700 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $212,267 81% | $550,367 209% |
Science, Technology and Society Sample 27 · quality 3/5 | $107,375 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $185,642 70% | $507,767 193% |
International Relations and National Security Studies Sample 61 · quality 3/5 | $91,075 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $104,142 40% | $377,367 143% |
English Language and Literature, General Sample 52 · quality 3/5 | $82,036 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $58,947 22% | $305,055 116% |
Human Biology Sample 140 · quality 4/5 | $81,529 | $263,640 | $351,233 | $56,412 21% | $300,999 114% |
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Sample 24 · quality 3/5 | $45,519 | $263,640 | $351,233 | -$123,638 -47% | $12,919 5% |
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering Sample 13 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $263,640 | $351,233 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |
Anthropology Sample 9 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $263,640 | $351,233 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |