How to Apply to Engineering at Stanford: Admission to the University, No Major on the Application, Any Engineering Major Can Be Declared Without Restriction After Enrolling, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Stanford’s undergraduate engineering majors are offered by the School of Engineering, but you apply to the university as a whole, not to a school or major. This guide follows the university’s own pages and covers U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science belongs to the School of Engineering; we have a separate guide for it and do not cover it here.

1. Engineering degrees at Stanford

• Size: the School of Engineering undergraduate page says it is home to “10 departmental and six interdepartmental major programs.” Departmental majors: Aeronautics and Astronautics (AA), Bioengineering (BioE), Chemical Engineering (CHE), Civil Engineering (CE), Computer Science (CS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Environmental Systems Engineering (ENVSE), Management Science and Engineering (MS&E), Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and Mechanical Engineering (ME).
• Interdepartmental programs: Architectural Design, Atmosphere and Energy, Biomechanical Engineering, Biomedical Computation, Engineering Physics, the Individually Designed Major in Engineering and Product Design (the page lists seven, not six). A different page in the Undergraduate Handbook says Stanford offers “16 defined undergraduate majors, plus the option to design your own,” and its list includes Design and Sustainable Architecture+Engineering, so the two lists do not match exactly; check the departments and the Handbook.
• Degrees: the School page says each major awards a Bachelor of Science, most with an honors option and some with a minor. The Handbook also mentions B.S., B.S.H. (honors) and B.A.S. degrees.
• ABET accreditation: the School page says the programs in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the EAC of ABET. The pages we read do not state accreditation for the other majors; check the department or ABET’s website. The Handbook adds that Civil and Mechanical Engineering majors must complete at least 68 units of engineering science and engineering design to meet ABET requirements.
• Petroleum engineering: the page notes it is now Energy Science & Engineering, offered by the Doerr School of Sustainability, not the School of Engineering.

2. Admission and choosing a major

• No major on the application: Admissions says you apply to the university, not to a major, department or school. You may name prospective majors and career interests, but you are “not bound by these selections in any way.”
• No entrance barrier to declare: the Handbook says that once admitted, students may declare any engineering program, usually in the sophomore year, without restriction; another page says Stanford has a long-standing policy that any student may declare any major, so the School of Engineering has no separate entrance requirements. Some majors have their own declaration steps, which the Handbook asks you to check on each major’s page; your record changes only after they are met.
• Deadline: students must declare a major by the time they reach junior status (85 completed units), formally in Axess.
• Capacity: the pages we read do not say any engineering major limits enrollment. Ask the department’s undergraduate office.
• Exploring first: the Handbook lists one-unit survey courses (for example CHEMENG 10 and EE 100), introductory seminars with an engineering focus (small classes of 14–16), and “Engineering Fundamentals” courses; almost every engineering undergraduate completes three of them, two of which are often specified by the major.
• Research and practice: the Handbook says more than 200 engineering undergraduates do research each summer; students usually apply to faculty in winter quarter and, if accepted, are fully funded to stay on campus for the 10-week summer quarter. This is not a required internship program. The pages we read do not describe a required co-op program.
• Double majors: about 10 percent of engineering majors double-major, according to the Handbook.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• No required high school courses: Admissions says Stanford does not have a set of required courses. The recommendations, which it calls guidelines rather than requirements, are English four years, mathematics four years including calculus, history/social studies at least three years, science at least three years (for example biology, chemistry, physics, computer science), and the same world language at least three years, with roughly five academic courses each semester, including senior year.
• No preferred curriculum: the international page says Stanford has no preference among A-Level, IB, AP or national curricula; complete the coursework needed to apply for a bachelor’s program in your home or current country. Grades do not need converting to a U.S. GPA, and the diploma is needed by enrollment, not by application.
• Math and science credit: the Handbook’s AP page says AP credit can apply to School of Engineering requirements in mathematics, chemistry, physics and computer science. Calculus BC with a 5 gives 10 units for MATH 19/20/21; Calculus AB with a 5 gives MATH 19/20 (6 units); Calculus BC with a 4 gives MATH 19/20 (6 units). Chemistry with a 5 satisfies CHEM 31A and 31B (or 31E). Physics C Mechanics or E&M with a 5 counts toward the calculus-based PHYSICS 40 series; a 4, or AP Physics 1+2, applies only to the non-calculus 20 series, which only CS and MS&E accept for the science requirement. The maximum is 8 units of AP physics.
• Using credit: AP credit applies only if you skip the parallel Stanford courses. If you receive 10 units for Calculus BC and then take MATH 19, 20 or 21, the matching units are removed; to keep all 10 your first math course must be beyond the MATH 20 series, typically MATH 51 or CME 100, after taking the Math Diagnostic before autumn enrollment.
• IB and A-Level: the Handbook says IB, GCE and A-Level physics are equivalent to the 20 series, not the calculus-based 40 series that most engineering majors require. For entering 2026-27, IB Chemistry 5+, Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches 6+ and Physics 6+ earn credit; see the Handbook table. A-Level, French Baccalauréat and German Abitur policy is in the Stanford Bulletin, which we did not read.
• Math placement: the Handbook mentions the Math Diagnostic taken before autumn enrollment; the pages we read give no further detail.

4. Deadlines, materials and fees

• Rounds: Restrictive Early Action (REA, non-binding) and Regular Decision (RD). The requirements page lists the Common App deadline as November 1 for REA (decision by mid-December, reply by May 1) and January 5 for RD (decision by early April). The overview page says January 2 for RD, which contradicts it; check the latest pages. The pages show no admission year, so confirm they apply to fall 2027. Applications with an optional arts portfolio have earlier Common App dates: October 15 (REA) and December 5 (RD).
• REA limits: with REA you may not apply to other private colleges under Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification, or to any public university under a binding early plan. A denial in REA is final, and you cannot reapply in RD; deferred applicants get a final decision by early April.
• Application fee: $100, nonrefundable. The Common App fee waiver is accepted for U.S. and non-U.S. students, verified online by a counselor or on the NACAC form.
• Materials: the Common Application; the School Report and counselor letter; official transcripts (grades 9–12, with results and predictions for international curricula); two letters from academic teachers (grade 11 or 12 English, math, science, world language or history/social studies; grade 10 allowed if the coursework was advanced); one optional additional recommender; a midyear transcript due February 15 for RD, deferred or REA-admitted applicants; and a final transcript with graduation date by July 1 if you enroll.
• Testing: the ACT or SAT is required. Self-report your highest scores; official scores are needed only on enrollment. There is no preferred exam, no minimum score and no score that guarantees admission. Latest ACT sitting: end of September (REA) or December (RD); latest SAT: end of October (REA) or December (RD). The pages we read do not mention a separate testing requirement for the School of Engineering. The page notes that scores were optional for the Class of 2029; the current page says required. AP exams are not mandatory, but all AP scores you have must be self-reported.
• Essays: the Common App personal essay plus the Stanford Questions: five short questions (3–50 words) and three short essays (100–250 words). There is no separate engineering essay.
• Interview: optional, with an alumni volunteer in your area, about 40 minutes, subject to alumni availability; no interview carries no penalty.
• Application limit: at most three applications to Stanford undergraduate admission in total, first-year and transfer combined.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Cost: The student budget page lists one tuition figure, with no in-state or out-of-state split. The 2026–27 standard student budget totals $97,545: tuition $67,731, housing and food $22,944, student fees allowance $2,610, books $855, personal expenses $3,405, plus a travel allowance that varies; new students also pay a one-time $525 orientation fee and $250 document fee. The budget page lists no engineering differential tuition or surcharge, and the pages we read do not mention one.
• Aid: need-based; Stanford is need-blind for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, undocumented students and Eligible Noncitizens, and meets the full need of admitted students. It does not offer merit scholarships outside a limited number of athletic scholarships. The aid overview says the average scholarship and grant for need-based recipients in the current freshman class (Class of 2028) is $74,310 (page dated May 2025).
• Applying for aid: REA applicants who apply by the November 15 priority deadline get a notification by mid-December. The forms required (such as the CSS Profile) are on the financial aid website.
• In-state preference or guaranteed admission: none is described.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: there is no separate international application; the first-year or transfer requirements apply, with few exceptions. Applicants are reviewed in the context of the country and school where they study, regardless of citizenship.
• English tests: not required. You may self-report any English proficiency exam; applicants whose native or school language is not English commonly do. Fluency in English is a prerequisite, and an English test cannot replace the ACT/SAT. The pages list no countries exempt from anything.
• Credentials: no conversion to a U.S. GPA; internal and external marks and predictions must be sent directly by your school; transcripts and teacher recommendations must be translated into English by a school official, not by you; the diploma is needed by enrollment. The office does not work with paid agents or credentialing services.
• Aid: for international citizens, requesting financial aid is a factor in the admission evaluation, making the process more selective; Stanford meets the full need of all admitted students regardless of citizenship. International students who do not apply for aid and are admitted cannot apply later during their four years (unless their status changes). International applicants should submit the CSS Profile; those who cannot afford the fee, or who live where College Board cannot process payments, may submit the International Student Application for Financial Assistance (ISAFA). Merit scholarships are not offered apart from a limited number of athletic awards.
• Proof of funds: not described on the pages we read; ask Admissions or the Financial Aid Office.
• Visa: admitted international students receive visa instructions; the Bechtel International Center supports them.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international page does not mention the Gaokao, and we found no China-specific page. It asks international-curriculum students for academic results and predictions where available. How the Gaokao should be submitted, or whether it is considered, is not published; ask Admissions (admission@stanford.edu or credentials@stanford.edu).
• Transcripts: sent directly by your school; Chinese-language transcripts and recommendations must be translated into English by a school official, not by the applicant. How to submit provincial exam (huikao) records is not published.
• Interview: the list of interview areas includes Hong Kong and Taiwan but does not list mainland China; Stanford says having no interview carries no penalty.
• Testing and English: the ACT or SAT is required; English proficiency exams are not.
• International curricula: IB students outside the U.S. need predicted IB marks (including TOK/essay points) sent by a school official; students in the British system need GCSE results and predicted A-Level marks, generally with at least three full A-Level courses.

8. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer applicant: anyone who completed college-credit courses in an associate or bachelor’s program after high school; students dual-enrolled in high school apply as first-year; those with a bachelor’s degree are not eligible. Coursework must be at an accredited degree-granting institution; vocational, technical, performance or professional programs do not count.
• Deadline: March 15 for the Common App and required materials; missing-document notices in April; decision by mid-May; reply by June 1. Fall entry only, with no winter or spring start. The page shows no year; confirm it is for fall 2027.
• Materials: Common App; $100 fee; ACT or SAT (ACT by the end of February, SAT by the end of December); high school transcript and transcripts from every college attended; a College Report; two letters from academic instructors; a personal statement (250–650 words) plus Stanford essays.
• Preparation: no required courses and no major-specific requirements. If you have attended college for more than a year, Stanford expects you have begun to focus on a potential major. There is no minimum number of credits or years, but the most competitive applicants have the equivalent of two years of consecutive full-time, in-person college study, typically applying in the second year. Stanford cannot advise on whether specific courses will transfer.
• Credit: awarded by the Registrar under Faculty Senate policy: accredited institution, substantially similar to a Stanford course, minimum grade of C- or Pass, not duplicating earlier coursework and not used for high school graduation. A maximum of 90 quarter units (about two years) transfers, and you must complete at least two years of full-time enrollment at Stanford to earn the degree. Some departments and general education requirements accept no online courses. Stanford has no articulation agreements.
• Minimum GPA: not stated.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Submit the Common App, School Report, two teacher letters and SAT/ACT by November 1 (REA) or January 5 (RD; the overview page says January 2, so verify); no major is chosen on the application
• Take as much math (including calculus) and science as your school offers; after enrolling you may declare any engineering major, at the latest at junior standing (85 units)
• If you need aid, REA applicants apply by the November 15 priority date

International applicants (including China):

• Same timeline as domestic applicants; the SAT or ACT is required, English proficiency exams are not; requesting aid affects admission competitiveness
• Have your school send transcripts and recommendations directly, translated into English by a school official; ask Admissions how the Gaokao should be handled
• Submit the CSS Profile, or the ISAFA if you cannot pay the fee

Transfer students:

• Apply by March 15 for fall only; up to 90 quarter units transfer at C- or better, and at least two years must be completed at Stanford

Sources: Stanford University, School of Engineering undergraduate degree programs; Undergraduate Handbook: majors and declaring; Handbook: prospective students; Handbook: AP/IB credit; First-year requirements and deadlines; Academic preparation; Standardized testing; Application and essays; Application fee; Transcripts and recommendations; Interview; Regular Decision and Restrictive Early Action; International applicants; Transfer requirements and deadlines; Transfer eligibility; Transfer credit; Transfer essays; Transfer testing; Undergraduate student budget; How aid works. The admission pages show no admission year and were last updated between July and September 2026; check Stanford for whether dates and requirements apply to fall 2027 entry. Costs are 2026-27 figures.