How to Apply to Computer Science at Stanford: University-Wide Admission, Declaring the CS Major After Enrolment and Its Nine Tracks, With Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

All Stanford undergraduate applications are handled by the Office of Undergraduate Admission, which does not admit by major. The Computer Science department says prospective CS students do not need any prior programming background, and many start CS106 with no coding experience; you declare the CS major after enrolling, and there are no courses you must complete before declaring. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Stanford’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. The computer science major

• Degree: the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science, offered by the Computer Science department in the School of Engineering.
• Units: at least 96 units, including 26 units of mathematics, 11 units of science, 10 units of Engineering Fundamentals, one Technology in Society (TiS) course and 43 units of CS Core, Depth and Senior Project coursework.
• Introductory and core courses: you build programming skills through CS106 (CS106A/B) and mathematical foundations in CS103. All undergraduates taking CS 103, 107, 109, 111 or 161 must take them for 5 units.
• Grades: courses on the program sheet must be taken for a letter grade (except in Spring 2019-20 and the 2020-21 academic year); you need at least a 2.0 GPA across Engineering Fundamentals, CS Core, Depth and Senior Project courses; each course counts toward only one requirement, apart from a few writing courses that also meet TiS or Senior Project.
• Nine tracks plus a designed track: Artificial Intelligence, Computational Biology, Computer Engineering, Visual Computing, Human-Computer Interaction, Information, Systems, Theory and Unspecialized; you may also propose an individually designed track, approved by your adviser and the associate chair. Every track needs at least 25 units and 7 courses. Computational Biology and Computer Engineering have different math, science and engineering fundamentals requirements.
• Switching tracks: the department says you can switch at any time with no penalty, as long as you complete one track’s requirements before graduating.
• Declaring: optionally choose a CS faculty adviser, complete the declaration form and submit it in Axess, then meet the peer advisor for about five minutes; processing takes up to two weeks and does not happen during finals week, breaks or summer. The CS page does not give a latest date to declare; check Stanford Student Services for university deadlines.
• AP/IB credit: using AP credit for the math and science requirements needs approval from the School of Engineering Office of Student Affairs; see Stanford’s External Test Credit Chart for eligible credit.

2. Students at high schools in China

• Same requirements: requirements are the same regardless of citizenship or country, applications are read in the context of your school and country, and there is no need to convert marks into a U.S. GPA.
• Materials: the Common Application, a $100 fee (or waiver), the school report and counselor letter, transcripts, two teacher recommendations, a midyear transcript (by 15 February) and SAT or ACT scores. Transcripts and recommendations must be translated into English, not by you, with originals included.
• Gaokao: Stanford has no Gaokao-specific policy. IB students’ schools must send predicted IB marks, and British-system students’ schools must send GCSE results and predicted A-Levels (usually at least three).
• You need a secondary school diploma or equivalent by enrolment, not at application.

3. Students at Canadian high schools

• Submit the same Common Application, transcripts, recommendations and SAT or ACT. Stanford sets no province-specific grade requirements.
• In Restrictive Early Action, Stanford sees grades only through grade 11, so it suggests applying early if your schedule through grade 11 was challenging and your results strong.

4. Rounds and timeline

• Restrictive Early Action (REA): deadline 1 November (15 October with an arts portfolio), decisions by mid-December; non-binding, reply by 1 May. A denial is final for the year; a small share are deferred, with final decisions by early April.
• REA restrictions: you may not apply early (EA, REA, ED or Early Notification) to other private universities, or to a public university’s binding early plan; non-binding public early plans, rolling admission and non-U.S. universities are allowed.
• Regular Decision (RD): deadline 5 January (5 December with an arts portfolio), decisions by early April, reply by 1 May.
• You may submit at most three undergraduate applications to Stanford in total, first-year and transfer combined.

5. Testing and English

• The SAT or ACT is required; self-report your highest scores, with official scores due if you enrol. There are no minimums and no preference between tests.
• Score context: for the Class of 2029 (when testing was optional), the middle 50% of submitters scored 34 to 36 on the ACT and 1520 to 1570 on the SAT.
• Latest test dates: for REA, ACT by end of September and SAT by end of October; for RD, both by end of December.
• AP: not mandatory, but if you have taken AP exams, including self-studied ones, you must self-report all scores.
• English: no English proficiency test is required; you may self-report one, but it cannot replace the SAT or ACT.

6. Transfer students

• Who applies as a transfer: anyone who has earned college credit in an associate or bachelor’s programme after high school; dual-enrolled high school students apply as first-years; bachelor’s degree holders are not eligible.
• Deadline and decisions: 15 March, with decisions by mid-May; fall entry only.
• Materials: the $100 fee, your high school transcript, all college transcripts, two recommendations from academic instructors, and SAT or ACT scores.
• Preparation: there is no minimum number of credits, but the most competitive applicants usually have the equivalent of two years of full-time, in-person college work by entry.
• Credit:
  • the Registrar awards credit for courses substantially similar to Stanford’s with a C- or better, up to 90 quarter units (about two years);
  • you must study at least two years full-time at Stanford to earn a degree;
  • for the CS major, transfer credit for requirements on the first page of the program sheet (math, science, engineering fundamentals) follows the School of Engineering Undergraduate Handbook; credit for CS requirements on the second page needs CS department approval through a course-to-course equivalency request with a syllabus and textbook list.

7. Costs and financial aid

• 2026-27 budget (US$): tuition 67,731, housing and food 22,944, student fees 2,610, books 855, personal 3,405, total 97,545, excluding travel. New students also pay a $525 orientation fee and a $250 document fee once. 2027-28 figures are not yet published.
• Aid for international students:
  • for applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, requesting aid is a factor in admission (need-aware), making the process more selective;
  • Stanford meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted students who applied for aid;
  • international students who say they will not apply for aid cannot apply later during their four years.
• Scholarships: apart from a limited number of athletic scholarships, Stanford offers no merit scholarships.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply through the Common Application by 1 November (REA) or 5 January (RD) and pay the $100 fee
• Take the SAT or ACT; self-report all AP scores; English tests optional
• Have your school translate transcripts and letters; indicate aid plans at application

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines and materials; REA readers see grades only through grade 11

Transfer students:

• Deadline 15 March, decisions by mid-May; up to about two years of credit, at least two years at Stanford

Planning to study computer science: no coding background is needed; start with CS106A/B and CS103, sample track gateway courses before choosing a track, and plan your math and science units early.

Sources: Stanford University, First-year requirements and deadlines; Regular Decision and Restrictive Early Action; Standardized testing; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Transfer eligibility; Transfer credit; CS bachelor’s program and tracks; CS BS degree requirements; How to declare; Petitions and transfer credits; Undergraduate student budget. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Stanford for the latest details.