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The real 4-year cost of Stanford University in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Stanford University went from $36,360 to $68,484, an average of 3.6% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $68,484Undergraduate tuition held at the 2025-26 rate.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $36,360 | – | – |
| 2009 | $38,238 | – | – |
| 2010 | $40,172 | – | – |
| 2011 | $41,564 | – | – |
| 2012 | $42,225 | – | – |
| 2013 | $43,683 | – | – |
| 2014 | $44,757 | – | – |
| 2015 | $46,320 | – | – |
| 2016 | $47,940 | – | – |
| 2017 | $49,617 | – | – |
| 2018 | $51,354 | – | – |
| 2019 | $53,529 | – | – |
| 2020 | $56,169 | – | – |
| 2021 | $56,169 | – | – |
| 2022 | $58,416 | – | – |
| 2023 | $62,484 | – | – |
| 2026 | $68,484 | $68,484 | – |
| 2027 | – | $70,962 | $69,924–$72,001 |
| 2028 | – | $73,531 | $71,393–$75,699 |
| 2029 | – | $76,192 | $72,894–$79,587 |
| 2030 | – | $78,949 | $74,426–$83,675 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $68,484 |
| Year 2 | $70,962 |
| Year 3 | $73,531 |
| Year 4 | $76,192 |
| 4-year total | $289,169 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $249,169
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $146,174
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $22,944/ yr
- rising 4.5% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $98,189
School’s own published rateStandard room and board, a 3.5% increase.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Stanford University4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to Stanford University by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Loyola Marymount University$68,929
- Chapman University$70,374
- Pitzer College$70,496
- Scripps College$70,926
- Occidental College$71,103
- California Institute of Technology$71,229
- Santa Clara University$65,610
- Pomona College$72,080
Use this data
Published figures for Stanford University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.