Student Affairs
In light of the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, Stanford reaffirms its commitment to perform individualized, holistic review of each applicant to its graduate and professional programs. We recognize that students may have faced significant challenges during the period of disruption caused by the pandemic, and we will take such individual circumstances into account during application review. Importantly, we will respect decisions regarding the adoption of Credit/No Credit and other grading options during this unprecedented period of COVID-19 disruption, whether they are made by institutions or by individual students. Our goal remains to form graduate student cohorts that are excellent and encompass a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that enrich the graduate educational experience.
We are aware of some school closings in areas impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, and that it may delay some courses of study as well as the reporting of official school documents. If you are impacted by this, please contact our office to request an extension: gradadmissions@stanford.edu. We will do our best to work with you and your department.
Admitted students: see our special instructions for submitting transcripts.
Exam Requirements for International Applicants
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Adequate command of spoken and written English is required for admission.
TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English. Stanford does not accept IELTS scores.
English Language Exception:
Individuals who have earned a U.S. bachelor’s or master’s degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the United States
- OR -
The equivalent of either degree from a non-U.S. college or university of recognized standing where all instruction is provided in English. This exception does not apply if the courses were completed in a country where English is spoken but not all instruction is provided in English.
NOTE: Being a U.S. citizen does not automatically exempt an applicant from taking the TOEFL; if the applicant’s first language is not English, the applicant must meet the exception above or submit the TOEFL.
Scores must be submitted from a test taken within the last eighteen months.
We urge you to take the TOEFL by November to be eligible for admission for the following Autumn Quarter. Evidence of adequate proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.
The TOEFL is administered through:
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
USA
Voice: +1 609-771-7000
Web: http://toefl.org
For information on registration, test centers, dates and test formats, go to http://toefl.org.
| TOEFL Minimum | Internet-Based TOEFL | Paper-Based TOEFL |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Programs: All Fields | 100 | 600 |
| Master's Programs: Humanities, Social Sciences, Education | 100 | 600 |
| Master's Programs: School of Engineering | 89 | 575 |
Submitting TOEFL Test Scores:
Scores must be reported directly to Stanford from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The Stanford score recipient number (also called "Institution Code") is 4704.
You do not need to specify a department code.
All scores are sent electronically to the Graduate Admissions Office, which will share your scores with your department.
Evidence of adequate English proficiency must be submitted before enrollment is approved by Graduate Admissions.
Test scores received by Graduate Admissions prior to September 1, 2011 are no longer retained on file. If you had ETS send test scores to Stanford, but you did NOT submit an application, you must request that ETS resend the scores if you submit an application in the future.
