Applying to Stanford

The Economics Department does not require and does not consider GRE scores for 2023-24 admission.

Stanford’s Office of Graduate Admissions begins accepting graduate program applications in late-September for students wishing to be considered for admission to the Economics Ph.D. program the following September.  The application deadline for the Economics Ph.D. is 29 November 2022 (9pm Pacific Time).  

Stanford is committed to fostering intellectual excellence in graduate education by enrolling a diverse student body and creating a vibrant and supportive educational environment.  Stanford’s commitment to diversity is broadly conceived, and views a graduate student body that is both highly qualified and diverse in terms of factors such as culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, work and life experience, skills, and interests as essential to the graduate educational process. It particularly welcomes applications from African Americans, Latinxs, and Native Americans, as well as from others whose backgrounds and experiences would add additional dimensions to the University's educational programs.

As a department, we strive to admit applicants with the potential to excel at economic research and/or the potential to apply economics to benefit society, and who themselves contribute to a rich educational environment for our students.  At least one and usually multiple faculty members serving on our Ph.D. admissions committee gives an individualized and holistic review to every complete application submitted to our Ph.D. program.  Our rubric for evaluating applications considers many of the factors set forth in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program.  For more information, see appendix A of Stassun, Keivan (2011) “The Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program: Recognizing, enlisting, and cultivating unrealized or unrecognized potential in underrepresented minority students,” American Journal of Physics 79(374): published online.

Application forms cannot be downloaded, and materials must be submitted online. Applicants must submit the following materials:

1. A statement of purpose (not exceeding two pages in length)

2. Three letters of recommendation

3. Please upload scanned (unofficial) copies of transcripts from every college and university you attended for at least one full year as a full-time student by the application deadline as part of your online application.  Do not send official transcripts at this time.  Official transcripts should be sent to the central university admissions office (not the Department) at the time you accept an offer of admission. 

4. To be eligible for admission to graduate programs at Stanford, applicants must meet one of the following conditions:

• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association.

• Applicants from institutions outside the U.S. must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See minimum level of study required of International applicants.

5. For applicants whose first language is not English (with some exceptions as clarified here), TOEFL scores are required.  Stanford’s ETS institutional code for submission of scores is 4704. 

• Stanford will temporarily accept the TOEFL ITP Plus test with the Vericant interview for applicants from Mainland China who are unable to sit for the TOEFL iBT. This exception is requested only for the 2020-2021 application cycle. Applicants may be asked to re-test at a later time once the Stanford TOEFL iBT becomes available, or applicants may be asked to re-test through the Stanford Language Center.
• To meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT® test at a test center due to public health concerns, ETS is temporarily offering the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition.

6. The Economics Department does not require and does not consider GRE scores for 2023-24 admission.

7. Stanford’s Economics Department also requires that students complete a coursework spreadsheet as part of the online application.  The reason we require this is that we receive and review transcripts from many schools, and it is extremely helpful for us to review applicants’ economics-related coursework in a standardized format.  Stanford's course catalog will likely be helpful in determining which Stanford courses are most similar to those you have taken.   

Additional materials that become available after the deadline (e.g. updated transcripts) should be submitted to:

Department of Economics
Graduate Admissions Committee
579 Jane Stanford Way
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6072

econ-grad [at] stanford.edu (  )

The non-refundable application fee is $125, but please note that fee waivers are available for individuals needing assistance with application fees.

Stanford’s Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education provides a number of resources about life at Stanford, including diversity initiatives.  See also this statement of support for undocumented students.