Stanford vs Georgetown - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Stanford admits 3.8% of applicants, while Georgetown admits 13.5%.
Average aid for an international student is $85,424 (Stanford) and $75,050 (Georgetown).
A rare case with no trade-off: Stanford both costs less ($68,574 against $74,732) and delivers a higher median salary after a decade ($124K against $103K, Georgetown).
Candidates with higher SAT scores go to Stanford: a midpoint of 1550 against 1480, a difference of 70 points.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Stanford is the more selective of the two (3.8% vs 13.5% acceptance). Stanford ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#2 vs #501-600). Stanford graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($124K vs $103K). Stanford has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,574 vs $74,732 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Stanford for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Georgetown for: a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Stanford is more selective (3.8% vs 13.5% acceptance); Stanford has a higher median SAT (1550 vs 1480).
Stanford graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($124K vs $103K); Georgetown has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.8% vs 91.9%).
Stanford has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,574 vs $74,732); Stanford offers a larger average aid package ($77,279 vs $63,415).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stanford | Georgetown |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #2 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | #6 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 3.8% | 13.5% |
| Yield rate | 79.9% | 43.9% |
| Median SAT | 1550 | 1480 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.94 | - |
| Number of applications | 60,646 | 26,822 |
| International students | 13.1% | 14.4% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $124K | $103K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $67K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $220K | $168K |
| Graduation rate | 91.9% | 94.8% |
| Retention rate | 97.5% | 96.3% |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $15,500 |
| Tuition · year | $68,574 | $74,732 |
| Avg. aid package | $77,279 | $63,415 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $28,507 | $33,272 |
| Application fee | $100 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 18,121 | 19,905 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stanford or Georgetown?
It's harder to get into Stanford. Stanford accepts 3.8% of applicants, while Georgetown accepts 13.5%.
Do Stanford or Georgetown graduates earn more?
Stanford graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $124K vs $103K.
How much is tuition at Stanford vs Georgetown?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,574 per year at Stanford and $74,732 per year at Georgetown.
What SAT score do you need for Stanford or Georgetown?
The median admitted SAT score is 1550 at Stanford and 1480 at Georgetown; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stanford or Georgetown?
Stanford ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #2 for Stanford vs #501-600 for Georgetown.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stanford or Georgetown?
The average aid package is $77,279 at Stanford and $63,415 at Georgetown.
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