The GRE is out
The FAQ says GRE scores are not required and not considered from PhD applicants.
Doctoral · Stanford Computer science
Stanford Computer Science PhD: no GRE, no CS degree needed, and no MS route into it
The Stanford Computer Science PhD pages say a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science is not required but strong quantitative and analytical skills are, and that GRE scores are not required and not considered. They also say three recommendation letters are submitted online, the MS and PhD are separate programmes, and new students spend their first months getting to know the faculty before aligning with one. The pages carry no entry-year label.
Official information · no entry-year label on the page
What Stanford asks for in Stanford Computer Science PhD
Taken from the Stanford Department of Computer Science PhD admissions page, application checklist, deadlines page and PhD admissions FAQ and read on 2 November 2026. The page carries no entry-year label, so every value below is treated as previous-cycle evidence for a 2028-29 start; Stanford's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
A CS degree is not required
Strong quantitative and analytical skills are asked for instead.
The MS is a separate programme
Applicants apply to the MS or the PhD, not both, and an MS does not lead automatically to the PhD.
Official sources
- Stanford Computer Science: PhD Admissions FAQcs.stanford.edu
- Stanford Computer Science: PhD Admissionscs.stanford.edu
- Stanford Computer Science: Graduate Application Deadlinescs.stanford.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Stanford Department of Computer Science PhD admissions page, application checklist, deadlines page and PhD admissions FAQ, which carries no entry-year label. The application portal, deadlines, funding and the English-test scores were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your record fit what the programme page asks?
This guide concerns only the Stanford research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you have strong quantitative and analytical training, whether or not your degree is in Computer Science, and want the PhD directly.
Think again if
you plan to apply to the PhD with the MS as a fallback. The pages say applicants apply to one or the other, not both.
Check the page
The Graduate School's programme page is the source; deadlines, funding and score thresholds change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What the programme page lists
The pages list a statement of purpose of no more than two pages, three recommendation letters submitted online (at least two recommended from academic sources), a resume with publications, and unofficial transcripts uploaded with the application. They state that GRE scores are not required and not considered for the PhD, and that TOEFL is required where English is not the first language, with listed exceptions. The FAQ says GPAs are typically at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale. This guide states no deadline, fee or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
The pages describe a research-oriented PhD with few course requirements. New students spend the first months becoming acquainted with the faculty before aligning with a faculty member for doctoral research. Entry is in the Autumn quarter only, with a single admissions cycle each year. These pages carry no entry-year label.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Stanford rules and carry no probability.
Assuming the GRE might help
The FAQ says GRE scores are not considered from PhD applicants.
Treating the MS as a route in
The MS and PhD are separate programmes and applicants apply to one, not both.
Treating a CS degree as essential or irrelevant
The pages say it is not required but strong quantitative and analytical skills are, and the FAQ says GPAs are typically at least 3.6.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your record
Compare your coursework and experience with the stated expectations.
Prepare the written work
Draft the statements and writing sample the page asks for, in the formats it lists.
Plan the tests
Check which tests are required, optional or not accepted.
Read the current page
Read the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Stanford's programme page carries no entry-year label. A start in 2028-29 means applying under rules Stanford has not yet published. Each item below is either read on the page and treated as previous-cycle wording, which may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the programme and the application
The expectations, the written work and the test policy are described on Stanford's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. Stanford has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Stanford publishes them per cycle; read the page again for the cycle you apply in.
What to do now
Check your record against the programme page, prepare the written work it lists and plan any required test.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Stanford University or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the Stanford Computer Science PhD ask for?
A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science is not required, but applicants need strong quantitative and analytical skills.
Is a test required?
The FAQ says GRE scores are not required and not considered from PhD applicants, and that TOEFL is required from applicants whose first language is not English, with listed exceptions and IELTS Academic accepted as a substitute. The pages carry no entry-year label, so check them for the cycle you apply in.
Does this guide state a deadline?
No. The page carries no entry-year label and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding. Check the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the programme include funding?
This guide did not use Stanford's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Stanford Computer Science PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.