Official Transcripts & Degree Conferral Documents

The information on this page is for admitted students starting graduate study in 2024. Admitted students starting graduate study in 2025 or later will be required to follow new guidelines for official transcripts & degree conferral documents.

After you accept your offer of admission, please arrange for your official transcripts and degree documents to be sent directly to Graduate Admissions as soon as possible.

Check Your Status Page

After accepting the offer of admission, refer to the Matriculation Checklist on your application status page to see which documents you are required to submit and where to send them.

Required Documents

We require official documents from all post-secondary institutions where you were enrolled in a degree program for at least one academic year.

• Undergraduate program documents (associate’s & bachelor’s level): Final official transcript(s) showing completion of coursework required for the degree, degree earned, and the date of degree conferral. If from an international institution, additional documents probably are needed - official degree conferral/graduation document(s).
• Graduate program documents (master’s & doctoral level): If applicable, official graduate transcript(s). In-progress documents are all that are usually required. Only in the following cases must the graduate transcript be final and degree conferral/graduation documents be included: those needed for a TOEFL waiver or following a 3-year undergraduate degree from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or Oceania countries.
• If the documents are not in English, then institution-produced or certified translations are required, in addition to the official original-language documents.

Delivery Methods

Preferred Methods

• Parchment: This is the preferred method for receiving official documents from U.S. institutions. Select “Stanford University - Graduate Admissions” as the recipient.
• World Education Services: This is the preferred method for receiving official documents from international institutions. Visit wes.org to request a credential evaluation.
  • If you plan to apply for transfer credit for graduate work completed at an international institution, we recommend that you obtain a Course-by-Course evaluation. Otherwise, a Document-by-Document evaluation is sufficient to matriculate into graduate study at Stanford.
  • Note that Stanford’s assessment of U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency may differ from what is listed on your WES evaluation. Refer to our eligibility guidelines .

  Other Methods

  If you cannot obtain official documents using one of the preferred methods, we will accept documents sent directly by the issuing institution using one of the methods below:

  • Certified Electronic Transcripts: Secure, electronically delivered transcripts that are digitally signed and properly certified by the issuing institution are accepted from the issuing institution or its authorized agent.
  • Traditional Paper Documents: If your institution will mail a physical document, it must be in an official sealed envelope that is signed and stamped across the envelope flap by the appropriate academic officer at the institution issuing the document. If the envelope has been opened or there is no stamp or signature across the envelope flap, it will not be accepted.
    • Your official transcripts and/or degree conferral documents become the property of Stanford University once we receive them.
    • We are unable to accommodate student requests to access physical official transcripts received by our office.
    • In the rare case that your institution will issue only one official transcript in your lifetime, please submit a ticket to Graduate Admissions to discuss potential options for your situation.

    If using one of the above methods, please arrange for the official documents to be sent directly to Graduate Admissions, not to your graduate program. You may find the contact information for Graduate Admissions on your application status page, after accepting the offer of admission.

    Not Accepted

    The following documents are not considered official:

    • Transcripts uploaded within the online application
    • Transcripts sent as email attachments by the student
    • Transcripts that have been opened while in the student’s possession
      • To be considered official, transcripts physically delivered by the student must be in an institution-sealed envelope.

      Need Help?

      If you have questions about submitting your official documents, submit a service request (SUNet login required).