Stanford University, or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California. Stanford is internationally-recognized for its prestigious undergraduate and graduate academic programs and is often one of the first college choices of talented students. Stanford offers students some of the nation’s best law, medicine, English, and engineering programs.
While most people familiar with the university refer to it simply as “Stanford”, its official name is Leland Stanford Junior University, named after Leland Stanford, a local politician and railroad tycoon that founded the university in 1891. Stanford was originally founded as a nondenominational, coeducational institution. From 1893, when Leland Stanford died, through World War II the university struggled financially. It wasn’t until Provost Frederick Terman, with the support of school faculty and graduates, built up the local industry (later known as Silicon Valley) that the university began to thrive. By the early 1970s, Stanford has transformed itself into one of the largest research universities in the nation specializing in mathematics, natural sciences, computer sciences, and social sciences.
Stanford has a distinguished and renowned faculty. In addition to holding the record for the largest number of Turing award winners of any university, over fifty Stanford professors, faculty, and alumni have won the Nobel Prize in recognition of their contribution to cultural and scientific advances. Stanford also has a very distinguished list of graduates and alumni, many of which have gone on to launch some of the world’s most successful companies including Google, Cisco Systems, LinkedIn, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Varian Associates, Nike and Yahoo!
Stanford is composed of seven schools, two academic and five professional. These include Humanities and Sciences and Earth Sciences (the two academic schools) as well as Law, Medicine, Business, Engineering and Education (the five professional schools). Stanford is a wealthy and very well-funded institution. For the 2011-12 academic year, the university’s total budget was well over $4 billion, with $1.2 billion dedicated to research, $16.5 billion endowment, and over $25 billion in assets (all amounts in U.S. dollars).
With more than 15,000 students (8,400 graduate students and 7,000 undergraduate students), Stanford is one of the largest private universities in the United States. It is also well known for its visually appealing campus set in the country and its appreciation for the arts, which is fostered by the Cantor Center for Visual Arts and Stanford Lively Arts. Stanford students have an active social life since the school sponsors hundreds of student intermural programs, political organizations, special interest groups and activities. Stanford University is a member of the Pac 12 athletic conference, competes in 34 varsity sports and has won the NACDA Director’s Cup for almost 20 straight years. Stanford student-athletes have won over 115 Olympic gold medals since 1912, and in 2008 came away from the Olympics with more medals than any other U.S. university.
Stanford has a very selective admission process. Students must excel in academics, have the ability to succeed in a highly competitive college environment, and have high SAT or ACT exam scores. Admission to graduate programs differs by program.
Financial Aid is available at Stanford. Scholarships, federal Pell grants, and loans are available to qualifying students. Stanford also sponsors work-study programs. Grants and fellowships are available to graduate students.
Stanford is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
A Coeducational Institution
Since its inception Stanford has been a coeducational university. However, Jane Stanford, Leland Stanford’s wife and one of the original founders of the school, placed a ceiling on female enrollment due to fears that the university was turning into a women’s college. During the 1930s the school had a female to male ratio of 3:1. By the mid-1960s the ratio had dropped to 2:1 (for undergraduates) and today the ratio of women to men is roughly equal at 1:1. However, the ratio of men to women at the graduate level is 2:1, in favor of men.
Academics
The majority of enrollments at Stanford University are graduate and professional students. Graduate students at Stanford outnumber undergraduates by nearly 2,000. The undergraduate program is based around a liberal arts and sciences curriculum and is highly competitive. While undergraduate applications to the university each year are on the rise, admission rates are low. Only the best and the brightest get accepted to Stanford. There is a high level of coexistence among undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford.
Stanford University has seven schools. Three of these schools have undergraduate programs and four only offer graduate level education. The schools of Engineering (9 departments), Humanities and Sciences (27 departments) and Earth Sciences (4 departments) all offer both undergraduate and graduate programs. The schools of Education, Medicine, Law and the Graduate School of Business only accept graduate students to their programs.
University and Program Rankings
Stanford is not only one of the top ranked universities in the nation, it’s also number one in the world according to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, an international rankings of universities published by the British Magazine Times Higher Education. In 2011, Stanford University ranked number one in the world for both humanities and social sciences and number two in the world for best research universities. Stanford ranked 3rd in life sciences, 3rd in engineering and technology, 2nd in arts and humanities, 5th in physical sciences, 2nd in clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences, and 1st in social sciences. And what’s most amazing is that no other university in the world placed in the top five across so many broad disciplines. In a nutshell, the quality of education at Stanford is superior.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), more commonly known as the Shanghai Ranking, ranked Stanford 2nd best university in the world for 2011. ARWU ranked Stanford 2nd in Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences, 6th in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 6th in Life and Agriculture Sciences, 6th in Social Sciences and 13th in Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy worldwide. In its rankings of individual subjects, ARWU ranked Stanford 1st in computer science, 3rd in chemistry, 4th in mathematics, 6th in physics, and 6th in economics and business. (The ARWU is recognized as one of the three most widely observed and influential international university rankings reports, along with Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings.)
The following are the 2011 QS World University Rankings for Stanford University:
- Social Sciences & Management – 3
- Natural Sciences – 6
- Life Sciences & Medicine – 4
- Engineering & Technology – 2
- Arts & Humanities – 7
In specific disciplines QS World University Rankings ranked Stanford accordingly:
- 1st in Statistics
- 2nd in Computer Science
- 2nd in Civil & Structural Engineering
- 2nd in Electrical Engineering
- 3rd in Psychology
- 3rd in Economics
- 4th in Mechanical, Aeronautical, & Manufacturing Engineering
- 4th in Mathematics
- 5th in Law
- 5th in Medicine
- 5th in Metallurgy
- 5th in Biological Sciences
- 5th in Chemistry
- 5th in Accounting and Finance
- 5th in Chemical Engineering
- 5th in Linguistics
- 6th in Physics and Astronomy
- 6th in Environmental Sciences
- 6th in Sociology
- 7th in Politics and International Studies
- 7th in Geography & Area Studies
- 8th in Earth and Marine Sciences
- 8th in English
- 8th in Philosophy
- 10th in History
- 11th in Modern Languages
According to a 2010 poll conducted by The Princeton Review, Stanford was the number one “dream school” for both students and for parents. Other surveys have shown that Stanford is considered the second-most prestigious university in the nation by the public (behind Harvard), and among the college-educated, Stanford is roughly on par with Harvard.
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Research Centers and Institutes at Stanford
Stanford is one of the largest research institutions in the nation, dedicating over one billion dollars to research activities each year. One of the most recognized research institutions affiliated with Stanford is the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, formerly the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The SLAC is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford. Activities at the SLAC revolve around theoretical and experimental research in elementary particle physics.
The Stanford Research Institute, SRI International (SRI), was first established by Stanford trustees in 1946 as a center of innovation to spur economic development. Today it is one of the largest contract research institutions in the world. In 1970, Stanford Research Institute formally cut its ties to Stanford University and became an independent nonprofit institute known as SRI. It performs research and development activities for businesses, government agencies and foundations worldwide.
Stanford University is also home to the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, a public policy think tank. While the institution is part of Stanfordm, it has its own board of directors and overseers. The institution’s basic tenets, as outlined in its mission statement, are representative government, peace, personal freedom, private enterprise, and safeguards of the American system. The institute supports the American conservative and libertarian political philosophies, values and movements. Several high-profile conservatives (Condoleezza Rice, Edwin Meese, etc.) as well as politicians connected with the Bush Administration are all Hoover Institution fellows. The institute is spread across three buildings on Stanford’s campus, the most prominent being the well-known Hoover Tower. The Hoover Institute attracts scholars from around the world.
Another attraction among visiting scholars is Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, which is specifically dedicated to the study of international relations.
Other prominent institutes at Stanford include the Center for Ocean Solutions, whose mission is to develop solutions to meet the challenges facing the ocean, and John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists, whose mission is to promote journalistic innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Finally, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design is a multidisciplinary design school developed and run by Stanford University in cooperation with the German Hasso Plattner Institute of University of Potsdam. Projects overseen by this institute involve the integration of business and management training into engineering and product design education at the university level. The Pulse News Reader, one of the highest-selling Apple Apps, solar-powered LED lights and the Embrace blanket were all developed and launched from the Institute.
General Information
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Admission Office Montag Hall 355 Galvez Street Stanford, CA 94305-6106 (650) 723-2091 Fax: (650) 723-6050 [email protected] Contact: Richard Shaw Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid |
Main Address Stanford, CA 94305 (650) 723-2300 www.stanford.edu |
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Size Total undergrads: 6,532 First-time degree-seeking freshmen: 1,703 Degree-seeking undergrads: 6,502 Graduate enrollment: 10,280 Setting | Degrees offered: |
Tuition & Fees
| Estimated Annual Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| Tuition and fees | $35,089 | $36,798 | $38,676 | $40,172 | +3.87% |
| Books and Supplies | $1,335 | $1,455 | $1,485 | $1,485 | 0.00% |
| Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $10,808 | $11,182 | $11,463 | $11,876 | +3.60% |
| Other | $1,995 | $2,325 | $2,385 | $2,385 | 0.00% |
| Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0.00% |
| Total Expenses | 2008-’09 | 2009-’10 | 2010-’11 | 2011-’12 | % change 2010-’12 |
| In-state On Campus | $49,227 | $51,760 | $54,009 | $55,918 | +3.53% |
| In-state Off Campus | $36,424 | $38,253 | $40,161 | $41,657 | +3.73% |
| In-state with Family | $36,424 | $38,253 | $40,161 | $41,657 | +3.73% |
| Average Graduate Student Tuition & Fees | |
| Tuition for In-state Students | $38,700 |
| In-state Student Fees | $786 |
| Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $38,700 |
| Out-of-state Fees | $786 |
Financial Aid
| Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| All students financial aid | 1,269 | 75% | ||
| Grant or scholarship aid | 1,066 | 63% | $34,179,370 | $32,063 |
| • Federal grants | 260 | 15% | $1,556,051 | $5,985 |
| • Pell grants | 256 | 15% | $962,434 | $3,760 |
| • Other federal grants | 213 | 13% | $593,617 | $2,787 |
| State/local government grant or scholarships | 87 | 5% | $832,019 | $9,563 |
| Institutional grants or scholarships | 1,063 | 62% | $31,791,300 | $29,907 |
| Student loan aid | 201 | 12% | $1,397,212 | $6,951 |
| • Federal student loans | 191 | 11% | $838,788 | $4,392 |
| • Other student loans | 38 | 2% | $558,424 | $14,695 |
All Degrees and Programs
| BA/BS | MA/MS | PhD | AA/AS | CERT | |
| Total of All Education Programs | 1717 | 2056 | 972 | – | 5 |
| Agriculture | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Food Science and Technology, Other | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| Area, Gender, Cultural, Ethnic, and Group Studies | 35 | 45 | – | – | – |
| African Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
| African-American/Black Studies | 6 | – | – | – | – |
| American Indian/Native American Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Area Studies, Other | – | 12 | – | – | – |
| Asian-American Studies | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| East Asian Studies | 4 | 23 | – | – | – |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
| Latin American Studies | – | 10 | – | – | – |
| Women’s Studies | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology and Biomedical Sciences | 123 | 56 | 112 | – | – |
| Biochemistry | – | – | 10 | – | – |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other | – | 1 | 4 | – | – |
| Biology and Biological Sciences, General | 123 | 25 | 21 | – | – |
| Biomedical Sciences | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Biophysics | – | – | 7 | – | – |
| Cell Physiology | – | – | 2 | – | – |
| Developmental Biology and Embryology | – | 1 | 6 | – | – |
| Epidemiology | – | 19 | – | – | – |
| Human/Medical Genetics | – | 7 | 11 | – | – |
| Immunology | – | – | 13 | – | – |
| Microbiology and Immunology | – | – | 15 | – | – |
| Molecular Pharmacology | – | – | – | – | – |
| Neuroscience | – | 1 | 10 | – | – |
| Oncology and Cancer Biology | – | – | 13 | – | – |
| Structural Biology | – | – | – | – | – |
| Business, Administration, Management, Marketing, etc. | – | 408 | 14 | – | – |
| Business Administration and Management | – | 351 | 14 | – | – |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other | – | 54 | – | – | – |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| Communication and Journalism Programs | 38 | 25 | 8 | – | – |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other | 38 | 25 | 8 | – | – |
| Computing and Information Sciences | 86 | 152 | 25 | – | – |
| Computer Science | 86 | 152 | 25 | – | – |
| Education | – | 192 | 28 | – | – |
| Biology Teacher Education | – | 11 | – | – | – |
| Chemistry Teacher Education | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Earth Science Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| Education | – | 108 | 28 | – | – |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | – | 22 | – | – | – |
| English/Language Arts Teacher Education | – | 16 | – | – | – |
| Foreign Language Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| French Language Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| German Language Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| History Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | – | 16 | – | – | – |
| Physics Teacher Education | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Social Science Teacher Education | – | 15 | – | – | – |
| Spanish Language Teacher Education | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering | 235 | 626 | 200 | – | 5 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical/Space Engineering | – | 39 | 13 | – | – |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | – | 20 | 11 | – | – |
| Chemical Engineering | 20 | 17 | 7 | – | – |
| Civil Engineering | 22 | 143 | 16 | – | 2 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 36 | 197 | 89 | – | 2 |
| Engineering, Other | 86 | 16 | 3 | – | – |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Industrial Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Materials Engineering | 7 | 45 | 12 | – | 1 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 54 | 138 | 42 | – | – |
| Petroleum Engineering | – | 11 | 7 | – | – |
| Systems Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Engineering Technology | 59 | 157 | 16 | – | – |
| Engineering/Industrial Management | 59 | 157 | 16 | – | – |
| English Language, Composition and Literature/Letters | 69 | 11 | 10 | – | – |
| English Language and Literature | 69 | 7 | 6 | – | – |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | – | 4 | 4 | – | – |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 56 | 14 | 16 | – | – |
| Chinese Language and Literature | 5 | 3 | 1 | – | – |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 16 | 2 | 2 | – | – |
| Comparative Literature | 8 | – | 2 | – | – |
| Foreign Languages and Literatures | – | – | – | – | – |
| French Language and Literature | 2 | – | 1 | – | – |
| German Language and Literature | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| Italian Language and Literature | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 5 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Linguistics | 4 | 4 | 5 | – | – |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Russian Language and Literature | 4 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 8 | 1 | 3 | – | – |
| Health Services and Allied Health Sciences | – | 15 | 100 | – | – |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other | – | 10 | – | – | – |
| Medical Informatics | – | 5 | 1 | – | – |
| Medicine | – | – | 99 | – | – |
| History | 63 | 14 | 9 | – | – |
| History | 63 | 14 | 9 | – | – |
| Human Services | 22 | 9 | – | – | – |
| Public Policy Analysis | 22 | 9 | – | – | – |
| Legal and Law Studies | – | – | 213 | – | – |
| Advanced Legal Research/Studies | – | – | 42 | – | – |
| Law | – | – | 171 | – | – |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 6 | 16 | 7 | – | – |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 6 | 1 | 7 | – | – |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | – | 15 | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Statistics | 57 | 117 | 31 | – | – |
| Applied Mathematics, Other | 22 | – | – | – | – |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics | – | 24 | 13 | – | – |
| Financial Mathematics | – | 46 | – | – | – |
| Mathematics | 35 | 2 | 9 | – | – |
| Statistics | – | 45 | 9 | – | – |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | 277 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cognitive Science | 18 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Human Biology | 219 | – | – | – | – |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | – | – | – | – | – |
| Science, Technology and Society | 40 | – | – | – | – |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | – | 9 | 3 | – | – |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Other | – | 9 | 3 | – | – |
| Physical Sciences | 95 | 42 | 105 | – | – |
| Chemistry | 18 | 3 | 35 | – | – |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other | 11 | 7 | 17 | – | – |
| Geology and Earth Science | 32 | 15 | – | – | – |
| Geophysics and Seismology | 2 | 5 | 4 | – | – |
| Physics | 32 | 6 | 29 | – | – |
| Physics, Other | – | 6 | 20 | – | – |
| Psychology | 79 | 25 | 12 | – | – |
| Psychology | 79 | 25 | 12 | – | – |
| Social Sciences | 377 | 91 | 51 | – | – |
| Anthropology | 15 | 7 | 8 | – | – |
| Archaeology | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Economics | 141 | 23 | 26 | – | – |
| International Relations and Affairs | 108 | 21 | – | – | – |
| Political Science and Government | 74 | 5 | 8 | – | – |
| Sociology | 26 | 35 | 9 | – | – |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 40 | 30 | 12 | – | – |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 8 | 2 | 2 | – | – |
| Art/Art Studies | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Cinematography and Film/Video Production | – | 9 | – | – | – |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theater Arts | 8 | – | 2 | – | – |
| Film/Cinema/Video Studies | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 5 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Industrial and Product Design | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| Music Theory and Composition | – | – | 5 | – | – |
| Music | 14 | 12 | 3 | – | – |
Admissions Information
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Application Fee College has an application fee: Yes Regular application fee: $90 Online application fee: $90 |
Enrollment Rates Percent applicants admitted: 9% Percent of students who return for sophomore year: 98% |
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Admissions Considerations Secondary school GPA: Recommended Secondary school record: Required Recommendations: Required Admission test scores (SAT/ACT): Required College-preparatory program: Recommended TOEFL: Recommended Undergraduate Admissions Fall 2011 |
Test Scores: Fall 2011 SAT Critical Reading
SAT Math
SAT Writing
ACT Composite
ACT English
ACT Math
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Enrollment Statistics
Undergraduate Attendance Status |
Undergraduate Student Gender |
Undergraduate Student Age |
Undergraduate Student Residence |
Graduate Attendance Status
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Retention and Graduation Rates
Retention Rates for First-Time Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees |
Overall Graduation and Transfer-Out Rates for Students |
Graduation Rates for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Gender for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
6-Year Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees
Undergraduate Majors
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, & Gender Studies African Studies B Arts, Visual & Performing Art – General B Biological & Biomedical Sciences Biology B Communications & Journalism Communications/Rhetoric B Computer & Information Sciences Computer Science B Engineering Chemical Engineering B Engineering Technologies Engineering/Industrial Management B English Language & Literature English Composition B Foreign Language & Literature Chinese B History History – General B Liberal Arts & Sciences Humanities B Mathematics Mathematics – General B Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Global Studies B Natural Resources & Conservation Environmental Science B Philosophy & Religion Philosophy B Physical Sciences Chemistry B Psychology Psychology – General B Public Administration & Services Public Policy Analysis B Social Sciences Anthropology B |
Degree levels for each major are designated by the following letters:
B = Bachelor’s degree C = Certificate or diploma |
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.