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Stanford University

California

United States

Overview

Stanford University is a center of learning, discovery, creativity and innovation, dedicated to advancing knowledge for the benefit of humanity. Stanford University was founded by former California Governor and Senator Leland Stanford and Jane Stanford to memorialize their son, Leland Stanford Junior. Their intent was to establish a "university of high degree" that would "qualify students for personal success and direct usefulness in life and promote the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization." Located in the San Francisco Bay Area within the traditional territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Stanford welcomed its first students in 1891. Today, Stanford's areas of excellence span seven schools along with interdisciplinary research and policy institutes, athletics, and the arts. Stanford educates students for a life of purpose, creates knowledge, and responds to the urgent challenges of our times by accelerating solutions for human health, society, and our planet. Stanford offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional degrees. Stanford enrolls about 7,500 undergraduate students and over 9,000 graduate and professional school students. 129 Stanford students have been Rhodes Scholars. Stanford has 2,304 members of the professoriate faculty. Fifty-four percent of the faculty have earned tenure. Stanford faculty have won 36 Nobel Prizes since the university's founding. The faculty currently includes 21 Nobel laureates, 4 Pulitzer Prize winners, 33 MacArthur Fellows and 9 recipients of the National Medal of Science. There are more than 7,500 externally sponsored research projects throughout the university. Basic research at Stanford has made possible applications from microwaves to GPS, heart transplants to gene splicing, digital sound synthesis to modern web-search algorithms. Stanford's entrepreneurial spirit has helped create more than 39,900 companies since the 1930s. Among the companies founded, built or led by Stanford graduates or faculty are Google, Yahoo, Hewlett-Packard, Gap, eBay, Instagram, Netflix, Cisco Systems, Nike, and IDEO. In the area of social innovation, members of the Stanford community have created nonprofit organizations including Kiva, Special Olympics, and the Acumen Fund.

Location

450 Serra Mall Bldg 1, Stanford, California, 94305

Website

https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/

Total Cost

$67,731

Median Salary

$89,527

Ranking

US World and News Report

The World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings

Admissions

Learn the key steps and criteria to secure your spot at this college.

Application Deadline

Acceptance rate

3.6%

Yield Rate

81.91%

SAT range

1510-1570

ACT range

34-35

Cost and Scholarships

Get the full picture on tuition, fees, and scholarship options available for students.

Total Cost

$67,731

In State Cost

$55,473

Out of State Cost

$67,731

In State Tuition Fees

$55,473

Room And Board

$22,167

Living Cost

$27,147

Average Total Aid Awarded

$74,244

Funding Options

Need-Based Aid

Merit Scholarship

Scholarship

50.09% of students receive financial aid. Average award: $74,244.

Scholarships

Need-based Funding - Approximately one-third of undergraduate families receive need-based funding that covers the full amount of tuition. Nearly half of undergraduate students receive some level of financial aid grants. Stanford has a no-loan policy. For families with incomes below $65,000, tuition, room, and board are waived. For families with incomes below $125,000, tuition is covered by scholarships and grants. Nearly 90% of Stanford students graduate with no debt.; Average University Scholarship (Fall 2025 incoming class) (USD 69,415) - Awarded to students receiving aid in the Fall 2025 incoming class.; International Student Need-based Aid (USD 31,411) - 64% of international students receive need-based aid, with an average aid package of $31,411.