Address: 450 Jane Stanford Way, 94305 Stanford, California, United States
Computer Science, Engineering, Business (GSB)
Founded in 1885, Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California, renowned for its academic strength, wealth of resources, and close ties to Silicon Valley. A global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship across many fields.
Stanford University was founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford, a former California governor and railroad magnate, and his wife Jane, in memory of their son, who died as a teenager. The first students arrived in 1891. The campus, designed with the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, occupies a very large tract of land near Palo Alto, about 55 kilometres south of San Francisco, and is known for its sandstone buildings with red tile roofs and arcades. It has about 17,800 students and around 13,000 staff, and the Main Quad and the Hoover Tower are the landmarks.
The university is organised in seven schools, which cover business, earth sciences, education, engineering, humanities and sciences, law, and medicine, plus the Doerr School of Sustainability. The Graduate School of Business and the Law School are among the most selective in the country. The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, SLAC, run for the Department of Energy, hosts a long particle accelerator and light-source facilities, and the Hoover Institution is a public-policy think tank on campus.
The link with Silicon Valley is central. Frederick Terman, a professor of electrical engineering, encouraged students such as William Hewlett and David Packard to start a company in 1939, and he later helped build the Stanford Industrial Park. Founders of Google, Yahoo, Cisco, Sun Microsystems and many others studied or worked at Stanford. The Stanford AI Lab, created in 1963, and the Bio-X programme continue this practice of mixing research and enterprise.
Admission is highly selective and based on a full review of the application. Financial aid is need-based, and international applicants are considered on the same footing as American ones for aid. Check the current tariff for tuition. Teaching is in English, and the academic year is organised in quarters, not semesters.
Most undergraduates live on campus in residences, and a free shuttle and the Caltrain station at Palo Alto link the campus to the Peninsula and San Francisco.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Deep connections with Silicon Valley tech companies (e.g., Google, Apple, HP founded by alumni), venture capital firms, and research institutions worldwide. Operates SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for DoE. Member of AAU.
Research:
A premier research university with groundbreaking work in AI, biotechnology, medicine, engineering, physical sciences, and humanities. Strong focus on interdisciplinary research and translating discoveries into practical applications. Numerous Nobel laureates.
Famous Alumnis:
Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Reed Hastings, Sandra Day O’Connor, Tiger Woods, John Steinbeck
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
13100
Current students***:
17800
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
235000
Pros
World-class academics and research, epicenter of Silicon Valley innovation, strong entrepreneurial culture, beautiful and extensive campus, vast resources.
Cons
Extremely competitive admissions, high cost of living in the Bay Area, can feel like a high-pressure environment, large endowment but still high tuition.
Best For
Highly ambitious students and researchers aiming to be at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in technology, business, medicine, and the sciences.
Columbia University follows much the same lines as this institution, with physics, life sciences and data analytics as common ground, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers project management as well.
For students who like the bioengineering, physics and life sciences focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Harvard University fits well: it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers chemistry and statistics as well.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology works in much the same fields, chiefly physics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers robotics and mathematics as well.
For students who like the bioengineering, life sciences and data analytics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, University of Pennsylvania fits well: it is larger, enrolling about 28,200 students against roughly 17,800 here, and is also a private institution.
Where this university leans on physics, life sciences and data analytics, University of Chicago does the same, and it has almost the same size, at about 18,000 students, and is also a private institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Yonsei University in South Korea shares the physics, life sciences and data analytics orientation of this institution, and it is also a private institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
Beyond national borders, Imperial College London stands out as a comparable school for physics, life sciences and AI and machine learning; it is slightly larger, at about 20,500 students against roughly 17,800 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
Seen from abroad, Korea University (South Korea) is a close relative on subject matter, since physics, life sciences and data analytics are central to both, and it covers finance and chemistry as well, and is larger, enrolling about 31,130 students against roughly 17,800 here.
Students considering a move abroad can look at University College London in the United Kingdom, where physics, life sciences and data analytics also form the core, and it is public, whereas this university is private, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
For physics, life sciences and data analytics outside the home country, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong is a natural reference; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers finance and chemistry as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Stanford University?
Near Palo Alto, California, about 55 kilometres south of San Francisco.
When was it founded?
In 1885 by Leland and Jane Stanford, and the first students arrived in 1891.
How large is it?
About 17,800 students and around 13,000 staff.
What schools does it have?
Business, earth sciences and sustainability, education, engineering, humanities and sciences, law, and medicine.
What is SLAC?
The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, run for the Department of Energy, with a long particle accelerator and light-source facilities.
What is the link with Silicon Valley?
Professor Frederick Terman encouraged students such as William Hewlett and David Packard to start a company in 1939, and many founders studied at Stanford.
What is the Hoover Institution?
A public-policy think tank located on the campus.
Is the academic year in semesters?
No. It is organised in quarters.
How is admission decided?
Through a full review of the application, and financial aid is need-based. Check the current tariff.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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