Stanford is one of the world’s leading teaching and research universities. It is known for its innovative academics, rich diversity, entrepreneurial character, and relationship to Silicon Valley.
Located in Stanford, CAlifornia (population: 13,809), Stanford University’s campus is neighboring the city of Palo Alto (population: 66,955). Downtown is only a short walk from campus and includes shops, restaurants, and more. Stanford is also located 20 miles north of San Jose and 35 miles south of San Francisco. To the west of the campus are the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and to the east is San Francisco Bay.
Type of SCHOOL: Four-year private college accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Size of Campus: 8,180 acres
Number of Students: Undergraduate: 7,032; graduate: 9,304
Number of Faculty: 2,180 total
Colleges, programs, and degrees: BA, BS, BAS, MA, MS, PhD, DMA, MD, MBA, JD, JSD, JSM, LLM, MFA, MLS, MLA, MPP, ENG
Seven Schools:
1. Business
2. Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences
3. Education
4. Engineering
5. Humanities and Sciences
6. Law
7. Medicine
Geographic Diversity: States represented: 50; largest state represented: California (36%); countries represented: 76
International Student Services:
• Special counselors/advisors
• International student center
• ESL program/classes
• Special orientation
• Bechtel International Student Center
International Student Budget: (2017–2018 academic year)
Tuition $48,987
Room and Board $15,112
Campus Health Service Fee $630
Books and Supplies $1,455
Personal Expenses $2,925
Travel $Varies
Total $69,109
Financial Aid: Stanford has a limited amount of financial aid for international students. International students needing assistance must make that indication on the admission application. Aid eligibility will be determined based on family financial circumstances.
International students who do not request consideration for financial aid at the time they apply for admission will not be eligible to apply for aid at Stanford throughout their undergraduate years.
In order to receive University scholarship funds, international students must obtain either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Stanford’s Bechtel International Center offers information on their website about obtaining an SSN or ITIN.
Aid is available to international students. In 2014, 149 international students received aid. In 2014 a total of $8,208,946 was awarded.
Test Score Requirements: The SAT with Essay or the ACT with Writing is required for all undergraduate applicants. If no sittings of these tests are offered in your country, you may request a testing waiver. The request must be submitted by a school official in writing by e-mail (credentials@stanford.edu), mail, or fax (+1-650-723-6050). Include your full legal name, school name, and date of birth at the top of the letter. No form is required. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), although not required, is strongly recommended for non-native speakers of English. You may submit your IELTS scores, but note that Stanford does not recognize the IELTS as a measure of English proficiency.
The Office of Undergraduate Admission does not partner or work with paid agents or credentialing services. It is expected that all students complete their application materials without the use of such services.
APplication deadlines and fees: Fall term deadline: January 2; applicant must accept offer by May 1.
With areas of excellence ranging from the humanities to social sciences to engineering, Stanford is dedicated to finding solutions to big challenges and preparing students for leadership in a complex world.
Academic freedom
A Stanford undergraduate education is rigorous and defined by the inherent freedom and flexibility enjoyed by students as they delve into the subjects about which they are most passionate—forging meaningful relationships with their talented peers and lauded faculty along the way.
Grounded in the liberal arts, the Stanford curriculum is designed to achieve balance between depth of knowledge acquired through specialization and breadth of knowledge gained through exploration. It permits each student to plan an individual program of study that takes into account personal educational goals, prior experience, and future aims. And it is an education that broadens the student’s understanding and awareness in each of the major areas of human experience, significantly deepens understanding, and prepares him or her for a lifetime of continual learning.
Many students supplement this already robust education through high-level research, even as undergraduates. In fact, Stanford has more funding available for undergraduate research—more than $5 million per year—than most colleges or universities in the nation. Students usually write proposals (with advice from faculty sponsors) to have their projects funded, which can cover such expenses as travel and equipment and allows students to devote their full attention to their research.
Diversity
Stanford students and faculty come to campus from a vast range of backgrounds and all over the world. Undergraduates represent 50 states and 76 countries; approximately 17% are the first in their family to attend college, and about 50% are persons of color. But diversity at Stanford means more than geographic, racial, or ethnic differences. The Stanford community embraces a wide array of socioeconomic, religious, cultural, and educational experiences.
From the vibrant residential environment to intellectually charged classrooms to every corner of campus where students engage, diversity is celebrated. The Stanford community values a wide range of opinions, cultures, communities, perspectives, and experiences, all of which challenge a student’s own beliefs, intellectual passions, opinions, and understanding of the world. Members of the Stanford community believe the best education can develop only in a community that actively affirms both the differences among its members and the numerous points of connection.
Entrepreneurial spirit
Just down the road from campus is the global epicenter of high technology: Silicon Valley. From HP and Google to Netflix and Pandora, many of the most innovative enterprises in modern history were sparked by Stanford faculty, alumni, and students.
However, entrepreneurism at Stanford extends far beyond founding companies; Stanford’s entrepreneurial spirit is homegrown, organic, and pervasive. Students, faculty, and alumni generate transformative ideas and set them in motion.
One such idea incubator is the Haas Center for Public Service, which connects academic study with public service to strengthen communities and develop effective public leaders. Recognized as a national model for public service education, the Center encourages Stanford students to impact their community through service, scholarship, and community partnerships. More than a third of undergraduates participate in one or more Haas Center programs each year, from working with organic farmers through the on-campus Stanford Community Farm to helping children develop language and literacy skills in East Palo Alto’s public schools.
Another is the experience in learning known as “CS+X”—a joint major integrating computer science with the humanities launched in fall 2014. Its goal is to give Stanford students the chance to become both a new type of engineer and a new type of humanist.
Residential campus
Located in California’s intellectually dynamic and culturally diverse Bay Area, Stanford is a thriving residential campus and community sitting on 8,180 pastoral acres, once a horse farm belonging to Jane and Leland Stanford and still fondly referred to as “the Farm.” Today 60% of that land remains open space, including some 43,000 trees, three lakes, and rolling foothills that overlook the inner campus.
On the campus itself, designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and bustling with bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, motor scooters, and golf carts, you will find California Mission–inspired buildings of local sandstone with iconic red-tiled roofs and a cloistered quadrangle with Memorial Church as its focus.
More than 12,500 students live on these sprawling yet intimate grounds, surrounded by extraordinary campus resources and facilities. And with San Francisco only 35 miles to the north, San Jose 20 miles south, and Palo Alto right next door, students enjoy a region rich not only in opportunity but also in entertainment and other diversions.
Vibrant student life
With its culture of creativity and innovation, Stanford fosters an arts scene alive with both professional and student voices, from film archives to orchestral concerts to visiting Broadway legends—not to mention a collection of visual arts pieces that spans 4,000 years.
For the student-athlete driven to excellence, Stanford fields 36 varsity teams and 32 club sports. Stanford has won the Directors’ Cup, which honors the most successful program in NCAA Division I sports, for the last 23 years. And for 41 years in a row, Stanford has won at least one national championship—the longest streak in the nation.
In addition to the offerings on campus, the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) is considered an integral part of Stanford’s curriculum. Approximately 53% of each graduating class studies abroad during their undergraduate career at Stanford, and BOSP operates a variety of programs—including international internships—at such locales as Cape Town, Florence, Kyoto, Paris, and Santiago.
Financial aid
Stanford is committed to a need-blind admission policy for US citizens and eligible non-citizens and to providing a comprehensive financial aid program for all admitted students demonstrating need. Stanford assesses undocumented and DACA students under the same need-blind admission policy it uses for US citizens and permanent residents, meaning applying for financial aid is not a factor in making admission decisions. While undocumented and DACA students are not eligible for federal financial aid, Stanford uses institutional funds to meet the full demonstrated need of all admitted undocumented students. In recent years about 70% of undergraduates received financial support from a variety of internal and external sources (financialaid.stanford.edu).
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