National Universities USA – 2016 – Stanford University – Rank 5/100

Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: (650) 723-2300

Stanford University is a private institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,019, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 8,180 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Stanford University’s ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 4. Its tuition and fees are $46,320 (2015-16).

Stanford University’s pristine campus is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. Stanford offers a wide range of student organizations, including the Stanford Pre-Business Association and Stanford Solar Car Project, which designs, builds and races a solar car every two years. The Stanford Cardinals are well known for the traditional “Big Game” against Cal, an annual football competition that awards the Stanford Axe—a sought-after trophy—to the victor. Stanford also has successful programs in tennis and golf. Only freshman are required to live on campus, but students are guaranteed housing for all four years and most choose to remain on campus. Greek life at Stanford represents approximately 10 percent of the student body.

Four of Stanford University’s seven schools offer undergraduate and graduate coursework, and the remaining three serve as purely graduate schools. Graduate programs include the highly ranked School of Education, School of Engineering, Law School, School of Medicine and the top-ranked Graduate School of Business. The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment oversees collaboration between environmental research, teaching and outreach. Stanford has a number of well-known theatrical and musical groups, including the Ram’s Head Theatrical Society and the Mendicants, an all-male a cappella group. Notable Stanford alumni include former U.S. President Herbert Hoover, famed NFL quarterback John Elway, actress Sigourney Weaver and golfer Tiger Woods, who began his professional career at Stanford.

In 1885, Jane and Leland Stanford established Stanford University in memory of their son, Leland 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.” Today, Stanford is a research university where teaching, learning and research are all integral to the university’s mission. Stanford values close interaction between undergraduates and faculty. Student participation in research is strongly supported and, in 2013-14, Stanford allocated about $5.6 million to support 986 projects. Stanford’s entrepreneurial character draws from its Western location, the legacy of its founders and its proximity to Silicon Valley. Stanford emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and research, and academic excellence crosses disciplines, ranging from humanities to social sciences to engineering and the sciences. Current faculty members have earned 21 Nobel Prizes and 4 Pulitzer Prizes. Students, distinguished by initiative, love of learning and commitment to public service, are talented in many areas, including academics, art, music and athletics. Stanford’s athletic teams, called the Cardinal, have won the Director’s Cup as the best program nationwide 20 years in a row. Stanford’s extraordinary campus is located in a dynamic and diverse area between San Francisco and San Jose in Northern California. The campus is considered among the most beautiful and most environmentally sustainable anywhere. The Bing Overseas Studies Program has offerings in Australia, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Cape Town, Florence, Istanbul, Kyoto, Madrid, Oxford, Paris and Santiago. Other Stanford programs take students to the Hopkins Marine Laboratory on Monterey Bay, New York City and to Washington D.C. The arts are emphasized on the Stanford campus, and a new arts district is taking shape. It includes the new Bing Concert Hall, the McMurtry Building for Art and Art History and the Anderson Collection at Stanford University. There are about 650 organized student groups at Stanford. The student newspaper is the Stanford Daily. The Associated Students of Stanford University is the representative government for Stanford students. There are about 44 recognized religious organizations. Stanford offers seven cultural centers: Asian American Activities Center, Black Community Services Center, El Centro Chicano, LGBT Community Resource Center, Native American Cultural Center, Women’s Center and the Markaz: Resource Center for Engagement with the Cultures and Peoples of the Muslim World.