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Stanford University

Ranked
Stanford, United States
6th in World University Rankings 2025
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About Stanford University

Basic information and contact details for Stanford University

institution

Stanford University has one of the largest campuses in the US and is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

It was established in 1885 and opened six years later as a co-educational and non-denominational private institution.

Its location, less than an hour’s drive south of San Francisco next to Palo Alto, is in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, and the university is known for its entrepreneurial spirit.

This entrepreneurialism has its roots in the aftermath of the Second World War, when the provost encouraged innovation, resulting in a self-sufficient industry that would become Silicon Valley.

By 1970, the university had a linear accelerator and hosted part of the early network that would become the technical foundation of the internet.

The main campus spans 8,180 acres and is home to almost all the undergraduates who study at the university.

There are 700 major university buildings housing 40 departments within the three academic schools and four professional schools, alongside 18 independent laboratories, centres and institutes.

Stanford counts 21 Nobel laureates within its community, and numerous famous alumni associated with the university from the worlds of business, politics, media, sport and technology.

The 31st president of the US, Herbert Hoover, was part of the very first class at Stanford, and received a degree in geology in 1895. Currently, Stanford is also one of the leading producers of US Congress members.

The alumni include 30 living billionaires, 17 astronauts, 18 Turing Award recipients and two Fields Medallists.

Google’s co-founders met at Stanford while pursuing doctorate degrees, although neither ultimately completed their theses.

In total, companies founded by Stanford affiliates and alumni generate more than $2.7 trillion annual revenue, which would be the 10th largest economy in the world. These companies include Nike, Netflix, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Instagram, Snapchat, PayPal and Yahoo.

The first American woman to go into space, Sally Ride, received an undergraduate degree in physics from Stanford in 1973. Just 10 years later, she made her ascent into space.

In the five years leading up to 2012, the university embarked on a challenge to raise more than $4 billion. The fundraising exceeded this target and concluded the campaign having raised $6.2 billion, which will be used for more faculty appointments, graduate research fellowships and scholarships, and construction on 38 new or existing campus buildings.

Some of the funds have already been used for large projects, including the world’s largest dedicated stem cell research facility, a new business school campus, a law school expansion, a new Engineering Quad, a campus concert hall and an art museum.

Unofficially, the Stanford motto is a German quotation “Die Luft der Freiheit weht”, which translates as “the wind of freedom blows”.

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Rankings

Select the type of rankings below to see stats

World University Rankings 2025

20406080100
Overall 97.2
Teaching 97.5
Research Environment 97.3
Research Quality 99.6
Industry 100
International Outlook 85.1
9293949596979899201620172018201920202021202220232024202593.993.89394.794.394.994.994.89897.2

Breakdown via year: Overall

Ranking positions 2016 to 2025
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Key Student Statistics

A breakdown of student statistics at Stanford University

gender ratio
Student gender ratio
47 F : 53 M (1)
globe fill
International student percentage
23% (1)
student per staff
Students per staff
5.9 (1)
student
Student total
16963 (1)

Based on data collected for the (1) World University Rankings 2025

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Subjects Taught at Stanford University

See below for a range of subjects taught at Stanford University

Arts and Humanities

  • Archaeology
  • Art, Performing Art and Design
  • History, Philosophy and Theology
  • Languages, Literature and Linguistics

Business and Economics

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Business and Management
  • Economics and Econometrics

Computer Science

  • Computer Science

Education Studies

  • Education

Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • General Engineering
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Law

  • Law

Life Sciences

  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Veterinary Science

Medical and Health

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Other Health

Physical Sciences

  • Chemistry
  • Geology, Environmental, Earth and Marine Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Physics and Astronomy

Psychology

  • Psychology

Social Sciences

  • Communication and Media Studies
  • Politics and International Studies
  • Sociology