Campus & Student Life at Stanford University

Home to about 6,366 undergraduates in 2020, Stanford is a large, private university located in Stanford, California. A safe, suburban environment can offer many of the amenities of city living without the constant hum. Should you tire of the campus however, Stanford offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by Stanford can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our Stanford Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

Stanford Has a Disability Services Site

Individuals with disabilities make up 19.0% of the student population at Stanford. For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit Stanford Disability Services.

Stanford for the Military

While not a "service academy", Stanford does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit Stanford Veteran Services . For more information, check out our Stanford for Veterans Guide.

Stanford offers On-Campus Day Care

For students with young families, Stanford does offer some day care. Programs like this are often in very high demand, so be sure to inquire as soon as you can.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at Stanford University

Stanford not only offers on-campus housing, they require freshmen to live on campus. If you are a returning adult or veteran, you can inquire about being exempted from such a requirement.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at Stanford University

Stanford has a comparatively large, student body. There were 6,366 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 5,752 (90.4%). Part-time attendance was 614 (9.6%).

Stanford University is Ranked #4 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, Stanford receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank Stanford #4 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at Stanford by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the Stanford Diversity Guide.

Stanford University Competes in the NCAA

Stanford has a total of 1008 student athletes, 532 men and 476 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Stanford University Athletics