Stanford Facts: Undergraduate Program and Admission

Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid

Students who derive pleasure from learning for its own sake thrive at Stanford. We look for distinctive students who exhibit energy, curiosity and a love of learning in their classes and lives. Academic excellence is the primary criterion for admission, and the most important credential is the transcript. We seek outstanding students who have selected a rigorous academic program and achieved distinction in a range of courses. We also take into consideration personal qualities—we want to know how students have taken advantage of available resources and their promise for contributing to the campus community and the world beyond Stanford. In some cases, exceptional ability in a particular area may be considered if an applicant is otherwise highly qualified.

Stanford recommends that prospective students take a minimum of four years of English, four years of mathematics, three years of laboratory science, three years of the same foreign language and three years of history or social studies. Each year, many more highly qualified students apply than the univer- sity has places for in the freshman class of about 1,670 and the transfer group of about 40.

Stanford is committed to a need-blind admission policy for U.S. citizens and permanent residents—admitting qualified students without regard to their ability to pay—and to providing a comprehensive financial aid pro- gram for all admitted students who have computed need as determined by the university and who meet other requisite conditions for financial aid. In recent years, financial aid has been provided to more than 75 percent of undergraduate students from a variety of internal and external sources.

The application postmark deadline for Stanford’s Restrictive Early Action process is Nov. 1, and the application postmark dead- line for the Regular Decision process is Jan. 1. For more information about application policies and procedures, visit http://admission.stanford.edu or call the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (650) 723-2091.

The Undergraduate Program

The objective of Stanford University, Jane and Leland Stanford wrote in their Founding Grant in 1885, is "to qualify its students for personal success, and direct usefulness in life; And its purposes, to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity and civilization, teaching the blessings of liberty regulated by law, and inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of government as derived from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

With an approximate 6.4 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio, Stanford emphasizes close interaction with faculty. Stanford offers three undergraduate degrees – Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.), and Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (B.A.S.) – each designed to achieve balance between depth of knowledge acquired through specialization and breadth of knowledge gained through exploration. Undergraduates complete at least 180 units, including requirements for the major, writing and rhetoric requirements, one year of a foreign language and courses in the following areas:

Of the seven schools at Stanford, three award undergraduate degrees: Humanities and Sciences, Earth Sciences and Engineering. Students who wish to pursue in depth more than one field may double major—that is, complete the requirements for majors in two fields—or minor in a second field. Students also can pursue an individually designed major. Visit http://ual.stanford.edu/.

Major Fields of Undergraduate Study

Introductory Seminars

Stanford's academic program prioritizes engaging students in serious critical inquiry from their first days on campus, working closely with faculty members. Among the programs designed to provide mentoring relationships are freshman seminars and sophomore seminars and dialogues, which are taught by some of the university's most renowned faculty members. More than 2,300 students enroll in about 200 seminars annually. Other special programs include Sophomore College and Freshman-Sophomore College at Sterling Quad.

Undergraduate Research Programs

Stanford believes learning is enhanced by participation in research. The Office of Undergraduate Advising and Research offers advising, grants and programs to aid undergraduate participation in the production of new knowledge. Grants are awarded to faculty and departments to support student involvement in faculty members’ research and to students themselves to support independent research projects under faculty mentorship. The Symposia of Undergraduate Research and Public Service provide opportunities for about 200 undergraduates to present scholarly work to Stanford faculty, students and alumni. In  2008-09, nearly $4 million was allocated for grant programs benefiting more than 1,000 student projects.

Honors

Collaborating with faculty, undergraduates work in laboratories, do research through Stanford's extensive library and archive collections, or travel to sites worldwide to complete independent projects. The resulting honors thesis is recognized by conferring the degree "with Honors." About 25 percent of each graduating class earn departmental honors. About 100 students annually participate in Bing Honors College.

Academic Services

Stanford offers academic services to students, including the Hume Writing Center, the Stanford Language Center, Undergraduate Advising and Research and the Center for Teaching and Learning. The Schwab Learning Center serves students with learning differences. The Career Development offers support for life after college.

Bing Overseas Studies

Stanford offers study opportunities in Australia Barcelona,, Beijing, Berlin Cape Town, Florence, Kyoto, Madrid, Moscow, Oxford, Paris and Santiago. Students may enroll for one or more quarters at most centers and participate in internships, research projects and public service. Eight hundred forty-six students, or about 50 percent of the average class year, studied abroad with Stanford in 2008–09.

Other Off-Campus Study Opportunities

The Bing Stanford in Washington Program enables undergraduates to work and study through courses and internships in a residential program in the nation's capital. The Hopkins Marine Station allows students to live in Pacific Grove while studying marine biology. Students also can take advantage of exchange programs with Dartmouth College, Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.

Profile of the Class of 2013
Freshman applicants 30,429
Freshman admits 2,426
Admit rate 8%
Freshmen entering 1,694
  Male 51%
  Female 49%
High schools represented
  Public 60.2%
  Private 30%
  Home school 0.2%
  International 9.6%
Geographic Diversity
States represented 50
Largest state represented California (40.1%)
Countries represented 45
Academic Achievement
Top 10 percent of class* 92%
Top 20 percent of class* 98%
SAT Critical Reading 700-800 58%
SAT Writing 700-800 61%
SAT Math 700-800 67%
*where reported
Ethnic Diversity
African American 10.6%
Asian American 22.5%
International 7.6%
Mexican American 7.7%
Native American 3.2%
Native Hawaiian 0.9%
Other Hispanic 6.9%
White 33.1%
Other 3.5%
Declined to State 3.9%
Total Undergraduate Profile, 2009-10
6,878 matriculated
Majors by School (Percentages are rounded)
School of Humanities and Sciences 2,352 (34%)
School of Engineering 778 (11%)
School of Earth Sciences 135 (2%)
Undeclared 3,613 (53%)
Geographic Origin
California 2,943 (43%)
Other U.S. 3,447 (50%)
Foreign (87 countries) 488 (7%)
Asia 264 (54%)
The Americas 83 (17%)
Europe 69 (14%)
Africa 44 (9%)
Middle East and North Africa 22 (5%)
Pacific Basin 6 (1%)
Sex
Women 3,405 (50%)
Men 3,473 (50%)
Race/Ethnicity
African American 681 (10%)
American Indian or Alaska Native 192 (2%)
Asian American or Pacific Islander 1,583 (23%)
White 2,501 (36%)
International 488 (7%)
Mexican American 526 (8%)
Other Hispanic 388 (6%)
Unidentified 519 (8%)
Other Undergraduate Education Facts
Undergraduate degrees awarded in 2009: 1,680
Graduation Rates
(percentage of students receiving undergraduate degrees within five years of initial enrollment at Stanford)
1994 89.9%
1995 91%
1996 89.2%
1997 90.0%
1998 92.5%
1999 90.1%
2000 92.5%
2001 92.3%
2002 92.1%
2003 92.1%
2004 92.2%
Courses Enrolling Undergraduates Fall 2009
Class Size Number of courses Percentage of courses
2-9 434 30%
10-19 564 38%
20-29 137 9%
30-39 91 4%
40-49 84 4%
50-99 107 7%
100+ 72 5%
Total 1,466  
Majors Granting Highest Number of Undergraduate Degrees in 2007-08
1. Biology or Human Biology
2. Economics
3. International Relations
4. Engineering
5. English
Financial Aid 2008-09
Total students on aid: 5,419
Total students enrolled (4 qtrs): 6,815
Percent of students receiving any form of aid: 80%
Percent of students receiving need-based scholarships from Stanford 46%
Percent of students receiving Pell Grants 14%
Scholarship Aid
$144.517,486
 (92%)
Long-Term Loans $7,640,754
(4.9%)
Term-Time Jobs $4,869.463
(3.1%)
Total $157,027,703
Sources of Scholarship Aid 2008-09
Stanford General Funds $3,000,000
Current Gifts-Nonathletic $18,713,223
Endowment Income-Nonathletic $80,969,040
Trademark Income $322,296
Athletic Awards $15,941,840
Department Awards $6,610,401
Federal Pell Grants $3,347,788
Federal Supplemental Grants $1,167,574
Other Federal Grants $1,111,345
State Grants $3,117,483
Other External Awards $10,216,496
Total $144,517,486
Student Budget 2009-10
Tuition $37,380
Required Fees: Vaden Health Center (applied only to students living on campus) $501
Room and Board $11,463
Books (estimated) $1,490
Personal (estimated) $2,385
Total $53,219
The average per student cumulative undergraduate indebtedness for 2009 Stanford graduates receiving financial aid: $16,219
Stanford Student Awards
Rhodes Scholars 99
Marshall Award Winners 82
Truman Scholars 55