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 Summer Research College is a residential community for undergraduates conducting research over the summer, and the Symposia of Undergraduate Research and Public Service (SURPS) provide opportunities to present scholarly work to Stanford faculty, students and alumni.

In  2007-08, more than $4 million was allocated for grant programs benefiting more than 1,100 student projects. More than 200 undergraduates lived in the 2008 Summer Research College, and nearly 200 student presentations were exhibited at three SURPS events.

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 tutorial services. The Schwab Learning Center serves students with learning differences. The Career Development Center offers support for life after college.

Bing Overseas Studies

Stanford offers study opportunities in Australia, Beijing, Berlin, Florence, Kyoto, Madrid, Moscow, Oxford, Paris and Santiago. Students may enroll for one or more quarters at most centers and participate in internships (in Europe and Asia), research projects and public service. Eight hundred fifteen students, or about 48 percent of the average class year, studied abroad with Stanford in 2007–08. Also offered are Overseas Seminars, which are three-week academic courses in locations around the world. Past semi- nars have been offered in Bhutan, Mexico and Qatar.

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 2012
Freshman applicants 25,299
Freshman admits 2,400
Admit rate 9.5%
Freshmen entering 1,703
  Male 51.3%
  Female 48.8%
High schools represented
  Public 59.3%
  Private 31.7%
  Home school 0.2%
  International 8.7%
Geographic Diversity
States represented 50
Largest state represented California (36.6%)
Countries represented 54
Academic Achievement
Top 10 percent of class* 92%
Top 20 percent of class* 98%
SAT Critical Reading 700-800 57%
SAT Writing 700-800 63%
SAT Math 700-800 67%
*where reported
Ethnic Diversity
African American 10.5%
Asian American 19.8%
International 7.2%
Mexican American 7.9%
Native American 3.2%
Native Hawaiian 0.8%
Other Hispanic 6.7%
White 31.5%
Other 3.1%
Declined to State 9.5%
Total Undergraduate Profile
6,812 matriculated
Majors by School (Percentages are rounded)
School of Humanities and Sciences 2,273 (33%)
School of Engineering 676 (10%)
School of Earth Sciences 101 (2%)
Undeclared 3,762 (55%)
Geographic Origin
California 2,895 (42%)
Other U.S. 3,455 (51%)
Foreign (88 countries) 462 (7%)
Asia 245 (53%)
The Americas 81 (18%)
Europe 61 (13%)
Africa 42 (9%)
Middle East and North Africa 30 (6%)
Pacific Basin 3 (1%)
Sex
Women 3,384 (49%)
Men 3,428 (51%)
Race/Ethnicity
African American 676 (10%)
American Indian or Alaska Native 187 (3%)
Asian American or Pacific Islander 1,563 (23%)
White 2,628 (38%)
International 462 (7%)
Mexican American 495 (7%)
Other Hispanic 334 (5%)
Unidentified 467 (7%)
Other Undergraduate Education Facts
Undergraduate degrees awarded in 2008: 1,646
Graduation Rates
(percentage of students receiving undergraduate degrees within five years of initial enrollment at Stanford)
1993 88.2%
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%
Courses Enrolling Undergraduates Fall 2008
Class Size Number of courses Percentage of courses
2-9 533 36%
10-19 527 36%
20-29 117 8%
30-39 63 4%
40-49 54 3%
50-99 102 7%
100+ 68 5%
Total 1,454  
Majors Granting Highest Number of Undergraduate Degrees in 2007-08
1. Biology or Human Biology
2. Economics
3. International Relations
4. Political Science
5. Psychology
Financial Aid 2007-08
Total students on aid: 5,199
Total students enrolled (4 qtrs): 6,759
Percent of students receiving any form of aid: 76.9%
Percent of students receiving need-based scholarships from Stanford 41.6%
Percent of students receiving Pell Grants 12.8%
Scholarship Aid
$115,629,825
 (88.1%)
Long-Term Loans $9,588,653
(8.9%)
Term-Time Jobs $3,332.542
(3.0%)
Total $128,551,020
Sources of Scholarship Aid 2007-08
Current Gifts-Nonathletic $6,330,411
Endowment Income-Nonathletic $68,156,623
Trademark Income $356,707
Athletic Awards $15,227,225
Department Awards $6,343,811
Federal Pell Grants $2,641,792
Federal Supplemental Grants $1,331,899
Other Federal Grants $1,311,575
State Grants $3,859,917
Other External Awards $10,069,865
Total $115,629,825
Student Budget 2008-09
Tuition $36,030
Room and Board $11,182
Books (estimated) $1,455
Personal (estimated) $2,325
Total $50,992
The average per student cumulative undergraduate indebtedness for 2007 Stanford graduates receiving financial aid: $15,724
Stanford Student Awards
Rhodes Scholars 98
Marshall Award Winners 78
Truman Scholars 53