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Stanford University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Stanford University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

6:1
Student to faculty ratio
23
Average class size
51%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Stanford has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
625
10-19
696
20-29
193
30-39
82
40-49
80
50-99
123
100+
85

Honors Programs

Stanford University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Stanford's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Stanford University:

98%
First-year retention rate
51%
4-year grad rate
92%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $78,000. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$78,000
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Stanford University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Computer Science
Human Biology
Engineering, Other
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Cognitive Science, General
53
110.6
168.2
225.8
283.4
341

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 19
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 8
  • East Asian Studies 7
  • Asian-American Studies 5
  • African-American/Black Studies 4
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 3
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 1
  • Area Studies, Other 1
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 76
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 3
Communication
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 19
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 341
Engineering
  • Engineering, Other 117
  • Mechanical Engineering 56
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 40
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 40
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 13
  • Materials Engineering 12
  • Chemical Engineering 10
  • Civil Engineering, General 9
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 6
  • Energy Systems Engineering, General 2
  • Chemical Engineering 1
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Engineering/Industrial Management 62
  • Engineering/Industrial Management 1
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 34
Foreign Languages
  • Comparative Literature 11
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 10
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 10
  • Linguistics 9
  • Spanish Language and Literature 3
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • French Language and Literature 1
  • German Language and Literature 1
  • Italian Language and Literature 1
  • Linguistics 1
  • Japanese Language and Literature 0
  • Chinese Language and Literature 0
  • Russian Language and Literature 0
  • German Language and Literature 0
History
  • History, General 17
  • History, General 4
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 57
  • Applied Mathematics, Other 33
  • Mathematics, General 2
  • Applied Mathematics, Other 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Human Biology 133
  • Cognitive Science, General 101
  • Science, Technology and Society 39
  • Systems Science and Theory 10
  • Data Science, General 4
  • Cognitive Science, General 1
  • Science, Technology and Society 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 23
  • Philosophy 2
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 2
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 30
  • Physics, General 24
  • Chemistry, General 19
  • Physics, General 7
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 3
  • Geophysics and Seismology 3
  • Chemistry, General 1
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 74
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 5
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 13
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 2
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 109
  • Political Science and Government, General 80
  • International Relations and Affairs 59
  • Sociology, General 17
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 13
  • Political Science and Government, General 8
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 8
  • Anthropology, General 7
  • Sociology, General 3
  • International Relations and Affairs 3
  • Archeology 2
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 2
  • Archeology 1
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 9
  • Music, General 7
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 7
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 6
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 6
  • Music, General 4
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 3
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 2
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 1
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0
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CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

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