Home
Colleges
Stanford University
Academics

Stanford University
Academics

Back to Profile

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
58%
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
611
10-19
695
20-29
182
30-39
108
40-49
71
50-99
140
100+
82

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
58%
4-year grad rate
93%
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
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Engineering, Other
Cognitive Science, General
38.6
89.48
140.36
191.24
242.12
293

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 17
  • American/United States Studies/Civilization 6
  • African-American/Black Studies 5
  • East Asian Studies 3
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 1
  • Asian-American Studies 1
  • Area Studies, Other 0
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 55
Communication
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 13
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 293
Engineering
  • Engineering, Other 88
  • Mechanical Engineering 56
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 41
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 30
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 13
  • Materials Engineering 12
  • Chemical Engineering 10
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 5
  • Civil Engineering, General 3
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Engineering/Industrial Management 51
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 51
Foreign Languages
  • Comparative Literature 12
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 9
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 9
  • Linguistics 8
  • Spanish Language and Literature 4
  • French Language and Literature 2
  • German Language and Literature 1
  • Japanese Language and Literature 0
  • Chinese Language and Literature 0
  • Italian Language and Literature 0
  • Russian Language and Literature 0
History
  • History, General 16
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 57
  • Applied Mathematics, Other 31
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Human Biology 139
  • Cognitive Science, General 81
  • Science, Technology and Society 27
  • Systems Science and Theory 4
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 18
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other 1
Physical Sciences
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 28
  • Physics, General 27
  • Chemistry, General 11
  • Geophysics and Seismology 3
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 53
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 16
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 106
  • International Relations and Affairs 58
  • Political Science and Government, General 54
  • Sociology, General 12
  • Anthropology, General 9
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 4
  • Archeology 1
  • Economics, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 7
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 6
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 4
  • Music, General 4
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0

Mistakes were made

(But not by you!)

These are the top 10 mistakes people make when searching for colleges

Top Ten Mistakes

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.

© 2025 Whittier Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service