Facilities and Support

Overall Facilities and other Resources

The Stanford Scientific Environment

Established in 1885, Stanford University is a private research university in Stanford, California,  situated between San Jose and San Francisco. Its academic strength, wealth, and proximity to Silicon Valley have made it one of the world's most prestigious universities.  The most recent report from China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked Stanford 2nd among the world’s top universities. It was ranked the 3rd best university in the world according to The Times Higher Education Rankings for 2016-17. Stanford University is ranked number 5 in the US News and World Reports national university rankings.

The 8,180-acre Stanford campus—one of the largest in the United States—comprises ~700 major buildings which house 18 designated independent laboratories, centers, and institutes, thus providing a physical and intellectual intersection between schools and disciplines. Stanford has 2,180 faculty members, including 19 living Nobel laureates, 4 Pulitzer Prize winners, 18 National Medal of Science winners, 163 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 287 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 107 members of the National Academy of Engineering, and 29 members of the National Academy of Education.  There are more than 6,009 externally sponsored projects throughout the university, with the total budget for sponsored projects at $1.6 billion (2016–17). The federal government sponsors approximately 81 percent of its projects with approximately $277 million in support coming from non-federal funding sources. Current enrollment (2017) totals 16,336, including 7,032 undergraduates and 9,304 graduate students.   

In addition to its excellence in research and teaching, Stanford is ranked as the second most innovative university in the United States. In 2015–16, Stanford received nearly $95 million from 779 licensed technologies.  Breakthrough inventions licensed by Stanford span medicine, engineering, and the sciences.  Stanford entrepreneurs have created an estimated 39,900 companies and 5.4 million jobs since the 1930s.