.jpg)
Stanford University is a private research university located in Stanford USA. Established in 1885, Stanford comprises seven academic schools and 18 interdisciplinary schools. International students choose Stanford majorly for graduate-level courses. There are 200+ graduate courses in 90+ subject areas for you to choose from. If we talk about popular programs, Stanford MBA is one of the best in the world. The student enrollments indicate the popularity of engineering courses. In recent academic year, around 40% incoming graduate students enrolled in engineering courses. The Stanford University acceptance rate of engineering programs is 5.03%.
Stanford University fees for Indian students is between 41-60 lakh INR per annum, depending on the program. In comparison, the cost of studying at Stanford is high in comparison to other top US universities like MIT, Harvard, and UCLA. Despite this, currently, Stanford student university comprises 12% international student population representing 72 countries. The university has two main intakes- Fall intake and Spring intake. Admissions at Stanford University have started for the 2023 academic session.
What distinguishes Stanford from others is its entrepreneurial culture. Stanford’s core learning experiences include encouraging students to map their ideas to reality. Companies like Linkedin, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems are all founded by Stanford alumni. Some of the popular Indian Stanford alumni are Parag Agrawal (new Twitter CEO), Mukesh Ambani (Businessman), and Azim Premji (Wipro Chairman).
Why Choose Stanford University?
Pros
Access to Subject Scholars: Stanford students get a chance to meet and learn from the scholars of their field, the majority of them being Stanford alumni themselves. Many times students even get a chance of one-to-one sessions with Nobel Laureates.
Campus: Located in San Francisco, the Stanford University campus is in the heart of North Carolina’s “Silicon Valley” which is home to firms like Yahoo! and Google. The campus itself is like a city, with its own hospital, cafes, theatres, and even a post office.
Work while Studying: Students on F-1 Visa can explore jobs on-campus with various libraries, administration departments, cafes, as teaching assistants, etc. The weekly stipend for these part-time jobs will cover at least 60% of the living expenses.
Placements: Companies like Linkedin, Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems are all founded by Stanford alumni. 96% of Stanford graduates received placement offers within 3 months of course completion. With a mean base salary of USD 162K.
Cons
Low Acceptance Rate: Admission to Stanford is highly competitive as the institution receives an average of 10,000 applications for each of its programs. Last year, Stanford University's acceptance rate was a mere 3.96%. Over the years, the university’s selection criteria have become stringent.
Limited International Scholarships: 90% of scholarships at Stanford are need-based programs that are primarily awarded on the basis of the family’s annual income. Though international students are eligible to apply for these programs, a maximum of 25% of international students receive assistance. For international master’s students, the best funding option is to apply for a research assistant and teaching assistant positions.
Stanford University Rankings
For over a decade, Stanford University ranks among the top institutions in the world. Though Stanford is not an ‘ivy league in the USA’, its rankings are better than the majority of them. Stanford ranks #2, just after Massachusetts Institute of Technology in QS USA University rankings 2022. In the world rankings, QS news places Stanford University #3 in World University Rankings 2023. It is preceded by MIT (#1) and the University of Cambridge (#2).
Stanford University Courses
Stanford has 7 academic schools offering a diverse range of academic programs at various levels. A total of 550 programs are offered annually in Stanford’s Continuing Studies open to students globally and offered through a hybrid learning model consisting of on-campus and online. One of the most popular features includes the free-of-cost online programs by Stanford, with about 160 different classes being available to anyone and anywhere in the world.
| Programs | Total Annual Fees |
|---|---|
| Master of Business Administration [M.B.A], Finance | INR 61,52,153 |
| Master of Science [M.Sc], Statistics - Data Science | INR 43,42,484 |
| Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] | INR 61,52,153 |
| Master of Science [M.S], Statistics | INR 62,03,001 |
| Master of Science [M.S], Management Science and Engineering | INR 62,03,001 |
| Master of Science [M.Sc], Computer Science | INR 61,67,983 |
| Bachelor of Science [B.Sc], Computer Science | INR 70,61,184 |
| Master of Science [M.S], Mechanical Engineering | INR 46,12,555 |
Stanford University Application Process
Securing admission to Stanford University is quite a tough nut to crack. It has an early application and regular decision deadline of November 1 and January 2 for UG applicants, whereas deadlines for graduate programs vary.
Application Portal: Stanford Portal, Common Application or Coalition Application
Application Fee:
- Undergraduate Application Fee: 90 USD (~6,775 INR)
- Postgraduate Application Fee: 125 USD (~9,410 INR)
Admission Requirements:
- Completed application form and payment of non-refundable application fee
- School report and counselor LOR
- Certified electronic transcripts from all educational institutions attended
- An engaging SOP for US universities
- Personal essay
- Copy of passport
- Academic LOR from two teachers
- Certification of finances
- Standardized exams to study in USA
- English language proficiency test scores like TOEFL (iBT), IELTS, or equivalent exams.
For undergraduate admission, TOEFL (iBT) scores of 100 or an IELTS score of 7.0 are required. Stanford only accepts TOEFL scores at the graduate level. Minimum TOEFL requirements for graduate students are:
- Master's Programs: School of Engineering: 89
- Master's Programs: Humanities, Social Sciences, Education: 100
- Doctoral Programs-All Fields:100.
Stanford University Scholarships
Like other USA universities, Stanford University primarily offers only need-based financial assistance. Nearly 5,000 students receive some form of financial aid at Stanford both internally and externally. But, these scholarships are very limited in number for you as an international student. Furthermore, if you are seeking financial assistance from Stanford, you must indicate the same at the time of you admission application process.
Around 66% of students received financial aid to cut down the total cost of attendance. 47% of the candidates are awarded need-based scholarships and grants with hardly 18% of the students graduating with debts. To be eligible for scholarship funds, international students must possess either an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or a Social Security number (SSN). International candidates are not eligible for student loans or federal aid from U.S. government agencies. However, they can avail fellowships and assistantships which may come with work restrictions. Some of the Stanford University scholarships are as mentioned below.