Stanford University

Advancing the Frontier

At Stanford, a spirit of optimism and possibility energizes our mission of discovery and learning. Here you’ll find a place of intellectual expansiveness, wide-ranging perspectives, and freedom to explore new lines of thinking. Alive with ideas and innovation, approaching questions with openness and curiosity, pursuing excellence in all we do – this is Stanford.

About Stanford Navigate to the About Stanford page for more information on the university.
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Stanford News

Stories to keep you informed and inspired, from one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions.

Stanford Report Visit the Stanford Report website for the latest research, scholarship, and campus news.

Research for a Better World

Solving society’s pressing challenges requires state-of-the-art laboratories and smart people. It also takes a deep belief in the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration and the audacity to go in new directions.

Research Read more about research at Stanford.
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Achieving the promise of human-centered AI

Our impact Learn more about financial aid at Stanford.
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Computer science Professor John McCarthy, a “founding father” of AI, established the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory on campus in 1963. It was one of the first in the world to pursue the development of AI systems.

Today, the university continues to be at the technology’s vanguard – supporting scientific inquiry, accelerating discoveries, building pathways for exciting new applications, and shaping policies that protect the public.

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“Academic institutions are where most of the progress will be made in medical AI.”

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Computing ecosystem allows faculty to aim high

Massive computing power at Stanford functions as a universal accelerant – compressing research timelines, enabling simulations that would otherwise be impossible, and opening entirely new categories of scientific inquiry.

5 min read

12 takeaways from the 2026 AI Index Report

The annual report reveals a field hitting breakthrough capabilities while raising urgent questions about environmental costs, transparency, and who benefits from the technology.

5 min read

An infrastructure for innovation

Stanford’s campus and culture make unexpected connections, well, expected. Explore just a few of the venues where students and faculty mix deep expertise from disparate fields to come up with surprising new answers to important questions.

Education for Engaged Citizenship

Stanford prepares students to thrive and lead with principle in a complex society through open inquiry and vigorous debate.

Academics Learn more on the academics page.
Jadon Geathers smiles and looks up at a chalkboard, holding chalk mid-thought while working through a problem in a classroom.

Civic engagement on a lively campus

Ideas are born and tested in both quiet reflection and noisy debate. In classrooms, dorms, and third places on campus, Stanford students learn to listen with curiosity, embrace new perspectives, and engage differing views with rigor and respect.

Civics at Stanford Visit the page to learn more about civic engagement at Stanford.
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NewsUniversity initiatives

Disagree with me

It’s getting hard to remember a time before polarization, self-censorship, and social-media shouting matches. But there are proven ways to make dialogue constructive, and Stanford faculty are teaching them.

5 min read

“Stanford’s culture of inquiry is defined by our shared commitment to pursuing knowledge wherever it leads – by asking questions, testing assumptions, and embracing new understanding.”

—Provost Jenny Martinez

Financial aid places a Stanford degree within reach

Admissions & aid Learn more about financial aid at Stanford.
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Katelyn and Lorelei Santa Maria having a lively conversation with their friends at a picnic table outdoors, with trees and the Hoover Tower visible in the background.

Stanford meets the full financial need of every undergrad who qualifies, providing assistance to more than 70% of admitted students.

Tuition is free for undergrads with family incomes under $150,000 and typical assets. Tuition, room, and board are free for undergrads with family incomes under $100,000.

Easing the transition to college

The Summer Bridge Program gives incoming undergraduate and transfer students the tools and confidence they need to succeed at Stanford through academic preparation, community building, and enhanced advising support.

Home of Champions

Stanford’s athletics program is the most dominant in college sports. Our 36 varsity teams have won an unmatched 139 NCAA titles, and at least one in each of the past 50 years.

Stanford Athletics Learn more about being a student-athlete at Stanford.
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Nerd Nation

On the Farm, student-athletes pursue rigorous academics and elite competition, supported by resources to help them thrive. They have included 655 individual national champions and 400 Academic All-Americans.

Coach Tara VanDerveer, wearing a jacket with tally marks on it, poses for a selfie with a group of Stanford women's basketball players
Stanford students cheering at a Cardinal football game.
Hal Nystrom, '77, carrying a trombone and waving at the crowd as he marches with students in the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band on the way the to the stadium.