Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
Stanford University, officially entitled Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university located in the Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose. Founded in 1891, the university was established as a coeducational school with no denominational affiliations, which was rare at the time.
The rambling, 8,100-acre campus is located in suburban Stanford, and is a perfect mix of manicured lawns and unhampered vistas. Seeing that the current student body comprises 15,877 souls, each student theoretically has nearly half an acre all to him- or herself!
Speaking of the student body, unlike most of the colleges and universities on this list, Stanford is composed of more graduate students than undergraduates. This academic year’s enrollment included 8,897 of the former and only 6,980 of the latter. Stanford also boasts one of the most impressive faculty-to student-ratios in the county, with just five students to each faculty member.
The campus has over eighty different housing facilities to match the needs of the students. Last year 97 percent of undergraduates and 57 percent of graduate students lived on campus. There are also more than 650 student groups and 35 recognized religious groups to meet each student’s social and spiritual needs.
Stanford University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
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