About Diversity at Stanford

Since the University’s founding in 1891, Stanford has been committed to an inclusive approach to higher education. As a major research university we recognize the value of diversity and our commitment to it is reflected in our student body, faculty and staff, academic departments and programs.

Photo of Clayborne Carson, History Department Professor, the Dalai Lama, and others

Clayborne Carson, History Department Professor, the Dalai Lama, and others from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. Photo: Brandon Hunter Smith

We are a diverse community with a student body of approximately 15,000 (6,800 undergraduates and 8,200 graduate students) from all parts of the country and world representing all racial/ethnic and religious groups and including men, women, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities. We have numerous student organizations covering a range of interests: academic, international, ethnic, social and recreational. We also have over 40 recognized religious organizations on campus.

The faculty and staff at Stanford are also diverse. We believe a diverse campus community enriches the educational and scholarly experience and opportunities, for faculty and students and offers a more rewarding experience for everyone. Diversity is integral to the mission of Stanford; it touches every part of this community – faculty, students, and staff.

“I experienced the narrowness of diversity that delineated medical schools just years ago. It is hard to imagine ever going backward. The recent Supreme Court decision regarding the University of Michigan permits us to sustain the diversity that we celebrate at schools like Stanford. Such diversity prepares our students to work, live and change the global community of the 21st century.”

— Dean Phil Pizzo
    Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Professor
    Dean of the School of Medicine
    Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology and Immunology