Stanford’s Schools and Programs

Degrees

Stanford offers the following degrees: BA, BS, BAS, MA, MS, PhD, DMA, MD, MB A, MSM, JD, JSD, JSM, LLM, MFA, MLS, MLA, MPP, ENG

Graduate School of Business

Dean: Sarah Soule

Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) empowers leaders to change lives, change organizations, and change the world. Its faculty, including five Nobel laureates, conducts breakthrough research and engages with students in three degree programs: the two-year full-time MBA, one-year fulltime Master of Science for experienced leaders (MSx), and PhD. The Executive Education portfolio includes more than 100 courses, both on campus and online. Stanford Seed is an initiative that partners with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to end the cycle of global poverty. Stanford GSB instills the courage to take risks, the passion to lead, and the motivation to make a positive impact.

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Dean: Arun Majumdar

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability launched in 2022 as the university’s first new school in 75 years, bringing together disciplines to advance the long-term prosperity of humanity and the planet. From studying how electricity can be affordable and sustainable for all to designing cities where people and nature thrive, our researchers collaborate across Stanford and the world. The school includes seven departments, two institutes, and a Sustainability Accelerator. Students work with local communities, engage in field learning, conduct cutting-edge research at Hopkins Marine Station near Monterey Bay, and lead hands-on projects at the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm on campus. For life on Earth. Forever.

Graduate School of Education

Dean: Daniel Schwartz

The Graduate School of Education is dedicated to enhancing learning and improving student outcomes through innovative research and training. In Fall 2025, the GSE opened new buildings that include specialized spaces like the AI Tinkery, the GSE Makery, a high-tech research testing suite, and convening halls. GSE faculty are leaders in the field, researching the full ecosystem of education from pre-school to workforce learning, and policy to practice. Researchers collaborate with schools, nonprofits, and governments to improve education. The GSE offers PhD, MA, MS, and MA with teaching credential degrees, as well as joint degrees in public policy, law, and business. An undergraduate minor is also available. Additionally, the GSE houses the Stanford Accelerator for Learning to create effective and equitable learning solutions.

School of Engineering

Dean: Jennifer Widom

Stanford Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for a century, laying the technological and business foundations for what we now know as Silicon Valley and creating pivotal technologies that have transformed the worlds of information technology, communications, health care, energy, business, and beyond. With nearly 5,000 graduate and undergraduate students and 280 faculty across nine departments and more than 160 laboratories, centers, institutes, and programs, the school focuses on seeking solutions to important global problems and educating leaders who will make the world a better place by using the power of engineering principles, techniques, and systems. The school aims to educate engineers who possess not only deep technical excellence, but the creativity, cultural awareness, and entrepreneurial skills that come from exposure to the liberal arts, business, medicine, and other disciplines that are an integral part of the Stanford experience.

School of Humanities and Sciences

Dean: Debra Satz

The School of Humanities and Sciences is Stanford’s largest school. As the home of Stanford’s world-class liberal arts education, the school encompasses more than 45 departments and interdisciplinary degree programs that span the humanities, arts, languages and literatures, social sciences, mathematics, and the physical and life sciences. H&S enrolls nearly 2,400 graduate students and more than 2,000 undergraduate students and has about 560 faculty members. H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. The school is the university’s home for fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. The school’s graduate programs lead to Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Arts, Master of Liberal Arts, Master of Science, Master of Public Policy, or Master of Fine Arts degrees.

Stanford Law School

Dean: George Triantis

Stanford Law School combines classic and innovative legal education, with approximately 70 faculty members and 180 new JD students annually. The student-to-faculty ratio is 4.3 to 1. The school offers 24 joint degree programs in areas ranging from bioengineering to business to public policy. Eleven clinics allow students to undertake the roles of practicing lawyers, and 25+ academic programs and centers and about 20 policy practicums offer opportunities for research and policy work.

School of Medicine

Dean: Lloyd Minor

The School of Medicine, the oldest medical school in the western United States, encourages intellectual diversity in students interested in developing a scholarly, investigative approach to problems in medicine and science and using discoveries to transform patient care. The school has 1,167 faculty; 2,183 clinician educators; 1,556 postdoctoral scholars; 491 MD students; 922 PhD and MS candidates; and 1,531 residents and clinical fellows. The school’s world-class faculty are leaders in research, patient care, and education. Our medical students gain experience at Stanford Hospital and Stanford Health Care, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and other affiliated sites, including the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. The School of Medicine received $1.05 billion in sponsored research revenue and $549 million in NIH funding in 2024.

Other Academic Programs

Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Education (CGOE)

Executive Director & Associate Dean: Carissa Little

The Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Education (CGOE), part of the School of Engineering, opens the doors of Stanford’s classrooms and labs to learners worldwide who seek to expand their knowledge and advance professional capabilities. CGOE furthers the university’s mission to create and share knowledge—knowledge that prepares learners to deepen their expertise, contribute to society, and fuel innovation. CGOE partners with Stanford faculty and departments to design and deliver flexible learning experiences—offered online or in person, with live and on-demand options—from credit-bearing graduate degrees and certificates to Stanford-credentialed professional, enterprise, and lifelong learning. A leader in educational innovation since 1995, CGOE launched Stanford Online (1996) and the first online engineering master’s degree (1998). The center co-developed and stewards the Stanford Credential Framework and continues to operate Stanford Online, the university’s primary online portal for academic and professional education taught by Stanford faculty. 21 million online and professional learners have enrolled in Stanford Online education programs from 2012-2024.

Distinguished Careers Institute

Faculty and Research Director: Sara Singer; Co-Faculty Director: Richard Saller; Executive Director: Katie Connor

The Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute (DCI) provides a unique opportunity for accomplished individuals in midlife to discover, connect, and contribute through engagement within Stanford’s robust academic community. Since 2015, over 422 fellows and alumni, from around the globe, bring a wide range of talents, expertise, and connections to Stanford. DCI fellows work and learn with students and faculty in the classroom and in Stanford’s many centers, institutes, and programs. These opportunities for mutual learning and community building contribute to Stanford’s broader mission of preparing well-rounded, socially conscious leaders for the future.

Executive Education

Senior Associate Dean: Wesley Hartmann

When leaders seek to change the world around them, they look to Stanford for inspiration. Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) Executive Education offers a portfolio of programs that provide unparalleled access to our world-class faculty, transformative curricula, and global peers, presented in a variety of online, in-person, and blended formats. With over 40 programs, including two flagship programs—the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) for senior leaders and the innovative LEAD (Learn, Engage, Accelerate, Disrupt) program—GSB Executive Education enhances leadership skills, builds foundations in general management, and forges connections to a global network of peers. Each Executive Education program is built on a combination of research based knowledge with real-world experiences and covers a wide range of topics that reflect the most critical challenges facing global business leaders.

Stanford Online High School

Head of School: Tomohiro Hoshi

Stanford Online High School (OHS) is a selective, independent school offering real-time, seminar-style online classes for students in grades 7–12. Now celebrating its 20th year, Stanford OHS continues to lead in online education, uniting a global community of intellectually curious students, expert instructors, and dedicated staff. Its division, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, extends this mission through a range of academic enrichment programs, including Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, Stanford Summer Humanities Institute, Stanford University Mathematics Camp, Stanford Middle School Scholars Program, Stanford AI4ALL, Stanford Math Circle, and Stanford Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online.

Stanford Continuing Studies

Dean: Daniel Colman; Director and Associate Dean: Jennifer Deitz

Stanford Continuing Studies offers approximately 500 courses per year, attracting more than 17,000 lifelong learners. Courses in liberal arts and sciences, wellness and health, creative writing, business, tech, and data science are taught both on campus and online. Continuing Studies courses are open to adult learners everywhere.

Accreditation

Stanford University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Growth of Academic Council* and Student Body

* Includes tenure-line faculty, non-tenure-line faculty and senior fellows at specified policy centers and institutes. Academic staff—teaching, center fellows and Medical Center-line faculty—are not members of the Academic Council.

** Enrollment decreased due to  pandemic-related  gap year requests.