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Student Life

Students in front of Larkin West building during New Student Orientation move in.FloMo Resident Assistants during New Student Orientation move-in day.

Housing

As of autumn quarter 2023, 7,207 students live in university-provided undergraduate housing, and 6,930 students live in university-provided graduate housing. Housing is guaranteed for entering undergraduate first-year students for four years. About 97 percent of all eligible undergraduates live in campus housing. The undergraduate housing system includes 80 diverse facilities. The university offers on-campus houses for Greek-letter organizations. About 72 percent of graduate students eligible for housing live in university-provided housing designed for single students, couples and families with children. New graduate students are guaranteed housing their first year at Stanford when they apply by the spring deadline.

Dining

Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) Stanford Dining, Hospitality & Auxiliaries (SDHA) is a best-in-class dining and hospitality program serving 25,000 meals a day in 9 dining halls, 31 Row houses, and in co-ops and other residences, athlete dining, a kosher kitchen, late night dining, 8 cafes, a commissary production kitchen, a pub, 3 markets, a sweet shop, 7 catering operations, Schwab Executive Dining, 5 athletic venues, campus food truck program and 2 teaching kitchens. 

SDHA also oversees the campus BeWell community gardens, the Stanford Food Pantry, the Stanford Food Institute, MCURC and Stanford Flavor Lab. SDHA’s globally inspired menus reflect and celebrate the diversity of cultures, identities, and food preferences that make the Stanford community special. SDHA also promotes diverse food sourcing and through R&DE’s pioneering Equitable Harvest initiative is proud to support Black-owned farms in the Bay Area and Central Valley. The Eat Well @ Stanford program provides support to students dining with food allergies, religious requirements, medical needs, vegan/vegetarian diets and other nutritional needs. SDHA has a long history of award-winning sustainability leadership. SDHA is committed to excellence in providing meal programs that support the development of communities within residences and across neighborhoods.

Student Organizations

The Office of Student Engagement oversees more than 600 official student organizations at Stanford. On average, over 1,500 events a year are planned by student organizations. There are about 30 recognized religious organizations, and more than 100 committed to the arts. Other types of organizations include ethnic/cultural, community service, social awareness, social, athletic and recreational, and pre-professional/academic. Approximately 20 percent of undergraduate students will be involved in one of our 24 fraternities and sororities recognized on campus. The main student newspaper is the Stanford Daily. The Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) is the representative government for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Haas Center for Public Service

The Haas Center for Public Service educates students to be ethical and engaged global citizens through service, scholarship and community partnerships. The center is a home for service on campus and the hub of Cardinal Service, a university-wide effort to make service an essential feature of a Stanford education. Cardinal Service supports students to enroll in more than 150 community-engaged learning Cardinal Courses; pursue one of nearly 500 full-time Cardinal Quarter service fellowships and internships offered locally, nationally and globally with Stanford support; build leadership skills through a sustained Cardinal Commitment; and explore public service careers and ways to integrate service into any career.

Traditions

  • Big Game sometimes referred to as the Battle of the Bay, is the annual football game against the University of California-Berkeley Golden Bears.
  • Fountain hopping involves touring Stanford’s campus fountains and hanging out in them.
  • The Wacky Walk occurs during the first part of Commencement, when undergraduates forgo a more traditional entrance and instead stride, often in costume, into Stanford Stadium.
  • Senior Dinner on the Quad is one last chance for seniors to gather as a class to celebrate friendships and their time at Stanford before their families arrive for Commencement Weekend. The elegant dinner, with dancing under the stars and the historic Memorial Church as the backdrop, is hosted by the Stanford Alumni Association