A University of High Degree
When Leland Stanford Junior University opened to students on October 1, 1891, founders Jane and Leland Stanford declared it would be a “university of high degree,” producing cultured and useful citizens for the benefit of society. The university was untraditional from the outset. It was coeducational when many were not, and nonsectarian when most had a religious affiliation. Until 1920, Stanford was tuition-free, establishing what would become an enduring commitment to accessibility for promising students of all backgrounds.
Palm Drive, Stanford’s grand main entry, welcomes students and visitors to a university that has become a world leader in teaching, research, and innovation, known for its entrepreneurial spirit and discoveries that have impacted millions of lives.
Stanford sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Ohlone people. Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor, and make visible the university’s relationship to Native peoples.
Stanford’s Land Acknowledgment Statement
