Stanford is a college town: 79 of every 100 residents are students
Stanford University (18,233 students on campus) is inside the town, and Foothill College (7,500) is 5 miles from the center, in Los Altos Hills. Across California, 8 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Stanford. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
20
77,608 students on campus
Nearest college
0.2 mi
Stanford University
Residents in college
79%
Above CA (8%)
Nearest community college
5 mi
Foothill College · $1,565 tuition
Nearest public university
5 mi
Foothill College · $1,565 in-state
Students on campus in Stanford
18,233
next to 18,662 residents
What stands out about college in Stanford
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 16.3% of Stanford residents are below the poverty line, 8.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 13 points either way). 25% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.
Cost of living C
The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (79% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.
Health A
CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Stanford’s median age is 22.0 (California 37.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.
Safety
Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.
Every college
Colleges within 15 miles of Stanford
14 private colleges within 14.8 miles, and six community colleges.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at $75–110k, where Stanford’s median household income ($75,208) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Stanford: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Institute for Business and Technology84% graduate$38k earnings*$8k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Institute for Business and Technology (3).
Majors
What students study in Stanford
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Stanford University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
International Relations and National Security Studies61 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering56 graduates a year
$117k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Stanford
Is Stanford a college town?
Yes. 79 of every 100 Stanford residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 8 across California. Stanford University has 18,233 students on campus, next to 18,662 residents.
What colleges are in Stanford?
Stanford University is inside the town. Foothill College is 5 miles from the center, in Los Altos Hills.
Why is Stanford’s poverty rate so high?
Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 16.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 8.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 13 points).
What is the closest community college to Stanford, and what does it cost?
Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, 5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,565 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $7,653, counts housing and food at full cost.
How hard is it to get into Stanford University?
Stanford University admitted 4% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,510–1,580 on the SAT.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Stanford. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0