Life at Stanford

Stanford University as viewed from entrance

Why study bioengineering as a graduate student at Stanford? Here are a few reasons you may choose to apply:

  • Join a graduate program that combines the strengths of Stanford’s Schools of Medicine and Engineering, both of which are consistently top-ranked in nationwide surveys.
  • Enjoy the advantages of a small department where you can develop close relationships with teachers and mentors, and the benefits of membership in the larger, thriving scientific and social communities in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering.
  • Study and work in the new James H. Clark Center, the home of the Department of Bioengineering and the hub of the new Bio-X program. The Clark Center is less than a five-minute walk from the Schools of Medicine and Engineering!
  • Take advantage of Stanford’s location in the heart of Silicon Valley, a world-class center of biotechnology, life sciences research, and information technology.

Live the good life at Stanford!

Student on Bicycle

Stanford is a residential community, and many graduate students enjoy living on campus in graduate student housing. Others live just a bicycle ride away in the neighboring towns of Palo Alto and Menlo Park, which boast several theater companies, independent movie houses and bookstores, cafes, shops, and a variety of ethnic restaurants. Less than an hour away, San Francisco and San Jose each offer an extraordinary array of cultural, geographic and intellectual opportunities. Stanford is also at the center of the biotechnology industry.

Of the 8,180 acres that comprise the Stanford campus, some 5,200 acres are in general academic use: the remainder stretch westward into the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. Half an hour to the west are the beaches of the Pacific Ocean; a few hours to the east students can explore the Sierra mountains, with Lake Tahoe for skiing and other winter activities and Yosemite National Park for hiking and camping. Carmel and Big Sur, a two-hour drive south, are favorite weekend retreats, as is the lush, wine-making region of Napa Valley, just two hours to the north.

Foothills view toward Dish

California's warm sun turns the foothills golden during the late spring and summer months. Refreshing winter rains bring brilliant shades of green to the landscape, filling the creeks as well as Stanford's Lake Lagunita. The mild climate of the mid-peninsula, combined with the stimulating academic environment, draws people from around the world to Stanford. (From “Life at Stanford,” Graduate Studies in the Biosciences)

A comprehensive look at opportunities and resources for students is also available at the main Stanford student life website; a closer look at life in the School of Medicine can be found at the School of Medicine's Student Life Pages.