Life at Stanford

The best of the city and outdoors within reach

With easy access to San Francisco and a host of outdoor attractions, Stanford students enjoy a world of cultural options that round out their graduate experience. The diversity of things to see and do in the Bay Area fosters an innovative, entrepreneurial, and creative environment that encourages students to think big and pursue original ideas. Thanks to our beautiful weather, it is a mix that we experience every day.

Walk, bike, train, or drive

Few campuses can beat the sheer beauty of Stanford and the surrounding Bay Area. Our campus features sprawling fields surrounded by a three-mile walking loop, while redwoods, wildflower meadows, and the Pacific Ocean all are within a half-hour drive. Many students live in the graduate-student neighborhoods on campus, where they socialize with a diverse peer group through dinners and organized outings. Others opt to live off campus. Stanford is easily accessible from the surrounding Bay Area by bike and Caltrain, which stretches 80 miles from San Francisco to the north and Gilroy to the south. While biking is the most popular way to get around campus, transit options also include a free campus shuttle and car-share.

A packed slate in a lively area

On the social and cultural front, the Stanford Biosciences Student Association, Graduate Student Programming Board, Graduate Student Council, and Graduate Life Office team up with 500 organizations and clubs to bring students together. Stanford regularly draws world-class speakers and performers, and many students visit also San Francisco for concerts, museums, and nightlife. Meanwhile, downtown Palo Alto provides a host of restaurants, coffee shops, and retail within walking distance. Outdoor events—including a weekly farmers market on the edge of campus—flourish in our mild climate.

Stanford students stay fit

Fitness is no less important for us. The Stanford Biosciences Student Association forms intramural sports teams, and the state-of-the-art Learning and Knowledge Center (LKSC) provides an exclusive fitness center for medical and Biosciences graduate students. Stanford Aerobics and Yoga offers classes daily near graduate housing, and students participate in everything from rock climbing to archery. Our campus also includes a golf course, fitness and recreation centers, aquatic centers, and several recreation fields.

"In terms of research, it's hard to beat Stanford and the Bay Area. In terms of extra-curriculars, the only problem is that there are almost too many options of fun things to do. But that's not such a bad problem to have."

—Laura Sanman, Chemical and Systems Biology

Life at Stanford

The best of the city and outdoors within reach

Walk, bike, train, or drive

A packed slate in a lively area

Stanford students stay fit

Events and Student Groups

Housing

Health and Wellness

Support for Students