International Students
Stanford’s School of Engineering prides itself on the diversity of its programs and its people.
International students add to the intellectual rigor of the school and bring cultural diversity to its student life. These students are not only a robust source of talent in the Silicon Valley and the United States as a whole, but have the opportunity to fill leadership roles in their home countries as well.
International students earn approximately 40 percent of graduate degrees and 10 percent of undergraduate degrees conferred by the School of Engineering each year. In the most recent academic year, our graduates came from more than 70 countries.
Undergraduate Students
The undergraduate application process to Stanford is the same for all applicants regardless of citizenship status or country of residence. Financial aid for all undergraduate students is based on need.
Graduate Students
The School of Engineering's renowned faculty, research facilities and programs attract large numbers of the world's top graduate students. Our students are tackling some of the world's most pressing problems across disciplines, carrying with them the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity that is a signature of both Stanford and of Silicon Valley.
Admissions
The most important criteria for admission to a Stanford Engineering graduate program is merit, superior academic achievement and the potential to make a contribution to technology, business or society as a whole. Engineering graduate students should apply to their individual department programs.
Financial Aid
Graduate financial aid is based entirely on merit. Fellowships and other forms of assistance are included in the department's offer of admission, and no separate application is required or accepted.
The university currently supports more than 180 engineering graduate financial aid funds and more than 65 Stanford Graduate Fellowships in engineering. Many types of fellowships are available, including some that support a particular area of study. Some of our most successful international graduates have chosen to fund fellowships that offer others in their homelands the opportunities they have enjoyed at Stanford.
Graduate Fellowships For International Students
To foster a global student body at Stanford Engineering and, in many cases, to honor their own educational experiences, donors have created graduate fellowships that target students from specific global regions or countries including China, Ireland, Mexico, Taiwan and parts of the Middle East. These are based entirely on merit - no application is required or accepted. Some of these fellowships and their generous donors are listed below.
China
Enlight Foundation Engineering Fellowship
Trained as an engineer, Yongping Duan is an inventor and entrepreneur who founded two of China's best-known consumer electronics brands. He and his wife, Xin Liu, a former journalist, established the Enlight Foundation in 2005 to help students from China further their education. The Enlight Foundation Engineering Fellowship at Stanford aids graduate students from the People's Republic of China, with a special focus on graduates of Zhejiang University, Renmin University and the University of Electronic Science and Technology.
Ireland
Paul and Theresa Johnston Graduate Fellowship Fund
Paul Johnston is the president and CEO of Exponent Inc., a leading engineering and scientific consulting firm. Paul holds a doctoral degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Stanford and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Trinity College Dublin. Theresa Johnston earned her bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communication from Stanford, and writes for Stanford publications. This fellowship was established to attract exceptional graduate students in engineering and computer science from Ireland, with a special focus on graduates of Trinity College Dublin.
Mexico
Claudio X. Gonzalez Fellowship
Claudio Gonzalez, a Stanford chemical engineer, is Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark de Mexico, S.A., that country's largest consumer products company. He's also served as a director for the parent company, Kimberly-Clark, and on the boards of many other internationally known brands, including Home Depot. The fellowship aims to attract exceptional students from Mexico to Stanford and prepare them for leadership roles in society.
CONACYT Stanford Graduate Fellowships
Established by CONACYT (Mexican National Council of Science and Technology) and Stanford University, this fellowship is designed to attract talented students from Mexico to pursue graduate study in engineering at Stanford. By doing so, the university and CONACYT plan to promote cooperation among scientists and scholars in the United States and Mexico and help enhance the quality of the relationship among people from the two countries.
Middle East
Eltoukhy Family Fellowship
The Atef and Fofa Eltoukhy Family Fellowship aspires to educate the best technical minds in the Middle East and promote the understanding and tolerance of cultural and religious differences among people through shared academic experiences. Dr. Atef Eltoukhy, a native of Egypt, received his PhD in engineering from the University of Illinois and he credits his graduate education for his success as a professor, research scientist and entrepreneur. His sons Helmy and Ahmed attended Stanford Engineering. The Eltoukhy Family hopes the fellowship will provide others with the educational opportunities that benefited them, and encourages the brightest students from the Middle East to apply to Stanford. Students from Egypt are the fellowship's highest priority, but support may also be extended to students from neighboring countries.
Download the Etoukhy Family Fellowship PDF for more information.
Caroline and Fabian Pease Fellowship
Fabian Pease, is the William E. Ayer Professor of Electrical Engineering Emeritus at Stanford, an IEEE Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Richard P. Feyman Prize for Microfabrication and many other honors. He and his wife, Caroline, established this fellowship in memory of Amir Ghazanfarian, who earned his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford in 1997 and then tragically died two years afterwards. The fellowship is intended to provide aid to students from Iran, countries immediately bordering Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East.
Taiwan
The Mr. K.K. Lee Engineering Graduate Fellowship Fund
Bowei Lee is CEO and chairman LCY Group, a leading chemical company based in Taiwan. Lee holds a master's degree in chemical engineering from MIT and an MBA from Stanford. Two of his children, Hendrick and Michelle, are currently attending Stanford. Lee created this fellowship in 2005 in honor of his father, K.K. Lee, who founded LCY Group (formerly known as Lee Chang Yung Chemical Industry Group). The Fellowship aids graduate engineering students from Taiwan.
Bechtel International Center
The I-center is the central resource for international students and scholars at Stanford. Please visit the Web site for information on application requirements and deadlines, visas and documents, recent changes in federal requirements (SEVIS), available scholarships and other information for international visitors. Because requirements continue to change, you should visit the I-center frequently for advisory updates.
