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Stanford University

Is this your company?

You'll enjoy it if you're a male chauvenist or don't mind being someone's slave. - Anonymous employee Stanford University Employee Review

1.0
Sep 21, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None. Well, flexibility and benefits? Flexibility only because no one really cares what you do (your "original work" will have to undergo several levels of scrutiny before it passes) so you can do what you want. And benefits ... I'm sure if you looked elsewhere in the bay area, you'd find that other companies offer far greater benefits. Stanford tries to entice with its "beautiful campus" (for what that's worth) and great health care, etc. While that may be a perk, it'll come with any job around here. And wow, you get access to that great, brand new gym! Looks so nice from the outside but when you walk in, you're just swimming in a sea of sardines. A hot sauna-esque scene.

Cons

I've worked in several departments at Stanford and have found nothing comes close to the School of Engineering with respect to the way they treat their employees. It's a male dominated society where you even have the department chairs telling their employees that "professors and staffers can do the same things...one gets a slap on the wrist, the other gets fired immediately". It's interesting to have experienced first hand what goes on behind closed doors at one of America's finest institutions. Where hard work and intelligence get you ahead in the classroom, schmoozing, butt kissing, and repeatedly putting others down get you ahead in the workplace (not to mention, complete neglect and reassignment of one's own work to others). Come to Stanford if you don't mind feeling like you're completely worthless and undervalued and if you feel ripe to take a beating from "management". The funny thing is ... a number of the top "managers" in the School actually never even completed their degrees, lying on their resumes about their qualifications. As if having completed an EDD or a PhD in English would actually prove their worth. Did I mention you're essentially working for free?

Explore other reviews about Stanford University

5.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Good healthcare benefits, cost covered by departments

Cons

Very high COL for the stipends - many students spend >60% of salary on rent.

4.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Overall, Stanford is an amazing place to work. The environment and benefits can't be beat. You can go for a swim on your lunch break or a walk around the lake. The recreational classes and opportunities are usually great. Eating at the dining hall, although pricy, is a real treat.

Cons

If you're not senior management, faculty, development, etc., Stanford's pay has not kept up with the cost of living in the area. If you come for a job from outside of California, be prepared for a real shock when you see the kinds of rentals and the prices. Beauty has a price. You will not be able to live near campus as the average employee. Unless you're really familiar with the traffic in California, don't look at places that you think are an hour away, because they'll be two hours away by car. And you'll have to pay to park on campus, so not driving at all is your best option. Many administrative jobs are held by partners of people working in tech or faculty, because that's the only way you can afford to live there. If you don't have a partner making $200K+, you'll be taking the train or bus for an hour. If you're thinking about buying a house and you don't have a suitcase of cash, that sound you're hearing is my laughter. It's also important to realize that the working conditions across campus vary by unit. Working at the Graduate School of Business will seem more like a corporate job; working in Medicine could be brutal; and the treatment you will get can vary by department.

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