Does Stanford University pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Stanford University employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.6 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Stanford University. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Stanford University?

83% of Stanford University employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Stanford University 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.1 for culture and values and 4.0 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Stanford University?

Postdoctoral Fellow (345) , Research Assistant (345) , PhD Student (164) , Graduate Research Assistant (157) , Postdoctoral Scholar (134) , Graduate Student (131) , Postdoctoral Researcher (99) , PhD Graduate Student (79) , Research Scientist (76) , Teaching Assistant (60) , Research Associate (56) , Postdoctoral Research Fellow (54) , Researcher (54) , Clinical Research Coordinator (52) , Administrative Assistant (47)

What are the pros of working at Stanford University according to real employee reviews?

"People were great and nice to work with" ((in 506 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 346 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 171 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 142 reviews)); "Everyone is appreciative of your work and hours are flexible as long as you do your assigned tasks." ((in 113 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Stanford University according to real employee reviews?

"Low salary because of the way the fellowship works; can only work domestically not internationally" ((in 297 reviews)); "Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 284 reviews)); "Poor management; Discouraging and had unreasonable expectations as working from home began due to covid" ((in 62 reviews)); "Managers don't hold themselves accountable and you wonder what they do all day." ((in 47 reviews)); "poor work organization and leadership" ((in 29 reviews))

What are employees saying about Stanford University layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Stanford University layoffs and their outlook for job security at Stanford University in 2026.

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Stanford University

Stanford University reviews

4.3

83% would recommend to a friend

(5,706 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

80% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.1

Culture & values

4.0

Career opportunities

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.7

Senior management

3.6

Compensation and benefits

Stanford University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 5,706 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Stanford University employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Educación industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

5.0

Feb 3, 2010

Productive and friendly environment.

Postdoctoral scholar

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Stanford provides an environment strongly supportive of academic research, collaboration and early career productivity. Ample chances for travel, and large support in academical travel opportunities. Additionally, the departmental culture feels inclusive and friendly, much helped by the daily tea, sponsored by the department and organized by the grad students.

Cons

The commute between Stanford Campus and San Francisco is slightly on the steep side. Furthermore, with the attraction of the university, it's not easy to get traction to deal with the 2-body problem.

4.0

Feb 3, 2010

Great place to work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Beautiful location Generous medical benefits and vacation allotment. Tuition reimbursement for permanent employees. General acceptance of working from home (at least in my area) Intelligent co-workers University activities available to staff for free/at a discount (sports, art, learning)

Cons

Bureaucracy - getting hired can take from several weeks to several months. HelpSU (the university help desk) is nearly useless, unless you prod them hard and/or often.

4.0

Feb 3, 2010

n/a

Biostatistician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

stable, flexiable, good environment and place

Cons

low pay, if you are not faculty.

Viewing 5650 - 5652 of 5,706 Reviews

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Stanford University reviews

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Productive and friendly environment.

Great place to work

n/a

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