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 (347) , Research Assistant (346) , PhD Student (165) , Graduate Research Assistant (157) , Postdoctoral Scholar (135) , Graduate Student (132) , 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 498 reviews)); "one of the best places If you like to do research and the campus is beautiful" ((in 336 reviews)); "Great faculty and colleagues and resources" ((in 167 reviews)); "Good work life balance is good" ((in 146 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 304 reviews)); "Low pay and very antiquated." ((in 293 reviews)); "Poor management; Discouraging and had unreasonable expectations as working from home began due to covid" ((in 63 reviews)); "Managers don't hold themselves accountable and you wonder what they do all day." ((in 45 reviews)); "Very low compensation and no bonuses compared to the rest of the Bay Area." ((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.

Stanford University reviews

4.3

83% would recommend to a friend

(5,717 total reviews)

Jonathan Levin

79% approve of CEO

68% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Stanford University has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 5,717 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).

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Sep 17, 2025

Elitist, classist, ableist shrouded in “prestige”

Executive assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are great. That’s about it.

Cons

This University bends the knee when it actually comes to understanding and valuing morals. They are just as corporate and money hungry as any other corporation. They love to tout that they’re a non-profit but completely behave like the for profit institution that they are. They have no values. The values they stand for crumble as soon as pressure is applied. Don’t believe the generic reviews here. While yes it is a highly siloed ecosystem, overall they are eons behind on innovation. You will not progress here. You will stagnate. They do not care about you. The sooner you accept that the better off you will be. They recently went through a huge layoff. That should tell you where their financials stand. Completely reactionary institution allergic to any type of risk.

4.0

Apr 9, 2025

Well resourced, quite a bit of freedom, but inconsistent culture

Phd candidate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The Stanford GSE has a wide range of programs and research areas to be a part of. There are many opportunities to dig in. The program is very well resourced and your funding is guaranteed for at least 5 years. As a PhD Candidate you have quite a bit of flexibility in your coursework, the direction you take your own research, and the research projects you support. I appreciated that most professors allow you to tailor your coursework assignments to align with the work you are doing so that it can be meaningful rather than busy work.

Cons

The culture of the GSE is not great unless you are able to find your people and create community. Although their are a range of efforts made to create community, I found that the PhD cohorts feel more like constant competition to be the most exhausted, the most awarded, the most published, and the most well read. Ultimately, it was not a comfortable place to collaborate or make friends. In addition, the academic job market post graduation is brutal and there is not a ton of support for that process and even less support for students opting for career options outside of academia.

1.0

Jul 21, 2024

Overworked, underpaid

Research associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Kind people, but so much red tape.

Cons

A huge beurocratic company, could use some help with heartfelt connection.

Viewing 109 - 111 of 5,717 Reviews

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