Stanford University Department of Computer Science

What Stanford University Department of Computer Science does

Stanford University Department of Computer Science is an academic unit within Stanford's School of Engineering, founded as part of Stanford University in 1885 and headquartered in the Gates Computer Science Building at 353 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, California. The department offers Bachelor of Science (BS), Master's (MS, including Coterminal), and PhD programs in Computer Science, alongside a CS Minor for undergraduates, a CS PhD Minor for students from other departments, joint degrees (MS/MBA, MS/Law, PhD/Law), and the Non-Degree Option (NDO) remote coursework program delivered through Stanford Engineering's Center for Global & Online Learning.

The department's technical portfolio spans 21 research areas including AI, Machine Learning, NLP and Speech, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, Robotics, HCI, Computer Security, Computer Systems, Theory, Programming Systems and Verification, and Computational Cognitive & Neuroscience, supported by affiliated centers and institutes such as the Stanford AI Lab, the Human-Centered AI Institute (HAI), the Stanford Robotics Center, CENTAUR, the Stanford Center for AI Safety, and the Data Science Affiliates Program. Its proprietary features include a first-year PhD research rotation program and a faculty directory organized by research area.

Revenue is generated indirectly: tuition and fees are administered by Stanford University rather than the department, and there is no publicly disclosed pricing. Additional commercial engagement runs through the Computer Forum industry affiliates program and the annual joint meeting co-hosted with Stanford AI Lab, AI Health, and Data Science Applications, which connects industry partners with CS research and supports recruiting.

Name

Stanford University Department of Computer Science

Legal name

Stanford University Department of Computer Science

Website

https://cs.stanford.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stanford University Department of Computer Science, part of Stanford's School of Engineering, offers BS, MS, PhD, and non-degree programs across 21 research areas, serving prospective and current students globally with on-campus and remote (NDO) pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Computer Science

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH)

Keywords

• Computer science education
• Graduate research programs
• Academic degree programs
• Computer science research
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Stanford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Degree Education: Provides BS, MS, and PhD degree programs in Computer Science. The MS degree is a terminal professional degree; the PhD is for research or teaching careers. Tuition and fees are administered through Stanford University.
2. Non-Degree Option (NDO) Program: Remote coursework through Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Learning (CGOE) for non-Stanford students. Maximum 18 units may be transferred to the Honors Cooperative Program (HCP).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stanford CS is an academic department within Stanford University's School of Engineering that delivers undergraduate (BS), graduate (MS, PhD), joint (MS/MBA, MS/Law, PhD/Law), minor, and non-degree computer science educational programs. It also conducts fundamental and applied research across 21 areas including AI, robotics, machine learning, NLP, computer vision, computer security, computer systems, theory, and human-computer interaction, and operates industry affiliate programs that connect companies with department research and talent.

Product overview

Stanford University Department of Computer Science offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research opportunities. The department provides undergraduate (BS in Computer Science with multiple tracks), graduate (Master's as a terminal professional degree, PhD for research careers), and non-degree learning options through the Non-Degree Option program. Additional offerings include joint degrees (MS/MBA, MS/Law, PhD/Law), minors (CS Minor for undergrads, CS PhD Minor for other PhD students), student support services, and industry affiliate programs. The department maintains research excellence across AI, robotics, security, systems, theory, and other computer science domains, serving students from undergraduate through doctoral levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Human-Centered AI Institute: Research institute focused on AI that benefits humanity
• Stanford AI Lab
• Stanford Robotics Center
• Stanford HAI (Institute for Human-Centered AI)
• Center for Automated Reasoning (CENTAUR)
• Stanford Computer Forum

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science Undergraduate degree program with multiple tracks, foundations and breadth/depth requirements, honors program, senior project, and research opportunities, designed for students pursuing a four-year computer science education.
• Master's Degree in Computer Science Terminal professional master's degree with MS specializations, foundations, significant software implementation, breadth and depth requirements, electives, and a coterminal BS/MS option for Stanford undergraduates.
• PhD in Computer Science Research doctorate preparing students for research or teaching careers, including a first-year research rotation program, qualifying examinations, teaching requirements, thesis proposal, university oral examination, and dissertation.
• CS Minor Minor program in computer science for Stanford undergraduate students seeking supplementary credentials beyond their primary major.
• CS PhD Minor Minor in Computer Science for PhD students enrolled in other Stanford departments, requiring 20 units of CS graduate-level coursework including three core courses and one significant programming course.
• Non-Degree Option (NDO) Program allowing non-Stanford students to take graduate-level computer science courses remotely through Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Learning (CGOE), with up to 18 units transferable to the Honors Cooperative Program.
• Joint Degree Programs Combined degree programs that pair the CS MS or PhD with another Stanford graduate degree, including MS/MBA, MS/Law, and PhD/Law joint programs.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stanford AI Lab Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Annual meeting co-hosted with Stanford AI Lab, AI Health, Data Science Applications, and Stanford Computer Forum connecting industrial partners to latest technology developments.
• Stanford Computer Forum / CS Industry AffiliatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Stanford's industry affiliates program facilitating collaboration between CS department and technology companies for research partnerships, recruitment, and knowledge sharing.
• AI HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Annual meeting co-hosted with Stanford AI Lab, AI Health, Data Science Applications, and Stanford Computer Forum.
• Data Science ApplicationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Annual meeting co-hosted with Stanford AI Lab, AI Health, Data Science Applications, and Stanford Computer Forum.
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford CS participates in the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, an optional scholarship that awards up to 100 high-achieving students annually with full funding to pursue graduate education at Stanford, including MS and PhD in Computer Science. The program builds a multidisciplinary community dedicated to finding creative solutions to world challenges.
• Simons Collaboration on the Theory of Algorithmic FairnesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford Theory Group director Omer Reingold leads this Simons Foundation collaboration focused on theoretical foundations of algorithmic fairness.
• Stanford Robotics CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Rule Breakers film screening and panel discussion with GSB Women in Management, featuring robotics faculty Mykel Kochenderfer and Dorsa Sadigh.
• Brown InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia innovation institute hosting speaker events and Magic Grant funding program for students.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science: CMU's dedicated School of Computer Science is one of the oldest and most prestigious CS-specific academic units in the world. Closely comparable in offering BS, MS, PhD programs with deep research in AI, robotics, systems, and theory.
• MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL): MIT's flagship CS research laboratory and degree-granting unit. Directly comparable as an elite private research university CS department offering BS, MS, PhD programs with similar research breadth across AI, systems, theory, and robotics.
• Princeton University Department of Computer Science: Princeton COS is a leading private research university CS department with similar strengths in theory, systems, and interdisciplinary AI research. Comparable admissions selectivity and research output for BS and PhD programs.
• University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering: UW Allen School is a leading public university CS program with deep industry ties (Microsoft, Amazon) and strong research in AI, systems, and HCI. Directly comparable in research output and graduate program quality.
• UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS): Berkeley EECS is a top-tier public university CS program with strong research output in AI, security, systems, and theory. Directly competes with Stanford CS for faculty, students, and industry partnerships in the same Silicon Valley-adjacent ecosystem.
• Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing: Georgia Tech CoC is a top public university CS college offering BS, MS, PhD programs with strong industry partnerships and a notable online MS in Computer Science. Directly comparable in research breadth and degree program structure.
• Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences: Harvard SEAS is a private research university engineering school with a growing CS program. Comparable as a peer institution competing for top CS talent and offering research opportunities across AI, systems, and applied sciences.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Computer Science: UIUC CS is one of the largest and top-ranked public university CS departments, with strong AI, systems, and theory research. Directly comparable in scale of research output and graduate program quality.
• Cornell University Department of Computer Science: Cornell CS is a top-tier private (Ivy League) university CS department with comparable BS, MS, PhD programs and strong research in AI, systems, theory, and programming languages. Direct competitor for faculty hiring and graduate admissions.

Regional players

• ETH Zurich Department of Computer Science: ETH Zurich CS is a leading international CS department at a top European technical university. Comparable in research excellence and program structure, serving as the primary European peer for faculty competition and global research ranking comparisons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/stanford-university-department-of-computer-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stanford University Department of Computer Science