Modern MBA

Data

Stanford

The private university Silicon Valley grew up around, in California; its alumni founded Google, Nike and Hewlett-Packard.

26 figures on Stanford, drawn from 2 Modern MBA case studies.

The figures

US dollars11

Against its own chart
Annual value of the endowment in billions of dollars · 2025$41B3rd of 7 · top $57BWhy college is so expensive in America
University endowments against the cash reserves of leading corporations, in billions of dollars$40.8B3rd of 10 · top $56.9BWhy college is so expensive in America
Restricted against unrestricted endowment, in billions of dollars · Restricted$23B3rd of 7 · top $47BWhy college is so expensive in America
Restricted against unrestricted endowment, in billions of dollars · Unrestricted$18B1st of 7 · top $18BWhy college is so expensive in America
Annual value of the endowment in billions of dollars · 2010$14B3rd of 7 · top $28BWhy college is so expensive in America
Endowment distribution against net tuition revenue in 2025, in millions of dollars · Endowment distribution$1,946M3rd of 8 · top $2,498MWhy college is so expensive in America
Endowment distribution against net tuition revenue in 2025, in millions of dollars · Net tuition revenue$845M3rd of 8 · top $1,577MWhy college is so expensive in America
Revenue of the athletics department in millions of dollars, 2024$158M6th of 11 · top $236MWhy college is so expensive in America
Annual compensation of university leaders · Endowment manager$6.3M4th of 7 · top $7.8MWhy college is so expensive in America
Annual compensation of university leaders · President$1.1M7th of 7 · top $2.6MWhy college is so expensive in America
Annual cost of attendance including tuition, room and fees, 2025$97,5452nd of 7 · top $98,900Why college is so expensive in America

Percentages9

Against its own chart
Percentage of undergraduates who live on campus96%2nd of 12 · top 97%Why college is so expensive in America
Percentage of accepted undergraduates who actually enroll · 202580%3rd of 7 · top 86%Why college is so expensive in America
Percentage of accepted undergraduates who actually enroll · 200567%4th of 7 · top 79%Why college is so expensive in America
Endowment payout as a percentage of academic operating costs38%6th of 8 · top 70%Why college is so expensive in America
Share of undergraduate alumni that donate24%5th of 10 · top 44%Why college is so expensive in America
Ten-year annualized returns net of fees, against Vanguard's S&P 500 and total market funds9.4%6th of 10 · top 15.4%Why college is so expensive in America
Operating margins of elite universities · 20156%1st of 7 · top 6%Why college is so expensive in America
Probability of getting into the Texas Monthly Top 50 relative to other competitive selections3.9%2nd of 6 · top 4.7%How much a Texas BBQ joint actually makes
Operating margins of elite universities · 2025−1%6th of 7 · top 6%Why college is so expensive in America

Counts6

Against its own chart
Size of the freshman class · 20251,8402nd of 6 · top 2,395Why college is so expensive in America
Size of the freshman class · 20051,6353rd of 6 · top 2,410Why college is so expensive in America
Composition of professors by tenure track · Tenured8975th of 10 · top 1,268Why college is so expensive in America
Composition of professors by tenure track · Non-tenured7508th of 10 · top 2,826Why college is so expensive in America
Undergraduates per varsity sports team, 20242208th of 12 · top 3,730Why college is so expensive in America
Years since founding, as of 202614110th of 10 · top 390Why college is so expensive in America

Case studies covering Stanford

Case study — ServicesWhy college is so expensive in AmericaHarvard holds $57B and charges $82,866 a year. Tuition isn't the business — the undergraduate is the seed, not the customer.16 min readCase study — Food & beverageHow much a Texas BBQ joint actually makesOne in three fail, brisket yields 40%, and the biggest variable in whether you survive is one magazine editor's palate.16 min read