What should I know about housing at Stanford University in Stanford, CA?

Graduate housing choices and where they are

Stanford’s Residential & Dining Enterprises offers on- and off-campus housing for graduate students, including studio through four-bedroom apartments for singles, couples, and students with children. The graduate housing options listed by Stanford include Escondido Village Graduate Residences, Escondido Village Studios, Escondido Village Low-Rises, Escondido Village Mid-Rises, Escondido Village High-Rises, Escondido South Apartments, Kennedy Graduate Residences, Liliore Green Rains Houses, Lyman Graduate Residences, and Munger Graduate Residences.

• Stanford says it can assign housing to over 7,000 graduate students.
• Some off-campus university housing may be in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, or Redwood City.
• Menlo Park options may be near downtown or in Sharon Heights; Redwood City options are further away but newly built.

How to apply and move in

Stanford says to apply through the graduate housing lottery, and it strongly encourages all students interested in living on campus to apply because even students without housing priority may be assigned university housing. Move-in dates are selected on the housing application, and students generally move in during business hours.

• If you need earlier check-in or outside posted service center hours, contact the R&DE Housing Service Center.
• For after-hours check-in help, Stanford says to call the Housing Service Center number listed on its graduate housing page and have your picture ID ready.
• Housing charges are adjusted to reflect the move-in date selected on the application.

If you plan to live off campus

Stanford says off-campus rental housing near campus is relatively expensive because the university sits in a highly desirable suburban part of Silicon Valley, and it suggests starting the search at least a month in advance. Stanford also partners with Places4Students for local rental listings accessible only to Stanford students and affiliates.

• Some university-assigned off-campus housing may require relocation during the academic year.
• Students in off-campus subsidized housing are not able to renew their contracts and must join the lottery each year.
• Stanford says these locations are accessible to public transportation.

What the campus area is like

Stanford’s campus map shows visitor parking, Caltrain and transit centers, pedestrian-only zones, Marguerite stops, and housing service centers on campus, which makes day-to-day movement around campus a built-in part of housing life. That means housing choices are not just about the apartment itself; they also affect how easily you move between class, dining, transit, and services.

• The map includes housing service centers, recreation facilities, eateries, libraries, and transportation features.
• Stanford also lists retail dining locations and groceries through its student dining and hospitality services.
• For current access details, the campus map and housing pages are the best official check points.

Sources

1. WELCOME HOME ↗
2. Living at Stanford | Stanford R&DE ↗
3. Stanford Searchable Map - Stanford University ↗
4. Student Housing Operations | Stanford R&DE ↗