Stanford University is a private higher education provider in Stanford, California. It was established in 1885 and admitted its first students in 1891. Today, it is one of the best-reputed and most selective universities in the world. In the paragraphs that follow we are going to list some of Stanford University’s most famous alumni of all time.
What is Stanford Famous For?
Stanford University is known as a prestigious university and a top-ranking institution around the globe. It has more than 68 alumni, staff, and faculty who have won a Nobel Prize. Furthermore, it consistently ranks top in various majors, including Law, Medicine, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and Education. Additionally, it is one of the best research-intensive universities in the world, with one of the best MBA programs.
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Is Harvard More Prestigious than Stanford?
While Stanford is known to be a prestigious university, Harvard University is also on the same level, separated by a thin margin. But which one is more prestigious? According to university rankings, the 2022 QS World University places Stanford at position #1 and Harvard second for the best business schools. However, Harvard is ranked first in the Best Global Universities 2023, while Stanford ranks third. Stanford’s MBA ranks third, while Harvard’s ranks 5th. If you are wondering about admissions, both universities are very selective and have a competitive admission process. Stanford’s acceptance rate is 3.9%, while Harvard 4%.
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Famous Stanford Alumni
1. Larry Page, Google’s founding CEO
- Period spent at Stanford: mid-1990s
- Degree: MSc in Computer Science, Ph.D. in Computer Science
Larry Page, Google’s founding CEO, earned both his Master’s and his Doctoral degrees at Stanford. Larry’s father, Carl Victor Page, also holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, but from Michigan University. In 2004, Page and Brin received the Marconi Prize for their extraordinary achievements in the field of online communication. In one interview published not long ago, Page recalls that while his schoolmates were playing with toys, he was playing with microchips and computers.
2. Sigourney Weaver, American Actress
- Period spent at Stanford: 1969-1972
- Degree: BA in English Studies
The second famous alumni at Stanford on our list is Sigourney Weaver – a famous Hollywood actress, who’s also known as The Sci-fi Queen. She is probably best known for her appearances in The Alien film series as the brave scientist Ellen Louise Ripley, who manages to save the world from a terrible space invasion.
She spent four full years at Stanford at the end of the 1960s and earned her degree in English Language and Studies with a cum laude distinction. In 1988, she portrayed environmental activist and world-famous gorilla expert Dian Fossey in Michael Apted’s drama film Gorillas in the Mist.
3. Tiger Woods, golf legend
- Period spent at Stanford: 1994-1996
- Degree: Did not earn a degree
As you may rightfully suppose, golf legend Tiger Woods was invited to Stanford on an athletic scholarship to hone his golfing skills and master his fabulous shots. In the two years he spent there, Tiger did not work much on his major in Economics. Instead, he focused on golf and at the age of 20, he became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles. In 1996, Woods also won the NCAA individual golf championship.
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4. Reese Witherspoon, American actress
- Period spent at Stanford: Mid 1990s
- Degree: Did not earn a degree
Famous American actress Reese Witherspoon was deeply fascinated with books since her very early childhood, and by the age of 11, she was already an omnivorous reader.
This famous alumni of Stanford took up a Literature Major at Stanford shortly after her graduation from the all-girls’ Harpeth Hall School. Eventually, her passion for the big screen prevailed over her love of the belles lettres, and she made her first major breakthrough with the 2001 romantic comedy Legally Blonde.
5. Sergey Brin, Google co-founder
- Period spent at Stanford: mid-1990s
- Degree: MSc in Computer Science
Google co-founder Sergey Brin met Larry Page while doing his Master’s degree in Computer Science at Stanford. Brin commenced his Master’s program in computer science on a small scholarship he received from the National Science Foundation. The Brins first set foot on American soil and at that time Sergey’s life was not easy.
Learn More About: How to Study in the USA
6. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton
- Period spent at Stanford: 1997-2001
- Degree: BA in History
Chelsea, former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s only daughter, used to receive a lot of media attention during her father’s term in office. And like the children of many other American statesmen, this famous alumni at Stanford earned a BA in History from Stanford. In 2015, she published her first children’s book titled It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired and Get Going!
7. Fred Savage, the youngest actor to have received an Emmy Award nomination
- Period spent at Stanford: 1995-1999
- Degree: BA in English Studies
Famous American TV actor Fred Savage will probably be forever remembered as the youngest person to have ever received a nomination for the prestigious Emmy Award. At the age of 13, he was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his appearance as Kevin Arnold in the American TV series The Wonder Years.
8. Julie Foudy, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist
- Period spent at Stanford: 1989–1992
- Degree: Undergraduate
It is true that soccer is not very popular in the USA. Yet, on our list of famous Stanford alumni, we pay tribute to the outstanding achievement of women’s soccer legend Julie Foudy, who led the U.S. national team to win two FIFA Women’s World Cups in 1991 and 1999. Foudy also played in three Summer Olympic Games, winning a gold medal with the U.S. national soccer team at the home Olympics in Atlanta in 1996. She spent four years at Stanford at the end of 1980s and earned an undergraduate degree.
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9. Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal
- Period spent at Stanford: 1985-1989
- Degree: BA in Psychology
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel was born in Frankfurt in 1967. While in high school, Thiel was very good at mathematics, but surprisingly took a turn to Psychology and earned a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford in 1985. It is interesting to mention here that in 2004 he invested half a million dollars in the then-budding company Facebook, acquiring a 10.2% stake. That’s what we call a good investment!
10. Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix
- Period spent at Stanford: 1987-1988
- Degree: MSc in Computer Science
American entrepreneur and philanthropist Reed Hastings is probably best known as one of the co-founders of Netflix – the world’s most popular online TV and video rental platform. At the beginning of 1980s, Hastings joined the Peace Corps and went to teach Math in Swaziland from 1983 to 1985.
Recalling the experience, Reed Hastings would later say that starting a business did not seem quite intimidating if you had previously hitchhiked around Africa with less than ten dollars in your pocket.
Looking at the list of famous Stanford University alumni presented above, one cannot fail to notice that this higher school is an incubator of tech geniuses. Suffice it to say that had it not been for Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s revolutionary invention, Google, this post would probably never have been written! If you want to study at this prestigious university, start by researching the requirements for studying in the USA, and the availability of financial opportunities. We have a comprehensive list of fully funded scholarships on our website to ease your financial burden for tuition and other study abroad expenses.
We hope that this article on Most Famous Stanford University Alumni was helpful. To know more information on studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students.
