employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Stanford University

Is this your company?

Living off of their title - Anonymous employee Stanford University Employee Review

1.0
28 Sept 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Transportation options, medical/dental benefits, and tuition assistance

Cons

Lack of upward mobility, no transparency from management, hostile working environment, poor work/life balance. Management routinely lies to and manipulates their employees. Many of the "perks" listed on their website are not actually offered to employees. They advertise "work from home" but will make you fight for years before offering it. There is no standardization across the university, some divisions pay amazingly well, whereas others may place you at the poverty line, all the while, both employees are completing the same work. High-level management (directors/deans) holds monthly meetings to get employees excited about new opportunities they are offering to employees, only to have lower-level managers squash them down. Management and HR work hand-in-hand at keeping employees down, by putting off blame on one another. Compensation is poor, and raises are a joke.

Explore other reviews about Stanford University

5.0
22 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good healthcare benefits, cost covered by departments

Cons

Very high COL for the stipends - many students spend >60% of salary on rent.

4.0
19 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Overall, Stanford is an amazing place to work. The environment and benefits can't be beat. You can go for a swim on your lunch break or a walk around the lake. The recreational classes and opportunities are usually great. Eating at the dining hall, although pricy, is a real treat.

Cons

If you're not senior management, faculty, development, etc., Stanford's pay has not kept up with the cost of living in the area. If you come for a job from outside of California, be prepared for a real shock when you see the kinds of rentals and the prices. Beauty has a price. You will not be able to live near campus as the average employee. Unless you're really familiar with the traffic in California, don't look at places that you think are an hour away, because they'll be two hours away by car. And you'll have to pay to park on campus, so not driving at all is your best option. Many administrative jobs are held by partners of people working in tech or faculty, because that's the only way you can afford to live there. If you don't have a partner making $200K+, you'll be taking the train or bus for an hour. If you're thinking about buying a house and you don't have a suitcase of cash, that sound you're hearing is my laughter. It's also important to realize that the working conditions across campus vary by unit. Working at the Graduate School of Business will seem more like a corporate job; working in Medicine could be brutal; and the treatment you will get can vary by department.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All