Stanford University was founded by Leland and Jane Stanford in 1885 and opened in 1891. It is a trust with corporate powers under the laws of California and a tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its formal legal name is The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. It is governed by a Board of Trustees, the President, the Provost and the Academic Council.
Stanford has seven schools: Business; the Doerr School of Sustainability; Education; Engineering; Humanities and Sciences; Law; and Medicine. As of Autumn Quarter 2025 it enrolled 7,289 undergraduates and 10,025 graduate students, and it lists 2,402 faculty members. The campus covers 8,353 acres with 630 buildings. The president is Jonathan Levin and the provost is Jenny Martinez.