Amid the final weeks of its 258th volume, The Daily ran an optional survey collecting anonymous demographic information from staffers.
The Daily sent its top leadership — including the editor-in-chief, executive editor and leader(s) of each section (News, Opinions, etc.) — a separate survey in order to separate them from the rest of the staff while preserving anonymity. For each area where information was collected, two graphs are shown: one constituting the responses from Daily leadership and one constituting the responses of all staffers who completed the survey.
We see tracking this information as a small but important part of our broader efforts to better understand and promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization.
Though we ran a similar survey in Spring 2020, we told participants that we would not share the data publicly. We decided to publish the data from the Volume 258 survey to increase transparency and accountability.
That being said, the information presented in the graphs below is not fully representative of our staff. Some opted out of the survey, and as a college organization our turnover within and between volumes is very high. Thus, this information should be taken with a grain of salt, and as an attempt to capture a snapshot of where we stood roughly in mid-January 2021.
Please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] with any questions or concerns.
Note that percentages add up to more than 100% in some of the below graphs where a portion of staffers identified in two or more ways.
Race & ethnicity
Last fall, the University published its most recent ethnic and racial diversity data across all undergraduates. However, this data is difficult to interpret: Some students identified as “International,” and “Two or more races” was marked as a separate category. Additionally, the University is less specific with how it categorizes race and ethnicity than The Daily was in its own survey.
29 respondents out of 31 section leaders
109 respondents including the above 29 section leaders
Gender identity
The University website describes all undergraduates in fall 2020 as 51% “Women” and 49% “Men.” No other gender identities are listed on the website, and it does not differentiate students identifying as transgender vs. cisgender.
28 respondents out of 31 section leaders
108 respondents including the above 28 section leaders
Sexual orientation
28 respondents out of 31 section leaders
108 respondents including the above 28 section leaders
Longstanding disability, illness or infirmity
29 respondents out of 31 section leaders
109 respondents including the above 29 section leaders
Family income bracket
29 respondents out of 31 section leaders
109 respondents including the above 29 section leaders
Need-based financial aid at Stanford
“Last year 47% [of all undergraduates] received need-based aid from Stanford and paid an average of $13,600 toward their bills,” according to the University website.
The website also lists 49% of the Class of 2023 as receiving need-based financial aid from the University, with the average aid at $52,030.
It is unclear what percentage of all undergraduates is receiving need-based financial aid this school year. Tuition and fees are $73,425 this school year, with tuition alone being $55,473.
29 respondents out of 31 section leaders
109 respondents including the above 29 section leaders
First-generation student status
Stanford’s website lists 18.5% of the Class of 2023 as first-generation college students. The data for the Class of 2024 has not yet been made public.
29 respondents out of 31 section leaders
109 respondents including the above 29 section leaders
Legacy student status
According to a report Stanford submitted to the California state legislature in June 2020, 16.2% of the Class of 2023 identified as legacy students.
Stanford does not provide this information annually for the student body as a whole.