Stanford University is a prestigious private research university located in Stanford, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. The university is renowned for its strong programs in engineering, computer science, business, and medicine, with popular majors including computer science, engineering, economics, and biology. Stanford is particularly known for its entrepreneurial culture, cutting-edge research, and close ties to the tech industry, having produced founders of companies like Google, Yahoo, and Netflix. The campus sits in the affluent Palo Alto area, surrounded by tech companies, venture capital firms, and other innovative businesses that make up the Silicon Valley ecosystem.