Stanford has joined a consortium of colleges and universities that are working to bring more students from rural areas and small towns to their campuses.

As a member of the STARS College Network, Stanford will receive funding and strategic support for growing the university’s focus on high school students from small communities and supporting them after they enroll. STARS launched in 2023 with 16 founding colleges and universities and today is announcing the addition of Stanford and 15 other institutions.

“A significant part of the college experience is meeting and engaging with other students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences,” said Richard H. Shaw, dean of undergraduate admission. “Stanford is committed, with intent, to reaching out across the country to attract young people from rural and small town communities, and to encourage these students to consider the possibilities here.”

STARS support will include funding for expanded efforts to increase geographic diversity, which will ramp up over the next two years. On the drawing board for the university’s Office of Undergraduate Admission are increased visits to high schools and college fairs, where admissions representatives can help demystify the college admission process, fly-in programs for prospective applicants, and greater outreach to guidance counselors and other educators who help students explore their college options.

The initiative also will provide support for students after they enroll at Stanford and will build on existing programs. These include the Stanford Rural Engagement Network – which fosters community among rural students and expands awareness of rural life – that emerged from a collaboration between the Haas Center for Public Service and the Bill Lane Center for the American West.

STARS is the university’s latest collaboration in a multi-pronged outreach strategy, which includes QuestBridge, Matriculate, and College Horizons, aimed at continuing to bring talented students from around the world, regardless of their background or economic means, to Stanford.