Does Stanford Have More Administrators Than Undergrads?

In an opinion column in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos criticized administrative bloat at Stanford University, writing that the institution “employs more administrators than it enrolls undergrads.” DeVos’s commentary, which takes aim at Stanford’s handling of false sexual-assault accusations made by a student, repeats a sentiment that’s circulated in many publications in recent months. The Free Press, for instance, noted that Stanford has nearly enough administrators “for each student to have their own personal butler.” That eye-popping claim capitalizes on a frequent criticism of higher ed: that it relies on an ever-increasing tally of administrative staff whose duties are of dubious value, whose often heavy-handed decisions tend to lead to controversy, and whose presence on the nation’s campuses is driving up the cost of college.