Stanford University School Colors
Stanford University's school colors are Cardinal Red (#8C1515) and White (#FFFFFF). Stanford's brand standards define 20 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Stanford colors
According to Stanford Athletics, when the university opened in 1891 the student body first voted for gold as its color, but a later student assembly chose cardinal. The choice stuck after local sportswriters took up the "Cardinal" theme when Stanford beat Cal in the first Big Game in March 1892. White was added as a secondary color in the 1940s, when football rules began regulating home and visiting jersey colors. Since 1981, when President Donald Kennedy ended use of the "Indians" name, Stanford teams have been represented by the color cardinal itself, singular, rather than a mascot.
Sources: gostanford.com
Photo: Thomson M, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Asoundd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stanford primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Red | #8C1515 | 140, 21, 21 | 0, 100, 65, 34 | PMS 201 C (coated paper) PMS 201 U (uncoated) | |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | — | — | |
| Black | #2E2D29 | 46, 45, 41 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | PMS Process Black | |
| Cool Grey | #53565A | 83, 86, 90 | 63, 52, 44, 33 | PMS Cool Grey 11 C |
Stanford secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Red Light | #B83A4B | — | — | — | |
| Cardinal Red Dark | #820000 | — | — | — |
Additional Stanford palette colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto | #175E54 | 23, 94, 84 | 83, 16, 45, 54 | PMS 3298 C | |
| Palo Verde | #279989 | 39, 153, 137 | 76, 6, 44, 8 | PMS 7473 C | |
| Olive | #8F993E | 143, 153, 62 | 33, 10, 83, 21 | PMS 7495 C | |
| Bay | #6FA287 | 111, 162, 135 | 56, 12, 44, 7 | PMS 556 C | |
| Sky | #4298B5 | 66, 152, 181 | 70, 17, 10, 4 | PMS 7459 C | |
| Lagunita | #007C92 | 0, 124, 146 | 100, 0, 24, 30 | PMS 3145 C | |
| Poppy | #E98300 | 233, 131, 0 | 0, 49, 100, 0 | PMS 144 C | |
| Spirited | #E04F39 | 224, 79, 57 | 0, 82, 82, 0 | PMS 7417 C | |
| Illuminating | #FEDD5C | 254, 221, 92 | 0, 10, 80, 0 | PMS 129 C | |
| Plum | #620059 | 98, 0, 89 | 60, 100, 0, 22 | PMS 260 C | |
| Brick | #651C32 | 101, 28, 50 | 7, 100, 35, 64 | PMS 7421 C | |
| Archway | #5D4B3C | 93, 75, 60 | 41, 54, 65, 50 | PMS 7519 C | |
| Stone | #7F7776 | 127, 119, 118 | 39, 36, 40, 14 | PMS 403 C | |
| Fog | #DAD7CB | 218, 215, 203 | 12, 10, 14, 0 | PMS 7527 C |
Matching Stanford colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Stanford's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Stanford's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 539 styles close to Cardinal Red.
Clothing in Cardinal Red #8C1515
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Cardinal Red, measured from the garment itself. 539 matching styles in stock.
Stanford colors: frequently asked questions
What are Stanford school colors?
Stanford University's school colors are Cardinal Red (#8C1515) and White (#FFFFFF). The official brand palette also includes Black and Cool Grey as primary colors, plus 16 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Stanford Cardinal Red?
Stanford Cardinal Red is #8C1515 (RGB 140, 21, 21, CMYK 0, 100, 65, 34).
What Pantone color is Stanford Cardinal Red?
Stanford Cardinal Red is PMS 201 C (coated paper) and PMS 201 U (uncoated).
Why are Stanford's colors Cardinal Red and White?
According to Stanford Athletics, when the university opened in 1891 the student body first voted for gold as its color, but a later student assembly chose cardinal. The choice stuck after local sportswriters took up the "Cardinal" theme when Stanford beat Cal in the first Big Game in March 1892.
Color values are taken from the official Stanford University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Stanford University. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.