Based on basic principle of variational method and basic method of slope stability variational analysis, the corresponding calculation program was made. Combined with practical engineering of highway slope stability analysis, the application of variational method in highway slope stability analysis which was compared with limit equilibrium method was studied. The study results show that safety coefficient value of slope variational analysis is close to that of limit equilibrium method, but the potential sliding surface is logarithmic spiral sliding surface rather than rotational sliding surfac...