Babson vs. Harvard

Deciding between Babson College and Harvard University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Babson College
Harvard University

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Babson Wellesley, MA
  • Harvard Cambridge, MA
  • Setting
  • Babson Large Suburban
  • Harvard Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • Babson 3,932
  • Harvard 30,259
  • Type
  • Babson Private 4 Year
  • Harvard Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Babson #108
  • Harvard #4
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Babson -
  • Harvard -
  • Status
  • Babson Non-profit
  • Harvard Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Babson
  • Harvard

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Babson $57,152
  • Harvard $61,676
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Babson $57,152
  • Harvard $61,676
  • Room & Board
  • Babson $21,550
  • Harvard $21,190
  • Average Net Price
  • Babson $32,019
  • Harvard $17,525
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Babson $48,173
  • Harvard $68,015
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Babson 39%
  • Harvard 56%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Babson 9,381
  • Harvard 54,008
  • Admitted
  • Babson 1,603
  • Harvard 1,970
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Babson 17.1%
  • Harvard 3.6%
  • Enrolled
  • Babson 39%
  • Harvard 83.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Babson 1460
  • Harvard 1550
  • Typical ACT score
  • Babson 32
  • Harvard 35
  • Average High School GPA
  • Babson 3.79
  • Harvard 4.0
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Babson A-
  • Harvard A/A+
  • Admissions Standards
  • Babson Exceptional
  • Harvard Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • Babson Very High
  • Harvard Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • Babson 31/34
  • Harvard 34/36
  • SAT Range
  • Babson 1390/1530
  • Harvard 1510/1580
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Babson Test optional
  • Harvard Required
  • Application Deadline
  • Babson Jan 3, 2027
  • Harvard Jan 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Babson 15:1
  • Harvard 7:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Babson
    • Business (100%)
  • Harvard
    • Social Sciences (32%)
    • Biology (12%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
    • History (9%)
    • Mathematics (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Babson 90%
  • Harvard 97%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Babson $108,500
  • Harvard $136,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Babson 88%
  • Harvard 70%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Babson $26,000
  • Harvard $6,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Babson $268
  • Harvard $67

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Babson 57%
  • Harvard 46%
  • % Women
  • Babson 43%
  • Harvard 54%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Babson Very High
  • Harvard Very High
  • HBCU
  • Babson No
  • Harvard No
  • % White
  • Babson 38%
  • Harvard 44%
  • % Asian
  • Babson 12%
  • Harvard 19%
  • % Black
  • Babson 5%
  • Harvard 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • Babson 10%
  • Harvard 10%
  • % Native American
  • Babson 0%
  • Harvard 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Babson 0%
  • Harvard 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Babson 2%
  • Harvard 6%
  • % International
  • Babson 26%
  • Harvard 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Babson 6%
  • Harvard 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Babson 18%
  • Harvard 14%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Babson 53%
  • Harvard 68%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Babson Yes
  • Harvard Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Babson No
  • Harvard Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • Babson Yes
  • Harvard Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Babson No
  • Harvard No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Babson No
  • Harvard Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Babson College in Wellesley, MA with Harvard University in Cambridge, MA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Harvard University is larger than Babson based on total student enrollment (30,259 students vs. 3,932 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Babson College is located in Wellesley, MA (Large Suburban setting); Harvard University is in Cambridge, MA (Midsize City setting).
  • Babson College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Harvard University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Babson College 15:1; Harvard University 7:1.

Babson vs. Harvard Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Babson or Harvard? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Babson ($17,525 vs. $32,019).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Harvard University are 1.7% lower than at Babson College ($21,190 vs. $21,550).
  • Harvard University is 7.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Babson (about $4,524 more per year; $61,676.00 vs. $57,152.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 7.9% higher at Harvard than at Babson College (about $4,524 more per year; $61,676.00 vs. $57,152.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Harvard University than at Babson College (56% vs. 39%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 41.2% larger than aid received by Babson College students ($68,015 vs. $48,173).

Babson vs. Harvard Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Babson or Harvard? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Harvard and Babson.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Harvard University (1550) is 90 points higher than at Babson (1460).
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (35 vs. 32 at Babson).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Babson College 1390/1530; Harvard University 1510/1580.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Babson College 31/34; Harvard University 34/36.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Babson - Test optional; Harvard - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Babson Jan 3, 2027; Harvard Jan 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Babson (3.79).
  • Babson has a higher acceptance rate (17.1%) than Harvard (3.6%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 39% at Babson vs. 83.6% at Harvard.

Babson vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Babson and Harvard? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Harvard University's six-year graduation rate (97%) is higher than Babson College's (90%).
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn a median of about $28,200 more per year than Babson graduates about ten years after starting college ($136,700 vs. $108,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Harvard University graduates have a $19,500 lower median loan debt than Babson graduates ($6,500 vs. $26,000).
  • Among borrowers, Harvard graduates have an estimated $201 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Babson graduates ($67 vs. $268).
  • More Babson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 70%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.