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Northeastern BC Stanford Yale Johns Hopkins NYU Princeton MIT Duke Columbia Brown Babson| Boston University | Harvard University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
BU | Harvard | ||
| Location | Boston, MA | Cambridge, MA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 36,624 | 30,386 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #77 | #4 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | bu.edu | harvard.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
BU | Harvard | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,798 | $54,269 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,798 | $54,269 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,110 | $20,374 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $27,551 | $17,900 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $55,080 | $64,942 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 50% | 57% |
Admission |
BU | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 80,495 | 56,937 | ||
| Admitted | 8,733 | 1,965 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 10.8% | 3.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 36% | 83.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.79 | 4.0 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A/A+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 32/34 | 34/36 | ||
| SAT Range | 1400/1520 | 1500/1580 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 4, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
BU | Harvard | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 10:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
BU | Harvard | ||
| Graduation Rate | 85% | 97% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $72,000 | $136,700 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 82% | 70% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $27,000 | $6,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $279 | $67 |
Diversity |
BU | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 21% | 32% | ||
| % Women | 28% | 38% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 43% | 44% | ||
| % Black | 4% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 11% | 10% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 6% | ||
| % International | 20% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 5% | 3% |
Students |
BU | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 14% | 15% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 61% | 70% | ||
Campus |
BU | Harvard | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | Yes | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Boston University is larger than than Harvard based on total student enrollment (36,624 students vs. 30,386 students)
BU vs. Harvard Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, BU or Harvard?
- Boston University is 17.6% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($63,798.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- Out of state tuition is 17.6% higher at BU than Harvard University ($63,798.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than BU ($17,900 vs. $27,551)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston University are 12.5% lower than costs at Harvard University ($18,110 vs. $20,374)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than Boston University (57% vs. 50%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 17.9% larger than aid received Boston University ($64,942 vs. $55,080)
BU vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, BU or Harvard? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Harvard or BU .
- The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 194 points higher than at BU (1303)
- Incoming Harvard students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at BU (29)
- Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at BU (3.79)
- BU has a higher acceptance rate (10.8%) than Harvard (3.5%)
BU vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, BU or Harvard? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Harvard and BU.
- The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Boston University (97% vs. 85%)
- Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $64,700 more per year than BU graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $72,000)
- Harvard University students graduate with a $20,500 lower median federal student loan debt than BU graduates. ($6,500 vs. $27,000)
- Harvard graduates are paying $212 less per month on federal student loans than BU graduates. ($67 vs. $279)
- More BU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 70%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/