Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
Yale Johns Hopkins Princeton MIT Duke Caltech Columbia UC Berkeley Brown UCLA Penn USC| Harvard University | Stanford University | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
| Location | Cambridge, MA | Stanford, CA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 30,631 | 18,283 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #4 | #2 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | harvard.edu | stanford.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $52,659 | $57,693 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $52,659 | $57,693 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,502 | $18,619 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $19,491 | $18,279 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,801 | $60,619 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 56% | 53% |
Admission |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 61,221 | 56,378 | ||
| Admitted | 1,984 | 2,075 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.2% | 3.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 83% | 83.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 4.0 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A/A+ | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 34/36 | 33/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1490/1580 | 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 1, 2025 | Jan 2, 2025 |
Academics |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 5:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
| Graduation Rate | 97% | 96% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $136,700 | $122,900 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 70% | 88% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $6,500 | $12,475 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $67 | $128 |
Diversity |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 46% | 53% | ||
| % Women | 54% | 47% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 44% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 10% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 1% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 10% | ||
| % International | 11% | 9% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 3% | 0% |
Students |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 15% | 35% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 69% | 48% | ||
Campus |
Harvard | Stanford | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | Yes | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Harvard University is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (30,631 students vs. 18,283 students)
Harvard vs. Stanford Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Harvard or Stanford?
- Stanford University is 9.6% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $52,659.00)
- Out of state tuition is 9.6% higher at Stanford than Harvard University ($57,693.00 vs. $52,659.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Stanford University than Harvard ($18,279 vs. $19,491)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Stanford University are 4.7% lower than costs at Harvard University ($18,619 vs. $19,502)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than Stanford University (56% vs. 53%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 1.9% larger than aid received Stanford University ($61,801 vs. $60,619)
Harvard vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Harvard or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or Harvard .
- The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 18 points higher than at Stanford (1479)
- Incoming Harvard students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Stanford (33)
- Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Stanford (3.96)
- Stanford has a higher acceptance rate (3.7%) than Harvard (3.2%)
Harvard vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Harvard or Stanford? 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 Stanford and Harvard.
- The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Stanford University (97% vs. 96%)
- Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $13,800 more per year than Stanford graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $122,900)
- Harvard University students graduate with a $5,975 lower median federal student loan debt than Stanford graduates. ($6,500 vs. $12,475)
- Harvard graduates are paying $61 less per month on federal student loans than Stanford graduates. ($67 vs. $128)
- More Stanford 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/