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Stanford Johns Hopkins Princeton MIT Duke Columbia Brown Penn UChicago Cornell Dartmouth Williams| Yale University | Harvard University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Yale | Harvard | ||
| Location | New Haven, CT | Cambridge, MA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 15,081 | 30,386 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #4 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | yale.edu | harvard.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Yale | Harvard | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $64,700 | $54,269 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $64,700 | $54,269 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,180 | $20,374 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $26,044 | $17,900 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,076 | $64,942 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 54% | 57% |
Admission |
Yale | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 51,803 | 56,937 | ||
| Admitted | 2,332 | 1,965 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 4.5% | 3.5% | ||
| Enrolled % | 70.4% | 83.7% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.95 | 4.0 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A/A+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 34/36 | ||
| SAT Range | 1500/1580 | 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 2, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Yale | Harvard | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 7:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Yale | Harvard | ||
| Graduation Rate | 97% | 97% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $118,400 | $136,700 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 84% | 70% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $13,500 | $6,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $139 | $67 |
Diversity |
Yale | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 25% | 32% | ||
| % Women | 30% | 38% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 47% | 44% | ||
| % Black | 7% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 11% | 10% | ||
| % Native American | 1% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 6% | ||
| % International | 11% | 11% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 3% |
Students |
Yale | Harvard | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 6% | 15% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 81% | 70% | ||
Campus |
Yale | Harvard | ||
| 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 Yale based on total student enrollment (30,386 students vs. 15,081 students)
Yale vs. Harvard Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Yale or Harvard?
- Yale University is 19.2% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($64,700.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- Out of state tuition is 19.2% higher at Yale than Harvard University ($64,700.00 vs. $54,269.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Yale ($17,900 vs. $26,044)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Yale University are 6.2% lower than costs at Harvard University ($19,180 vs. $20,374)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than Yale University (57% vs. 54%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 9.9% larger than aid received Yale University ($64,942 vs. $59,076)
Yale vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Yale or Harvard? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Harvard or Yale .
- The average SAT score at Yale University (1498) is 1 points higher than at Harvard (1497)
- Incoming Harvard students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Yale (33)
- Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Yale (3.95)
- Yale has a higher acceptance rate (4.5%) than Harvard (3.5%)
Yale vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Yale 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 Yale.
- The graduation rate at Yale is the same as at Harvard University (97% vs. 97%)
- Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $18,300 more per year than Yale graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $118,400)
- Harvard University students graduate with a $7,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Yale graduates. ($6,500 vs. $13,500)
- Harvard graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than Yale graduates. ($67 vs. $139)
- More Yale graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 70%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/