Top Ivy League Schools: Princeton vs Harvard

Princeton University joins Harvard University as one of the top  Ivy League schools in the QS World University Rankings: USA 2021. Both are ranked within the overall top 15 universities globally, and both excel across the board of academic subjects, making choosing between the two a tricky, but enviable, task to face.  

Here’s our guide to Princeton vs Harvard, taking in the latest data from the rankings, as well as information about location, student community, fees and financial aid. 

In the 2021 edition of the QS World University Rankings: USA, Harvard University remains the Ivy League’s frontrunner, ranked first in the USA, while Princeton follows behind in eighth.  

	Princeton University	Harvard University
QS World University Rankings: USA 2021	Ranked eighth in the USA in 2021  Seventh in the USA for research  First for learning experience  Joint 44th for diversity and internationalisation  Seventh for employability	Ranked first in the USA in 2021  First in the USA for research and employability  Joint 21st for diversity and internationalisation  Joint seventh for learning experience
Subject strengths*	Ranked eighth in the world for arts & humanities  30th for engineering & technology  Joint 138th for life sciences & medicine  10th for natural sciences  15th for social sciences & management	Ranked first in the world for arts & humanities  11th for engineering & technology  First for life sciences & medicine  Third for natural sciences  First for social sciences & management
Location	Princeton, New Jersey  Also in the northeast, just southwest of the state of New York.	Cambridge, Massachusetts  On the northeast coast of the US, north of Boston.
Student community	About 8,213 students of which 5,267 of which 2,946 are postgraduates  There are currently 2,053 international students (25 percent of all students)	About 23,731 students, of which 15,250 are postgraduates    24 percent of all students are international.
Tuition fees & financial aid	Undergraduate student fees for 2019-20 are $51,870 (~ £36,700).  61 percent of undergraduates receive need-based aid.  Need-blind admission for all	For 2020/21, annual tuition fees for undergraduates are $51,143 (approx. £36,000) plus $4,444 fees (~ £3,100).  55% of undergraduates receive need-based aid, and     Harvard provides need-blind admission for all students.

 *Based on the broad subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021. 

QS World University Rankings: USA 2021 

Both Harvard and Princeton are in the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings: USA 2021. At this elite level, there’s very little difference between institutions, but a closer look at the rankings data might throw some light on the fields in which each of these top Ivy League schools particularly excel. 

Harvard, ranked first in the country, scores extremely well across each of the indicators used to compile the rankings. It claims first place in the research and employability indicators this year.  

Princeton on the other hand ranks eighth in the USA. It receives a rank of seventh both in the research indicator and for employer reputation.  

Princeton does have the advantage over Harvard in the diversity of its students and faculty, ranking joint 21st in the diversity and internationalisation indicator, compared to Harvard’s joint 44th.  

Princeton also beats Harvard in learning experience, ranking first in the USA with Harvard falling slightly behind in joint seventh. 

Subject strengths 

Looking at the QS World University Rankings by Subject provides some more detailed insights into the individual subjects for which Harvard and Princeton each school is best known. 

In 2021, Harvard University is ranked as the world leader in 14 out of 51 subjects. Although Princeton isn’t considered the best in the world for any subject, it’s featured in the top 10 for 13 different subjects. 

The table below lets you see how the two schools directly compare for each subject. If no rank is given, it’s highly likely the subject isn’t available at that university. 

Harvard and Princeton in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
	Princeton University	Harvard University
Accounting & finance	15th	1st
Anthropology	15th	3rd
Architecture	51-100	5th
Art & design	37th	--
Biological sciences	8th	1st
Business & management	18th	1st
Chemistry	18th	3rd
Classics & ancient history	10th	=6th
Communication & media studies	33rd	--
Computer science & information systems	=35th	7th
Dentistry	--	8th
Development studies	--	=3rd
Earth & marine sciences	=15th	3rd
Economics	8th	2nd
Education & training	--	2nd
Engineering (chemical)	21st	--
Engineering (electrical)	=90th	11th
Engineering (mechanical)	=95th	4th
English language & literature	5th	3rd
Environmental sciences	=15th	=1st
History	4th	1st
Law	4th	1st
Linguistics	=63rd	=6th
Materials science	=21st	=5th
Mathematics	8th	3rd
Medicine	8th	1st
Modern languages	6th	=1st
Nursing	7th	--
Performing arts	=20th	=12th
Pharmacy	=17th	3rd
Philosophy	16th	8th
Physics & astronomy	=16th	3rd
Politics	8th	1st
Psychology	7th	1st
Social policy & administration	--	1st
Sociology	=11th	1st
Statistics	42nd	2nd
Theology, divinity & religious studies	8th	2nd
See the full QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021

Location 

Harvard can be found in the university town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, just to the north of the city of Boston. Named after the University of Cambridge in the UK, Cambridge, MA, is also home to the world’s current number one university, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Unsurprisingly for a town with two prominent universities in such close proximity, the city has a longstanding history of being an academic hub, with a student-centred community. 

With riverbanks lined with trees, historical architecture and a thriving arts and culture scene, Cambridge is, in many ways, the classic student location. For those who want a bit more of a cosmopolitan experience, it’s an easy trip to neighbouring Boston, one of the leading urban centres in the US. 

Traveling southwest from Massachusetts, through the states of Connecticut and New York, down through Manhattan and the Bronx, you come to the state of New Jersey, where Princeton University is located, in the town from which it takes its name. 

Much like Cambridge, MA, Princeton very much has a college town feel, with its student population playing a key part in local life and culture. The college campus itself, which features architecture from the 18th century onwards and the manmade Lake Carnegie, has been listed as one of the most attractive among US universities. 

Student community 

Harvard University, significantly larger than Princeton, has a total student enrolment of 23,731, of which 15,250 are postgraduate students. Princeton claims a total enrolment of 8,213, of which 2,946 are postgraduates.  

These large numbers of postgraduates, making up two thirds of enrolment at Harvard and over one quarter of enrolments at Princeton, reflect the strong focus on research at each school. 

Though international diversity is not the strongest indicator for either institution, both offer reasonably high proportions of overseas students. In both cases, around 24 percent of all students are international, with most of Princeton’s international students studying at graduate level. 

Tuition fees 

As is the case for US universities more widely, tuition fees at the top Ivy League schools are among the highest in the world. However, you certainly shouldn’t let this prevent you from considering either school, as both schools operate a need blind admission policy, meaning financial aid is always available for those who are offered a place. 

At Harvard, undergraduate tuition fees for 2020/21 are set at US$51,143 (~£36,100). When additional fees, accommodation, travel and personal expenses are considered, the annual cost of attendance is estimated at $78,028-$82,178 (around £55,000-£58,000).  

Princeton’s annual tuition fees are $56,010 (~£39,600) for 2021-22. However, the school estimates that students should budget around $77,690 (~£55,000) per year to cover cost of accommodation and other expenses. 

Graduate fees are typically more expensive wherever you study, and tend to fluctuate significantly depending on the field of study. At Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, full tuition fees for 2020/21 are $48,008 (~ £33,900). 

If you’re considering studying medicine or business, however, costs will be higher still. Harvard’s Medical School (graduate level only) charges tuition fees of $99,416 (~ £70,100) for 2020/21. And at Harvard Business School, an MBA program will currently cost $73,440 (~ £52,000) per year, with a total annual budget of $110,818 (~ £78,000) recommended. 

Financial aid 

You’ll be pleased to hear that, like most of the Ivy League schools, Harvard and Princeton both offer generous financial aid programs.  

At Princeton, students whose family earn up to $160,000 typically pay no tuition. For students whose family income is up to $65,000 per year (~£46,000), the aid package covers full tuition, residential college fee, room and board. Approximately 61 percent of undergraduate students receive financial aid and 83 percent of recent seniors graduated debt free. 

At Harvard, 55 percent of undergraduate students receive need-based aid through the university’s financial aid program. Financial aid officers work to determine your demonstrated need and your family’s expected contribution, with students from families with an annual income below $65,000 expected to pay nothing, and more than 20 percent of students’ families paying nothing. 

At Princeton, the average financial aid grant for a student admitted for the class of 2023 was $56,500 (~£40,000), which fully covers Princeton’s tuition fees. 

Both are among the five US universities to run a need-blind policy for all undergraduate students, both international and domestic. This means a pledge to admit all students based solely on merit and nothing else, even if you’re unable to pay any of the fees. If you then accept the offer, each school will contribute as much as is needed for you to attend their program. 

Both universities also offer funds to graduates, often in the form of grants, loans, fellowships and scholarships, as well as paid employment.  

The amount offered is dependent on several factors, including level of study, program and financial situation – for information on exactly how much you can expect to pay, visit Harvard or Princeton’s graduate school website. 

Find out more about studying in the US with our complete guide, which includes advice on applications, visas, costs, funding and more.