Harvard University vs University of Cambridge: Which is better?

Harvard University vs University of Cambridge

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Harvard University is a High end private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the Boston metro area. It is a mid-sized university with 7,110 undergraduate students. Acceptance is highly competitive, with an approximate acceptance rate of 3%. Common majors are Computer Science, Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, Social Sciences, and History. The four-year graduation rate is 66%, and the six-year graduation rate (within six years) is 75%. Harvard graduates have a median salary upon starting work of approximately INR 44,68,000 (converted from $57,700), and median income ten years after matriculation of approximately INR 1,02,30,400 (converted from $87,200).

University of Cambridge is a top public university based in Cambridge, England in East of England region. It is a medium-sized institution with an intake of around 3,557 undergraduate students (Class of 2023 starters). Admissions are highly competitive with an offer rate of about 21%. Natural Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Law, and Economics are some of the most popular subjects. Overall graduation completion (within programme duration) is extremely high—graduates generally finish on schedule. Cambridge alumni who join the workforce have average salaries of about INR 42,00,000 after five years of passing out, while MBAs command an average of approximately INR 8,06,00,000.

Overview Comparison
Harvard UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
Collegedunia Score10 Out of 109 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 5 QS World University 2026
# 5 Times Higher Education 2026
# 1 Center for World University Rankings 2025
# 3 Times Higher Education 2026
# 3 The Guardian 2026
# 6 QS World University 2026
Subject Strength# 1 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025
# 6 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025
# 1 for Medicine by QS World University 2025
# 4 for Engineering by QS World University 2025
# 5 for Medicine by QS World University 2025
# 2 for Law by The Guardian 2026
ProgramsUG Programs -40
PG Programs -53
Doctorate Programs -9
UG Programs -27
PG Programs -101
Doctorate Programs -90
Acceptance Rate3.0 %21.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT-620
GRE-300
IELTS-7
SAT-1470
TOEFL-80
IELTS-7
TOEFL-100
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   86926
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  71030
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 32724 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   30673
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  44645
[For PG Program]
placement (average package)

Harvard University is one of the top private universities in Cambridge, United States. It is ranked #5 in QS World University Rankings 2023 and ranked #1 in US UNI.

  • Other Degree: $200,000 
  • Doctorate: $190,000 
  • Executive Masters: $172,000 
  • MBA: $168,000 
  • Executive MBA: $160,000 
  • LLM: $152,000 

University of Cambridge is one of the top public universities in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is ranked #2 in QS World University Rankings 2023.

Average Salaries Of The Degree:

  • MBA : $107,000 
  • Masters of Arts: $101,000 
  • Masters in Finance : $100,000 
  • LLM : $95,000 
  • Doctorate : $92,000 
  • Executive MBA : $88,000 

application requirements

Teacher Evaluation forms (as additional LORs); Sample of academic work, potfolio, music recordings, art work, etc  (supplementary documents); IELTS/TOEFL; Standardized test scores

Academic Transcripts; Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (for UG applicants); Proof of English language proficiency; Interviews; subject-specific written admission assessment; 1-2 References; Personal Statement; Resume; Standardized test scores (GRE, etc.)

Campuses and B-SchoolsHarvard Law School
Harvard Extension School
Harvard Kennedy School
Harvard Business School
Cambridge Judge Business School
CollegeDunia Reviews7.2/10 Read 6 reviews7.9/10 Read 7 reviews

Top Courses Comparison

Top Courses Comparison

ranking# 1 for Business by QS World University 2025
# 6 for Business by US News 2025
# 7 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025
# 5 for Business by QS World University 2025
# 5 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025
application#9856 Applicants
# 930 Admissions
# 9 % Acceptance Rate
-
exam scoresDuolingo - 145/160GMAT - 740/800GRE - 326/340IELTS - 7.5/9PTE - 75/90TOEFL - 109/120IELTS - 7.0/9TOEFL - 100/120
cost to studyTotal Cost (Tuition + Living) -Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -99860
documents required#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose
application datesSep 3, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake)
Dec 10, 2025 (Round 1 Decision Date for Fall 2026 Intake)
Jan 5, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for Fall 2026 Intake)
Mar 25, 2026 (Round 2 Decision Date for Fall 2026 Intake)
Aug 26, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Oct 6, 2025 (Round 2 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Jan 5, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
Mar 30, 2026 (Round 4 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
May 5, 2026 (Round 5 Application Deadline For 2026 Intake)
General Facts Comparison
General FactsHarvard UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1636
1209
Location Facts

Harvard Yard: Campus’s historic hub, Harvard Square: Campus’s personal hagout destination with restaurants, cafe, bookstores, theater, shops. Well connected to the local neighborhood of Boston by public transport, the campus traverses the Charles River to near by Allston.


Located in Cambridge, UK; 50 miles north of London, in the center of Cambridge city. 


Library

Largest academic library in the world. 20.4 million volumes, 400 million manuscript items, 180,000 serial titles. The library offers various grants and fellowships for both students and faculty. 


Cambridge University Library is over 600 years old and is one of the largest legal deposit libraries in the world. There are a total of 100 faculty and college libraries across the departments in the university. The libraries hold over 8 million books, journals, and other items. It is one of the largest collections on open shelves in Europe. In 2010, with a generous donation of around 1.5 million GBP, the digitizing of some of the library collections was started. 


Campus Life

Students from over 50 states and 80 countries are offered assistance by over 400 official student organization. The campus has its own museum, radio station, magazine and newspaper. Along with student clubs for Aikikai, archery, dance, theatre/drama, music, etc, campus also offers cultural & racial initiatives, asian student centric-projects, etc. Varsity sports, crimson pride and various atheletic teams.  


The campus offers University of Cambridge Library; nine specialist museums; extensive welfare services; over 60 sports; language center; 500+ student clubs; King’s College Chapel; Cavendish Laboratory; Cambridge University Press.


Hostel#Medium Single - $10719
#Large Single - $13644
#Standard Single - $8361
-
Famous Alumni

Eight US Presidents, 62 living billionaires, 242 Marshall Scholars, 359 Rhodes scholars. Barak Obama (ex-president of USA), Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of USA), Mark Zuckerberg, Natalie Portman (Actress), Bill Gates, Conan O’ Brien (comedian writer), Al Gore (Winner-Peace Prize), Matt Damon (Actor), Helen Keller, Subramaniam Swami (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha)


20 Nobel Laureates; 11 field medalists; 7 Tiring Award winners; 194 Olympic medals; Sir Issac Newton; Srinivasa Ramanujan (Indian Mathematician); Stephen Hawking; Rajiv Gandhi (Former Prime Minister of India); Eddie Redmayne (Actor), etc.


City Life

Cambridge- city in Massachusetts; home to a huge student community; city offers a great nightlife with gastropubs, live music, and cocktail bars. Boston’s cosmopolitan excitement is bus-ride away. Average salaries offered within the state are up to 97,5000 USD; Famous tourist attractions: Charles River, Harvard Square, Mount Auburn Cemetery, MIT Museum, CambrdgeSide, John Harvard Statue, Sanders Theatre; Unemployment rate- 3.2%


The city of Cambridge offers Folk festivals, food festivals, and diverse cultural festivals. The unemployment rate of the city is as low as 2.6%. The city has a buzzing nightlife, a variety of art venues, museums, cinemas, parks, and tourist attractions.   


Weather
Comparison Notes

Comparison between University of Cambridge and Harvard University

Global Reputation & Rankings (2025/2026)

Harvard and Cambridge are two of the world's topmost universities. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, Harvard ranks 5th in the world, only just ahead of Cambridge at 6th. In U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings, Harvard is ranked 3rd and Cambridge closely behind at 5th. These positions affirm their enduring worldwide reputation and research quality.

Academic Strengths by Subject

Harvard dominates in several subject disciplines, heading the QS subject league tables for Arts & Humanities, Life Sciences & Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences & Management. Cambridge regularly figures in the top five for Arts & Humanities and appears prominently in Engineering, Technology, and other science-related disciplines.

Student Body & Campus Experience

Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has around 23,000 students within a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. Its campus provides an intensely academic environment with proximity to the innovation network of Boston. Cambridge, in the UK, has a smaller, more campus-like collegiate system with an historic campus composition. Although precise enrollment figures differ, Cambridge's student population is relatively smaller, providing a closer-knit academic environment.

Selectivity & Admissions

Harvard's undergraduate admissions are highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of approximately 3 – 4%. Cambridge is also very selective, though with a marginally wider acceptance rate comparatively. Both universities receive highly accomplished students from all over the world.

Cost & Financial Aid

Harvard's cost of tuition and attendance is high but greatly negated by extensive need-based financial aid. Most students who come from families that make below a certain level pay little or nothing in the way of tuition. Cambridge, as less costly overall initially, grants fewer scholarships to international students, so the financial considerations are slightly more complicated for non-UK applicants.

Career Outcomes & Alumni Networks

Both universities graduates have superb career prospects. Harvard's extensive alumni network is global in reach across all industries, with a particularly strong presence in business, law, medicine, and academia. Cambridge's, although smaller in size, is a very powerful alumni community with a high profile in research, politics, and the sciences throughout Europe and internationally.