Is Brown or Harvard harder to get into?

Harvard is harder to get into than Brown. Harvard's 3.6% acceptance rate is lower than Brown's 5.4%.

Which is cheaper, Brown or Harvard?

Harvard costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, Harvard's average net price is $19,066 vs $25,184 at Brown.

Which has higher post-graduation earnings, Brown or Harvard?

Harvard graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $93,487 at Brown and $101,817 at Harvard.

Brown vs. Harvard: Acceptance Rate, SAT, Cost & Outcomes Compared

Metric	Brown	Harvard
Acceptance rate	5.4%	3.6%
SAT mid-50%	1500–1570	1500–1580
ACT mid-50%	34–35	34–36
Cost of attendance	$90,160	$82,950
Avg net price (after aid)	$25,184	$19,066
Undergrad enrollment	7,639	7,240
6-yr graduation rate	95.7%	97.6%
Median earnings (10yr)	$93,487	$101,817
Setting	Providence, Rhode Island	Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Real Differences

Harvard is modestly harder to get into. The 1.8-point gap matters at the margin but doesn't change the overall difficulty tier. Both schools draw similar applicant pools and admit similar profiles.

Harvard is significantly cheaper after aid. The average net price gap is $6,118 per year, $24,472 over four years. For most families that difference is the deciding factor when both schools admit you.

Harvard graduates earn $8,330 more on average at the 10-year mark. This usually reflects major distribution more than school quality — schools that concentrate in CS, engineering, and finance pull higher medians than schools with more humanities and social science graduates. Brown grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Brown is in Providence, Rhode Island; Harvard is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Climate, cost-of-living, and proximity to job markets in your target field shape the four-year experience and post-grad pipeline more than most prospective students realize.

Student Body Composition

The two schools have different student body compositions. Brown is 50.0% women, 12.7% international, and 22.9% Asian-American. Harvard is 53.8% women, 14.6% international, and 22.4% Asian-American.

Demographic	Brown	Harvard
Women	50.0%	53.8%
International	12.7%	14.6%
White	32.9%	30.9%
Asian	22.9%	22.4%
Hispanic	12.1%	11.9%
Black	8.2%	8.9%

Personalized estimate

What are your odds at Brown vs. Harvard?

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The Verdict

Pick Brown if

Your odds are realistic at Brown (slightly easier admit)
the Open Curriculum

Pick Harvard if

Net price matters: Harvard costs $6,118 less per year on average
Higher median post-grad earnings ($101,817 vs $93,487)
Higher 6-year graduation rate
the residential Houses system

Headline numbers favor one school or the other on each axis, but neither is unambiguously “better.” The right answer depends on your major fit, geographic preference, financial need, and personal odds at each. Most applicants who get into one of these schools also get into the other.

Full School Pages

For complete admissions data, supplemental essay strategy, and class profile breakdowns:

Full profile

Brown University

5.4% accept · Providence, Rhode Island

Full profile

Harvard University

3.6% accept · Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sources

U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard for acceptance rates, test ranges, financial aid, demographics, completion, and earnings.
IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) for the underlying federal data.
Each school's most recent published Common Data Set for cycle-specific admissions stats.

Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect each school's most recent publicly published admit cycle.

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