Is Harvard or Penn harder to get into?

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

Which is cheaper, Harvard or Penn?

Harvard costs less on average. After grants and scholarships, Harvard's average net price is $19,066 vs $28,699 at Penn.

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

Penn graduates earn more on average. Median earnings 10 years after entry are $101,817 at Harvard and $111,371 at Penn.

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

Metric	Harvard	Penn
Acceptance rate	3.6%	5.4%
SAT mid-50%	1500–1580	1500–1570
ACT mid-50%	34–36	34–35
Cost of attendance	$82,950	$89,028
Avg net price (after aid)	$19,066	$28,699
Undergrad enrollment	7,240	10,539
6-yr graduation rate	97.6%	96.5%
Median earnings (10yr)	$101,817	$111,371
Setting	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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 $9,633 per year, $38,532 over four years. For most families that difference is the deciding factor when both schools admit you.

Penn graduates earn $9,554 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. Harvard grads' earnings within the same major category are typically comparable.

Geographic difference matters more than the campus tour suggests. Harvard is in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Penn is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Harvard is 53.8% women, 14.6% international, and 22.4% Asian-American. Penn is 55.0% women, 12.6% international, and 28.4% Asian-American.

Demographic	Harvard	Penn
Women	53.8%	55.0%
International	14.6%	12.6%
White	30.9%	27.4%
Asian	22.4%	28.4%
Hispanic	11.9%	11.3%
Black	8.9%	9.0%

Personalized estimate

What are your odds at Harvard vs. Penn?

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The Verdict

Pick Harvard if

Net price matters: Harvard costs $9,633 less per year on average
Higher 6-year graduation rate
the residential Houses system

Pick Penn if

Your odds are realistic at Penn (slightly easier admit)
Higher median post-grad earnings ($111,371 vs $101,817)
the One University Policy that lets undergrads take classes across Wharton

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

Harvard University

3.6% accept · Cambridge, Massachusetts

Full profile

University of Pennsylvania

5.4% accept · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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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