Columbia University and Harvard University are about equally selective, admitting 3.9% and 3.6% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $8,186 per year at Columbia University versus $6,011 at Harvard University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1560 at Columbia University and 1510–1580 at Harvard University.
| Metric | Columbia University | Harvard University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 3.9% | 3.6% |
| Early acceptance rate | 13.2% | 8.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1560 | 1510–1580 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.93 | 3.95 |
| Yield rate | 61.0% | 84.0% |
| Class size | 1,483 | 1,650 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $8,186 | $6,011 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $40,538 | $42,072 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
The two are about equally selective: Columbia University admits 3.9% of applicants and Harvard University admits 3.6%, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $8,186 per year at Columbia University and $6,011 at Harvard University, so Harvard University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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