Harvard University and Stanford University are about equally selective, admitting 3.6% and 3.6% of applicants respectively. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $6,011 per year at Harvard University versus $5,290 at Stanford University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1580 at Harvard University and 1510–1570 at Stanford University.
| Metric | Harvard University | Stanford University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Early acceptance rate | 8.7% | 7.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1580 | 1510–1570 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.95 | 3.96 |
| Yield rate | 84.0% | 82.0% |
| Class size | 1,650 | 1,693 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $6,011 | $5,290 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $42,072 | $39,717 |
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: Harvard University admits 3.6% of applicants and Stanford 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 $6,011 per year at Harvard University and $5,290 at Stanford University, so Stanford University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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