Harvard vs. Tufts vs. BU

Should I go to Harvard University or Tufts University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Harvard or Tufts is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Northeastern BC Stanford Yale Johns Hopkins NYU Princeton MIT Duke Middlebury Columbia Brown
Harvard University vs. Tufts University vs. Boston University comparison
Harvard University Tufts University Boston University College 4
Harvard University Tufts University Boston University
Remove Remove Remove +Add

Overview

 Harvard Tufts BU
Location Cambridge, MA Medford, MA Boston, MA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 30,386 13,274 36,624
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #4 #33 #77
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website harvard.edu tufts.edu bu.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 Harvard Tufts BU
Tuition (In State) $54,269 $66,358 $63,798
Tuition (Out of State) $54,269 $66,358 $63,798
Room & Board $20,374 $17,660 $18,110
Avg Net Price $17,900 $33,333 $27,551
Avg Grant Aid $64,942 $51,267 $55,080
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 41% 50%

Admission

 Harvard Tufts BU
Applied 56,937 34,003 80,495
Admitted 1,965 3,444 8,733
Acceptance Rate 3.5% 10.1% 10.8%
Enrolled % 83.7% 50.5% 36%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.91 3.79
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High Very High
ACT Range 34/36 33/35 32/34
SAT Range 1500/1580 1460/1550 1400/1520
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 4, 2026

Academics

 Harvard Tufts BU
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 10:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Social Sciences (31%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)

Outcomes

 Harvard Tufts BU
Graduation Rate 97% 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $136,700 $83,100 $72,000
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 91% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $6,500 $18,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $67 $186 $279

Diversity

 Harvard Tufts BU
% Men 32% 18% 21%
% Women 38% 30% 28%
Racial Diversity Very High High Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 44% 58% 43%
% Black 6% 4% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 6% 11%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4% 4%
% International 11% 9% 20%
% Unknown Race 3% 7% 5%

Students

 Harvard Tufts BU
% In-State 15% 22% 14%
% Out-of-State 70% 64% 61%

Campus

 Harvard Tufts BU
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No No
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Harvard University is larger than than Tufts based on total student enrollment (30,386 students vs. 13,274 students)

Harvard vs. Tufts Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Harvard or Tufts?

  • Tufts University is 22.3% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($66,358.00 vs. $54,269.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.3% higher at Tufts than Harvard University ($66,358.00 vs. $54,269.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than Tufts ($17,900 vs. $33,333)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tufts University are 15.4% lower than costs at Harvard University ($17,660 vs. $20,374)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than Tufts University (57% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 26.7% larger than aid received Tufts University ($64,942 vs. $51,267)

Harvard vs. Tufts Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Harvard or Tufts? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Tufts or Harvard .

  • The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 73 points higher than at Tufts (1424)
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Tufts (32)
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Tufts (3.91)
  • Tufts has a higher acceptance rate (10.1%) than Harvard (3.5%)

Harvard vs. Tufts Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Harvard or Tufts? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Tufts and Harvard.

  • The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Tufts University (97% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $53,600 more per year than Tufts graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $83,100)
  • Harvard University students graduate with a $11,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Tufts graduates. ($6,500 vs. $18,000)
  • Harvard graduates are paying $119 less per month on federal student loans than Tufts graduates. ($67 vs. $186)
  • More Tufts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 70%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/