Ranking ahead of Yale University in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, Princeton University joins Harvard University as one of the top two US Ivy League schools. Both are ranked within the overall top 15 universities globally, and both excel across the board of academic subjects, making choosing between the two a tricky (but enviable) task to face. Here’s our guide to Princeton vs Harvard, taking in the latest data from the rankings, as well as information about location, student community, fees and financial aid.

This year’s top Ivy League schools

In the 2018 edition of the QS World University Rankings, Harvard University remains the Ivy League’s frontrunner, ranked third in the world, while Princeton is the group’s second highest-ranked representative at 13^th, ahead of Yale at 16^th (which we compared to Harvard here).

So, if Princeton and Harvard are the best of the best, which one should you choose?

 *Based on the broad subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.

QS World University Rankings® 2018

Clearly, Harvard University and Princeton University are both among the world’s strongest performers in the international university rankings, claiming strong scores in all of the performance indicators (more information about these can be found here). At this elite level, there’s very little difference between institutions, but nonetheless a closer look at the rankings data might throw some light on the fields in which each of these top Ivy League schools particularly excels.

Helped by its long-standing prestige, Harvard University is ranked an impressive first in the world for its academic reputation (based on QS’s global survey of academics) and third in the world for its reputation among employers (based on QS’s global survey of employers). Princeton on the other hand receives a rank of 33^rd for employer reputation and 9^th for academic reputation, suggesting a significant gap between the two universities.

Princeton does have the advantage over Harvard in its number of research citations per faculty member, a ranking indicator for which Harvard comes ninth in the world, while Princeton is fifth. However, Harvard is ahead of Princeton in its ratio of academic staff members to students, placing 38^th while Princeton is a lowly 163^rd.

The final two indicators assess proportions of international students and international faculty members, aiming to measure the levels of international diversity at each university. Here, both Ivy League leaders place a little lower than elsewhere. Harvard places 103^rd in the world for international faculty and 165^th for international students, while Princeton is 229^th for faculty and 188^th for students. In global terms, both are still pretty international places to work and study – but this does remain an area in which both top Ivy League schools have space for improvement.

Subject strengths

Taking a look at the QS World University Rankings by Subject provides some more detailed insights into the individual subjects for which Harvard and Princeton each school is best known.

In 2017, Harvard University ranked as the world leader in 14 different subjects. Although Princeton isn’t considered the best in the world for any particular subject, it’s featured in the top 10 for 10 different subjects.

The table below lets you see how the two schools directly compare for each subject. If no rank is given, it’s highly likely the subject isn’t available at that particular university.

Location

Harvard can be found in the university town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, just to the north of the city of Boston. Named after the University of Cambridge in the UK, Cambridge, MA, is also home to the world’s current number one university, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Unsurprisingly for a town with two prominent universities in such close proximity, the city has a longstanding history of being an academic hub, with a student-centered community.

With river banks lined with trees, historical architecture and a thriving arts and culture scene, Cambridge is, in many ways, the archetypal student location. For those who want a bit more of a cosmopolitan experience, it’s an easy trip to neighboring Boston, one of the leading urban centers in the US.

Traveling southwest from Massachusetts, through the states of Connecticut and New York, down through Manhattan and the Bronx, you come to the state of New Jersey, where Princeton University is located, in the town from which it takes its name.

Much like Cambridge, MA, Princeton very much has the feel of being a “college town”, with its student population playing a key part in local life and culture. The college campus itself, which features architecture from the 18^th century onwards and the manmade Lake Carnegie, has been listed as one of the most attractive among US universities.

Student community

Harvard University, significantly larger than Princeton, has a total student enrollment of 22,000, of which 15,250 are postgraduate students. Princeton claims a total enrolment of 8,181, of which 2,781 are postgraduates. These large numbers of postgraduates, making up two thirds of enrolment at Harvard and over one quarter of enrolments at Princeton, reflect the strong focus on research at each school.

Though (as mentioned above) international diversity is not the strongest indicator for either institution, both offer reasonably high proportions of overseas students: in both cases, around 22% of all students are international, with the majority of Princeton’s international students studying at graduate level.

Tuition fees

As is the case for US universities more widely, tuition fees at the top Ivy League schools are among the highest in the world. However, you certainly shouldn’t let this prevent you from considering either school, as both schools operate a “need blind” admission policy – meaning financial aid is always available for those who gain an offer of a place.

At Harvard, undergraduate fees currently stand at US$44,990 annually (2017-18) with additional costs for accommodation, travel and personal expenses bringing this figure up to an overall yearly expenditure of between $69,600 and $73,600. At Princeton, annual tuition fees are higher, at $47,140 (2017-18), with accommodation, travel and personal costs bringing the yearly spend to approximately $67,100. Be aware that, for both schools, this latter figure depends on how frugal your lifestyle is.

Other costs you may have to pay include the fee for health insurance if you don’t already have it. At Harvard, the health insurance plan is $3,130, while at Princeton it’s $1,800.

Graduate fees are typically more expensive wherever you study, and also tend to fluctuate significantly depending on the field of study. At Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, tuition fees stand at $43,296 (2016-17 figures) with an advised additional living expenses budget of at least $37,320 for 10 months. Princeton charges regular graduate tuition fees of $45,320 per year with additional approximate living expenses of $24,500 per 10 months.

If you’re considering studying medicine or business, however, costs will be higher still. At Harvard’s Medical School (for graduate students only) fees stand at $58,050 (2016-17 figures), while at Harvard Business School an MBA program will cost $72,000, with a total recommended annual budget of $106,800 (2017-18 figures).

Financial aid

If you’ve read the last passage with a pained expression on your face, then help is at hand. You’ll be pleased to hear that, like most of the Ivy League schools, Harvard and Princeton both offer generous financial aid programs. As many as 60% of undergraduate students receive need-based financial aid at Princeton, while the figure at Harvard is 55%.

Harvard offers payment of full tuition for students of families earning less than US$65,000 annually, with more than 20% of student’s families paying nothing. At Princeton, the average financial aid grant for a student admitted for the class of 2020 was $48,000.

Both are among the five US universities to run a need-blind policy for all undergraduate students, both international and domestic. This means a pledge to admit all students based solely on merit and nothing else, even if you’re unable to pay any of the fees. If you then accept the offer, each school will contribute as much as is needed for you to attend their program.

And what about graduate students? Yes, both universities offer funds to graduates too, often in the form of grants, loans, fellowships and scholarships, as well as paid employment. The amount offered is dependent on several factors, including level of study, program and financial situation – for information on exactly how much you can expect to pay, visit Harvard or Princeton’s graduate school website.

Find out more about studying in the US with our complete guide, which includes advice on applications, visas, costs, funding and more.

United Arab Emirates University is the best university in the United Arab Emirates, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has risen over 20 places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the 390th best university in the world, as well as being the best in the country.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, the United Arab Emirates University scored particularly highly for its ratio of international faculty members, for which it is ranked 12th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked among the world’s best universities for medicine and mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering.

This year's World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

Chulalongkorn University is the best university in Thailand, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has risen seven places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the joint 245th best university in the world, as well as being the best in the country.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, Chulalongkorn University scored particularly highly for its reputation among academics, for which it is ranked 99th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 100 in the world for modern languages and chemical engineering.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

National Taiwan University (NTU) is the best university in Taiwan, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has fallen eight places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the 54th best university in the world, but it remains the best in the country despite this.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, NTU scored particularly highly for the its reputation among academics, for which it is ranked 40th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 30 in the world for nursing, sports-related subjects and electrical & electronic engineering.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

Lund University is the best university in Sweden, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has fallen five places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the joint 78th best university in the world, but it remains the best in the country despite this.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, Lund University scored particularly highly for its reputation among academics, for which it is ranked 81st in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 50 in the world for development studies, environmental sciences, geography and nursing.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

Universitat de Barcelona (UB) is the best university in Spain, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has risen four places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the 156th best university in the world, as well as being the best in the country.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, UB scored particularly highly for its reputation among academics, for which it is ranked 82nd in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 50 in the world for archaeology, philosophy and anatomy & physiology.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

If you want to study in Singapore, two universities in particular are bound to be at the top of your list. National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are both consistently ranked among the global top 15 in the QS World University Rankings®, and are typically extremely close together in the table.

This year, the 2018 ranking sees NTU overtake NUS for the first time as the highest ranked Singaporean university, but it’s worth digging a little deeper when looking to compare these two universities.

 *Based on the broad subject areas of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.

QS World University Rankings® 2018

After a few years of being ranked just one place behind NUS, NTU has surpassed their rival university for the first time in the 2018 QS World University Rankings®.

Taking a closer look, both universities perform very well in the indicators used to compile the rankings, with each ranked within the global top 150 for each indicator. NUS beats NTU for its reputations among academics and employers, earning 11^th place for both, while NTU is ranked 50^th and 38^th in the world respectively.

However, NTU is stronger than NUS for all the remaining indicators. For research impact (citations per faculty member) NTU is the clear leader, ranked 57^th in the world whereas NUS is 128^th. NTU is also ahead in its ratio of academic staff members to students, with a rank of 60^th compared to NUS which is 81^st.

Finally, when assessing the levels of international diversity on campus, NTU achieves 19^th place for its high number of international faculty members, while NUS is 27^th – still a highly respectable score. Looking at the number of international students at each university, NTU is again the leader at 108^th, with NUS ranked 121^st for this indicator. So, while both of these top universities in Singapore have some room for improvement, they are nonetheless highly international institutions.

Subject strengths

If you’re still unsure which one gets your vote in the NUS vs NTU debate, a look at the QS World University Rankings by Subject can help give a more detailed view. In the 2017 edition, NUS is ahead of NTU for four out of the five broad subject areas covered. Interestingly, both universities share strengths in natural sciences, social sciences & management and engineering & technology, although NTU beats NUS in the area of engineering and technology, for which it’s ranked fourth in the world.

National University of Singapore (NUS) is ranked among the world’s best for a total of 36 out of a possible 46 subjects, while Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is ranked for 31 subjects.

The table below lets you see how the two top universities in Singapore directly compare for each subject.

Location

Ranked 14^th in the latest QS Best Student Cities ranking, Singapore has unfortunately also been ranked as the most expensive city to live in by the The Economist's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2017. However, when taking tuition fees into account, Singapore is slightly more affordable for students, with tuition fees typically much lower than you’d find in study destinations such as the United States.

Furthermore, many students will find Singapore’s high cost of living worth the money – the city is renowned for its prosperity and high quality of life, with low levels of crime and unemployment. It’s also ideal for students who wish to immerse themselves in a very diverse study destination, with a fascinating blend of Eastern and Western cultures to explore.

NUS is located in the south-west of the city on a 150 hectare campus adjacent to Kent Ridge, while NTU’s main campus, adjacent to the town of Jurong West in Singapore’s West Region, covers 200 hectares (490 acres) of land, making it the largest university campus in the city. 

Student community

Both of these two top universities in Singapore are large universities, with around 38,596 students enrolled at NUS, of which 9,966 are postgraduates, while NTU has 32,403 students, of which 8,091 are postgraduates. There is no data for the number of international students at each university, but both achieve fairly high scores for this indicator in the QS World University Rankings®, as mentioned above.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees at NUS and NTU vary depending on your subject, which fee classification you fall under (as either a Singaporean citizen, permanent resident or international student) and whether you’re in receipt of an MOE Tuition Grant. Offered by the Singaporean Ministry of Education (MOE), these grants are available for both domestic and international students and can help cover much of the cost of your tuition fees (for a full-time diploma or undergraduate program). In return, international students must agree to work for a Singaporean company for at least three years after graduating (or, if you studied medicine or dentistry, five or six years).

If not in receipt of an MOE Grant, international undergraduate students at NUS can expect to pay between S$29,650-38,850 (~US$21,500–28,130) per year for most courses with the exception of medicine, music and dentistry, with a medical degree costing S$146,750 (~US$106,360) per year. Students who are in receipt of the MOE Grant can pay as little as S$17,450 (~US$12,650) per year for some subjects.

At graduate level, non-subsidized annual tuition fees at NUS start at S$32,900 (~US$23,800) for arts and social sciences subjects. The government-subsidized annual cost would be US$18,200 (~US$13,200).

At NTU, international undergraduate students who aren’t subsidized by the MOE Tuition Grant will pay S$31,780-36,650 (~US$23,000–26,500) per year for most courses. If you have the Tuition Grant, you’ll pay S$17,450-20,000 (~US$12,650–14,500) per year for most subjects. Again, medicine is the most expensive degree option, costing S$72,100 (~US$52,250) per year (subsidized – the non-subsidized amount is not applicable). At graduate level at NTU, students with the Tuition Grant can pay as little as S$7,050 (~US$5,100) a year for a master’s degree.

Financial aid

Both these top universities in Singapore offer a variety of funding opportunities to help make studying there more affordable, including grants, loans and scholarships. Looking firstly at NUS’ financial aid, the university offers two scholarships for international undergraduate students: the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, which is aimed at incoming students from ASEAN member states (excluding Singapore). The applicable ASEAN member countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. This scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a grant for living costs.

The other scholarship, the Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship, is for international students from any country in Asia, and again provides tuition fees and a living allowance. At graduate level, scholarships at NUS include the NUS Research Scholarship, which awards a monthly stipend and tuition fees for outstanding graduate students to conduct research leading to a higher degree at the university.

National University of Singapore also offers loans and bursaries, with bursaries awarded based on the applicant’s assessed level of need. The university also runs a Work Study Assistance scheme which helps students to supplement their finances with part-time work.

At Nanyang Technological University (NTU), funding opportunities include bursaries, the Tuition Fee Loan, available for all full-time undergraduates, and the Work Study Scheme which allows you to work part-time on campus to supplement your finances.

The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship is also available at NTU, as well as the Nanyang Scholarship, awarded to outstanding new undergraduate students of any nationality. This scholarship will cover all your tuition fees as well as providing an annual living allowance, travel grant, computer allowance and more. At graduate level, scholarship options open to international students at NTU include the Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship, which aims to encourage outstanding students to study a PhD at the university and provides tuition fees, a monthly living allowance and more. The university also offers the NTU Research Scholarship for prospective PhD students.

Who gets your vote in the battle of NUS vs NTU? Let us know in the comments below!

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Seoul National University (SNU) is the best university in South Korea, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has fallen one place globally since last year’s ranking and is now the joint 36th best university in the world, but remains the best in the country despite this.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, SNU scored particularly highly for its reputation among academics, for which it is ranked 30th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 20 in the world in eight different subjects, including chemistry, modern languages, chemical engineering and pharmacy & pharmacology.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

The University of Cape Town is the best university in South Africa, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has been a non-mover globally since last year’s ranking and so is the 191st best university in the world, as well as being the best in the country.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, the University of Cape Town scored particularly highly for the number of citations produced per faculty member, for which it is ranked 36th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 50 in the world for development studies and geography.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.

Lomonosov Moscow State University is the best university in Russia, according to the latest version of the QS World University Rankings®.

The university has risen 13 places globally since last year’s ranking and is now the joint 95th best university in the world, as well as being the best in the country.

Of the six ranking indicators used to assess universities, Lomonosov Moscow State University scored particularly highly for the ratio of students to faculty members, for which it is ranked 29th in the world.

This good ranking follows the strong performance of the university in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017, where it is ranked in the top 50 in the world for six subjects, including linguistics, mathematics, modern languages and computer science & information systems.

This year’s World University Ranking features over 950 universities from 84 different countries. To read more about how it’s compiled, click here, or click here to see this year’s rankings in full.