Harvard is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, school accepted just 5.2% of roughly 39,000 applications for its class of 2020. Many things in life — like landing a job at some Wal-Mart locations — are harder to achieve than getting into that prestigious university.
The World's Top 100 Universities
| Rank | University | Location |
|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States |
| 2 | Stanford University | United States |
| 3 | Harvard University | United States |
| 4 | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | United States |
Key Takeaways. Attending Harvard costs $49,653 in tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year. Most students whose families make less than $65,000 attended Harvard for free in the most recent academic year. The cost to attend Harvard is less than a state school for 90% of students.
While Stanford, Duke, and MIT are all clearly prestigious schools with high national rankings and low selectivity rates comparable to those of Ivy League schools, they are not Ivy League schools simply because they are not members of the Ivy League.
The University of Cambridge acceptance rate in 2016 showed applicants had a 26% chance of getting in – while the University of Oxford acceptance rate showed applicants had just a 17% chance of success. Oxford offers many more courses than Cambridge.
Cambridge is probably best known for its university, which lends the place an undeniable energy. The 31 colleges which make up the iconic institution probably represent about half of all the buildings in the city centre.
However, there is a common perception that Cambridge is slightly better for sciences, while Oxford is marginally stronger for social sciences and humanities - but both Universities insist there is no significant difference.
Robinson is generally considered the easiest Cambridge college to enter. It's newer than the other colleges, and therefore less prestigious. What factors do elite universities (such as Oxford and Cambridge) take into account when choosing applicants?
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world.
Gates Cambridge provides scholarships to outstanding applicants from outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree. The 'Cambridge Funding Search' publicises awards available for current and prospective students.
Studying at Cambridge
- Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. View profile.
- Archaeology. View profile.
- Architecture. View profile.
- Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. View profile.
- Chemical Engineering. View profile.
- Classics. View profile.
- Computer Science. View profile.
- Economics. View profile.
Based on the Official International Ranking of Universities, Oxford is better. The ranking places Oxford as first, Stanford as second, and Harvard as third.
But now a new YouGov Omnibus survey reveals that Oxford is far more likely to be seen as the UK's most prestigious university than Cambridge. Graduates are almost somewhat more likely to rate Cambridge as the better of the two universities – although Oxford still wins by 39% to 27% (and 10% for other institutions).
What do I need to get into Oxford or Cambridge?
- Get good grades. Yes, your grades will need to really dazzle.
- Show wider reading. Simply following the syllabus in Years 12 and 13 and doing the minimum your teacher requires won't cut it for Oxbridge candidates.
- Prepare for your interview properly.
- Show genuine enthusiasm for your subject.
- Stay ahead in all tests.
However, for most degrees, the tuition fee for home and EU students are 11,000 euros per year, and for international students, the tuition fee for international students is around 25,000 euros per year.
What is the tuition for Cambridge University?
9,250 GBP, International tuition 21,732 GBP (2017 – 18)
The biggest difference between Oxford and Cambridge is that Oxford feels bigger – more like a city that has a university, whereas Cambridge is more like a large campus that happens to also be a city. This gives the two universities very different atmospheres.
The Cambridge experience isn't hard because of the university. It's hard because of the students. The average Cambridge student is, I'd argue, so used to a life of hard work and being driven that the idea they might overindulge or become overweight is incomprehensible.
Presenting: The 20 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in the U.S.
- 1 Harvard University. Photo by Lisi Cai.
- 2 Stanford University. Geri Lavrov.
- 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Joe Raedle.
- 4 California Institute of Technology. Wolterk.
- 5 Yale University.
- 6 Princeton University.
- 7 University of Chicago.
- 8 Columbia University.
To apply to Cambridge you need to get 4 As in your AS exams, and you should be predicted at least 2 A* for A-Level since that's what their offer will be. Besides that, they really don't care - the interviews will be more important than GCSEs. No. You won't get an interview with 4 Bs, that's for sure.
While Cambridge is known as one of the most expensive cities in the UK to live in, that's mostly because of accommodation costs. If you can reduce those costs by living in university accommodation, you should do that. Here's some index prices for what might be different in Cambridge compared to other cities.
Most US students will apply using either their SAT or ACT scores and complementary subject-specific test scores. Applicants must have scored above a 1470 on the SAT, and the essay is not required when applying.
The student population of the US is much higher than the student population of the UK (so, more applicants ), PLUS, in the UK you can only apply to either Oxford or Cambridge, so in essence you cut the number of applicants in each school by 2. Imagine a rule: “You can apply to only 4 out of the 8 Ivy League schools.”
In addition to high passes in the High School Diploma and the SAT (at least 1,400 in Critical Reading and Mathematics and also 700 or more in Writing, giving a combined score of at least 2,100, or ACT with a score of at least 32 out of 36), we require five College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Tests at grade 5 in
What is the acceptance rate at Cambridge?
Best college degrees for earning a high salary
| Rank | Degree major | % in meaningful work |
|---|
| 1 | Petroleum engineering | 56% |
| 2 | Systems engineering | 50% |
| =3 | Actuarial science | 43% |
| =3 | Chemical engineering | 56% |
15 of Cambridge's most surprising and successful alumni of all time
- Oliver Cromwell — Sidney Sussex College, 1617.
- John Milton — Christ's College, 1629.
- Charles Darwin — Christ's College, 1831.
- Alan Turing — King's College, 1934.
- Sir David Attenborough — Clare College, 1947.
- Stephen Hawking — Trinity Hall College, 1965.
Both Harvard and Yale are firm fixtures at the top of the QS World University Rankings. For student-faculty ratio (a measure of the number of academic staff employed per enrolled student), Yale is the stronger of the two.
The University of Melbourne
During term time, you're expected to spend an average of 42-46 hours a week on your academic studies (including teaching/contact time and independent study), and you also need to undertake some work during the vacations (eg further reading/research, revision, assignments).
Archived Articles
| Rank | School | Passing Rate |
|---|
| 1 | University of Santo Tomas | 98.06% |
| 2 | Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Main, Sta. Mesa | 97.06% |
| 3 | West Visayas State University-La Paz | 96.15% |
| 4 | Bohol Island State University-Tagbilaran | 94.74% |
University subject rankings are important if, for example, you're interested in studying a Business degree. A university might rank very highly in Business, but not do as well in the overall rankings. If you studied Business at a university like this then you'd still get a great education in this particular field.
Tier 1 consists of major private research institutions like Yale, Johns Hopkins and New York University. Tier 2 schools are selective private liberal arts colleges like Middlebury and Vassar. Tier 3 are major public research universities, among them most of the University of California system.
Cambridge, as a place to be for three years, is amazing. It isn't too much work, the social life is like nothing I've seen when visiting friends at other unis, and the general environment is invigorating. The courses are fun, the teachers engaging, and the opportunities for artistic/sporting exploits unparalleled.
