National University (NU) vs Harvard

National University and Harvard University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of acceptance rates, student body demographics, and academic offerings. National University, a private, non-profit university in San Diego, California, boasts an open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds and academic levels. In contrast, Harvard University, an Ivy League institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is highly selective, with an acceptance rate of just 5%. While National University offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including online and evening classes, Harvard is renowned for its rigorous liberal arts curriculum and world-class research opportunities. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two universities and make an informed decision about your academic future.
Harvard University logo

Harvard University

National University logo

National University

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts La Jolla, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Non Traditional
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 100.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.0% 54.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $105
SAT range 1480 - 1580 N/A
ACT range 33 - 36 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 54.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0%
Total number of applicants 57,786 154
Total number of admissions given out 2,318 84
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,951 38
Yield rate 84.2% 45.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,028 $36,459
Average net price $13,910 $9,966
Tuition $51,143 $13,320
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,705

Meal plan: $7,236
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

56.0%
Average amount $59,840
100.0%
Average amount $8,610
Students receiving federal student loan 3.0%
Average amount $5,180
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,080

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0%
7,648
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students 21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
9,487
Men 28.7% Women 71.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 23.9% 0.6%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 12,874 N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Business
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio 7:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.7% 46.7%
Dropout rate 2.0% N/A
Transferred out N/A 43.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,193
  • Year 2: $128,716
  • Year 3: $240,408
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $184,307
  • Year 2: $165,340
  • Year 3: $199,043
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $171,333
  • Year 2: $171,907
  • Year 3: $187,553
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,072
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: $163,896
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $151,371
  • Year 2: $174,023
  • Year 3: $163,512
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,508
  • Year 2: $117,916
  • Year 3: $129,281
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,832
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,707
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $121,771
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,905
  • Year 2: $98,670
  • Year 3: $107,389
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,745
  • Year 2: $71,486
  • Year 3: $106,375
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,452
  • Year 2: $81,333
  • Year 3: $97,514
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,429
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $94,326
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,563
  • Year 2: $84,367
  • Year 3: $90,127
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,898
  • Year 2: $83,505
  • Year 3: $87,794
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,729
  • Year 2: $71,575
  • Year 3: $82,008
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,709
  • Year 2: $66,821
  • Year 3: $81,966
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,545
  • Year 2: $75,989
  • Year 3: $77,049
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,576
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $76,724
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,716
  • Year 2: $65,238
  • Year 3: $74,055
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,949
  • Year 2: $65,657
  • Year 3: $73,109

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Harvard University Harvard vs California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology
Harvard University Harvard vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
Harvard University Harvard vs University of California-Davis University of California-Davis
Harvard University Harvard vs University of Southern California University of Southern California
Harvard University Harvard vs Yale University Yale University
Harvard University Harvard vs University of Chicago University of Chicago
Harvard University Harvard vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
Harvard University Harvard vs University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame
Harvard University Harvard vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
Harvard University Harvard vs United States Naval Academy United States Naval Academy
Harvard University Harvard vs Brandeis University Brandeis University
Harvard University Harvard vs Wellesley College Wellesley College
Harvard University Harvard vs Barnard College Barnard College
Harvard University Harvard vs Jewish Theological Seminary of America Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Harvard University Harvard vs New York University New York University
Harvard University Harvard vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
National University NU vs Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University
National University NU vs Alliant International University-San Diego Alliant International University-San Diego
National University NU vs University of California-Berkeley University of California-Berkeley
National University NU vs Pacific Oaks College Pacific Oaks College
National University NU vs Pacific Union College Pacific Union College
National University NU vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
National University NU vs Northwestern University Northwestern University
National University NU vs Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University
National University NU vs University of Maryland-College Park University of Maryland-College Park
National University NU vs Harvard University Harvard University
National University NU vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology
National University NU vs Bellevue University Bellevue University
National University NU vs Dartmouth College Dartmouth College
National University NU vs Cornell University Cornell University
National University NU vs SUNY Empire State College SUNY Empire State College
National University NU vs Excelsior College Excelsior College
National University NU vs Duke University Duke University
National University NU vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
National University NU vs Franklin University Franklin University
National University NU vs Brown University Brown University
National University NU vs University of Virginia-Main Campus University of Virginia-Main Campus
National University NU vs City University of Seattle City University of Seattle
National University NU vs Stanford University Stanford University
National University NU vs Western Governors University Western Governors University
National University NU vs American Public University System American Public University System
National University NU vs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles
National University NU vs Los Angeles Pacific University Los Angeles Pacific University
National University NU vs DeVry University-California DeVry University-California
National University NU vs Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global
National University NU vs The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at San Diego
National University NU vs The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University