--- title: "Brown University vs Columbia University: Which is more popular by branded search?" description: "Which is more popular in search, Brown University or Columbia University? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Globally sought US universities set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/brown-university-vs-columbia-university" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Brown University vs Columbia University: Which is more popular by branded search? Which is more popular in search, Brown University or Columbia University? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Globally sought US universities set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Brown University and Columbia University - **Competitive set**: Globally sought US universities - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Aug 2026 - **Brown University Share of Search**: 3.6% - **Columbia University Share of Search**: 8.1% ## Which is more popular in search, Brown University or Columbia University? - In August 2026, Columbia University had more branded searches than Brown University among globally sought US universities worldwide. Columbia University was estimated to have 673K branded searches compared to Brown University’s 301K, and held an 8.1% Share of Search versus Brown University’s 3.6%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: Brown University took it in December 2025, Columbia University took it in January 2026. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Brown University’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 3.9% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 301K. - Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Columbia University’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 7.2% to 8.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 673K. ## How did search popularity change for globally sought US universities worldwide in August 2026? - In August 2026, Princeton University overtook Brown University to rank 8th among globally sought US universities worldwide, at 4.4%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Brown University worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 368K to 301K in August 2026. ## Month by month | Month | Brown University estimated searches | Brown University Share of Search | Brown University rank | Columbia University estimated searches | Columbia University Share of Search | Columbia University rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 368K | 3.9% | 8 | 673K | 7.2% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | 301K | 3.7% | 10 | 673K | 8.2% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 9.1M | 54.6% | 1 | 673K | 4% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 368K | 4.5% | 8 | 550K | 6.7% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 301K | 4% | 9 | 550K | 7.4% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 301K | 3.2% | 14 | 673K | 7.2% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 368K | 4.1% | 10 | 673K | 7.4% | 4 | | May 2026 | 301K | 3.5% | 11 | 673K | 7.8% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | 301K | 4.2% | 9 | 550K | 7.6% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 246K | 3.6% | 10 | 550K | 8.1% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 301K | 3.6% | 11 | 673K | 8.1% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Brown University’s and Columbia University’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Brown University**: Measured on the search term “brown university”. - **Columbia University**: Measured on the search terms “columbia university” and “columbia university nyc”, summed into one figure. - [Brown University profile](/demand/global-en/brands/brown-university) - [Columbia University profile](/demand/global-en/brands/columbia-university) - [All globally sought US universities worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/globally-sought-us-universities): The set both shares are measured inside, 17 brands. ## Methodology - [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which is more popular in search, Brown University or Columbia University? In August 2026, Columbia University had more branded searches than Brown University among globally sought US universities worldwide. Columbia University was estimated to have 673K branded searches compared to Brown University’s 301K, and held an 8.1% Share of Search versus Brown University’s 3.6%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Brown University vs Columbia University: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/brown-university-vs-columbia-university This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/brown-university-vs-columbia-university. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.