Caltech vs Northwestern University:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Caltech and Northwestern University were level on Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide, with an estimated 262K versus 246K branded searches, at 3.1% and 3% estimated Share of Search. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Caltech or Northwestern University?
Selective, internationally recognized universities in the United States, compared through worldwide branded search interest using English-curated terms. 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.
Share of Search by month for Caltech, Northwestern University. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Harvard University | Stanford University | Columbia University | New York University | UCLA | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania | Princeton University | Yale University | UC Berkeley | Brown University | Cornell University | Duke University | University of Chicago | Caltech | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 19.5% | 12% | 7.2% | 6.3% | 9% | 3.9% | 5% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 20.2% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 6.3% | 8.4% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 8.1% | 6% | 4% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 54.6% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 0.66% |
| Jan 2026 | 20.3% | 13.5% | 6.7% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 4.1% | 5.7% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.2% | 13.4% | 7.4% | 6.5% | 7.6% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 4% | 6% | 4.1% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.7% | 11.8% | 7.2% | 6.3% | 9% | 3.6% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 18.3% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 9.3% | 4.2% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 5% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 2.7% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 19.2% | 14.2% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 8% | 4.3% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3% | 3.5% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.9% | 12.7% | 7.6% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.1% | 13.5% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 5.6% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.4% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 22% | 12% | 8.1% | 7% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Caltech and Northwestern University comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 5 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: Caltech took it in January 2026, Northwestern University took it in March 2026, Caltech took it in April 2026, Northwestern University took it in May 2026, Caltech took it in June 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Caltech’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 2.8% to 3.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 262K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Northwestern University’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 3.9% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 246K.
How did search popularity change for globally sought US universities worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Caltech fell from 14th to 15th among globally sought US universities worldwide.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Northwestern University worldwide fell 33.2% over 11 measured months, from 368K to 246K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Caltech’s and Northwestern 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.
Caltech
3 branded search terms
- california institute of technology
- caltech
- caltech university
Northwestern University
1 branded search term
- northwestern university
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