Harvard University vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Harvard University had more branded searches than Massachusetts Institute of Technology among globally sought US universities worldwide. Harvard University was estimated to have 1.8M branded searches compared to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 398K, and held a 22% Share of Search versus Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 4.8%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Harvard University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
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 Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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 Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Harvard University was ahead of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Harvard University’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 19.5% to 22%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.8M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide moved from 3.9% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 362K to 398K.
How did search popularity change for globally sought US universities worldwide in August 2026?
1 change
In August 2026, Massachusetts Institute of Technology rose from 7th to 6th among globally sought US universities worldwide.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Harvard University’s and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’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.
Harvard University
3 branded search terms
- harvard
- harvard university
- harvard university usa
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4 branded search terms
- massachusetts institute of technology
- massachusetts institute of technology mit
- mit massachusetts
- mit university

Put your own brand in this comparison
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