Harvard University vs Stanford University:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Harvard University had more branded searches than Stanford University among globally sought US universities worldwide. Harvard University was estimated to have 1.8M branded searches compared to Stanford University’s 1M, and held a 22% Share of Search versus Stanford University’s 12%. 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 Stanford 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 Harvard University, Stanford 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 Harvard University and Stanford University comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Harvard University was ahead of Stanford University 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, Stanford University’s estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide held steady at 12%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.1M to 1M.
How did search popularity change for globally sought US universities worldwide in August 2026?
1 change
In August 2026, Stanford University lost estimated Share of Search among globally sought US universities worldwide, from 13.5% to 12%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Harvard University’s and Stanford 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.
Harvard University
3 branded search terms
- harvard
- harvard university
- harvard university usa
Stanford University
3 branded search terms
- stanford
- stanford uni
- stanford university
Put your own brand in this comparison
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