Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Northwestern University:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Massachusetts Institute of Technology had more branded searches than Northwestern University among globally sought US universities worldwide. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was estimated to have 398K branded searches compared to Northwestern University’s 246K, and held a 4.8% Share of Search versus Northwestern University’s 3%. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 11 months ending August 2026: Massachusetts Institute of Technology took it in November 2025.
- 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.
- 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, Massachusetts Institute of Technology rose from 7th to 6th 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology’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.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4 branded search terms
- massachusetts institute of technology
- massachusetts institute of technology mit
- mit massachusetts
- mit university
Northwestern University
1 branded search term
- northwestern university
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