Harvard is no longer the dream school; here's what is
The Brief
A 2025 survey by The Princeton Review reveals MIT now tops the list as the most desirable "dream college," pushing Harvard to No. 2.
The survey, conducted with over 7,000 high school students, highlighted other popular schools like Stanford, Princeton, and Yale in the top 10.
Despite interest in top colleges, nearly 98% of applicants said they were concerned about the cost, with nearly half saying financial aid was "extremely" necessary.
A new report reveals Harvard University is no longer considered the ultimate "dream" school among current college applicants.
The 2025 report by The Princeton Review surveyed more than 7,000 students from high school students from all 50 states who were applying to college.
This year, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked as the top spot of most desirable colleges, according to the survey. Harvard fell to No. 2.
The 10 schools most named by students surveyed this year as their "dream college" were:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard College (MA)
Stanford University (CA)
Princeton University (NJ)
Yale University (CT)
Columbia University (NY)
New York University
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
University of Pennsylvania
University of California – Los Angeles
What they're saying
"We are truly grateful to the 235,000+ applicants and parents that have participated in our College Hopes & Worries survey over the years," said Rob Franket, the editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. "Their feedback on their application experiences has provided important insights not only for our company but for all who are dedicated to helping students identify and gain admission to their 'best fit' colleges."
Despite the results, the ability to pay for the college was a top concern among students and parents.
By the numbers
Nearly all the respondents (98%) indicated they were planning to apply for financial aid. When asked how necessary financial aid would be to pay for college, nearly half (48%) chose the answer "Extremely" while 29% chose the answer "Very."
Dig deeper
Earlier this year, WalletHub released its 2025 rankings of the best US colleges and universities.
RELATED: Here are the best colleges in the US for 2025
The study analyzed over 800 higher education institutions across 30 different metrics, including student selectivity, cost, faculty resources, and career outcomes.
Top universities like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard continued to dominate, while smaller colleges like Swarthmore and Hamilton also made their mark. MIT ranked fourth on the list.
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