HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Harvard University vs Yale University

Harvard University clears +$2.84M in 30-year net value, Yale University +$2.34M — both pay off, Harvard University by +$493K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.84M
Total cost of attendance
$317,800
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$95,271
Breaks even by age
36

Yale University · New Haven, CT

30-year net value
+$2.34M
Total cost of attendance
$335,520
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$90,467
Breaks even by age
39
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Harvard University vs Yale University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/harvard-vs-yale

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Questions

Is Harvard University or Yale University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Harvard University clears +$2.84M and Yale University +$2.34M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Harvard University comes out ahead by +$493K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Harvard University pay off than Yale University?
About +$493K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.84M vs +$2.34M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Harvard University?
+$2.84M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $317,800, median earnings ten years out $95,271, breaking even around age 36. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.