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Apr 29, 2025
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MIT Overtakes Harvard as Top Dream School for College Applicants in 2025
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been named the No. 1 "dream school" for college-bound students in 2025, overtaking Harvard University for the first time, according to The Princeton Review’s latest College Hopes and Worries Survey.
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Harvard, long considered the pinnacle of academic prestige, slipped to second place following a period of campus controversy, including allegations of antisemitism and the resignation of President Claudine Gay amid plagiarism accusations.
Despite the shift, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief Robert Franek noted, "Each of the schools are exceptional."
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2025’s Top 10 "Dream" Colleges
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Harvard College
- Stanford University
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- Columbia University
- New York University
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of California–Los Angeles
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Rising Cost, Rising Pressure
While institutional prestige remains a powerful draw, affordability continues to be a major concern. According to the survey of over 9,300 college applicants, 95% said financial aid would be necessary, with 77% calling it "extremely" or "very" necessary.
MIT is among the nation’s most selective and expensive schools, with total annual costs exceeding $85,000. However, generous financial aid packages offset that burden: the median cost paid by undergraduates receiving aid was just $12,938 last year, and 87% of the Class of 2024 graduated debt-free.
"Don’t self-select out," said James Lewis, co-founder of the National Society of High School Scholars. Top schools are actively recruiting qualified students from diverse backgrounds and often offer substantial merit-based aid.
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Career Outcomes Now Drive Decision-Making
With college costs climbing, students are placing greater emphasis on post-graduate outcomes. At MIT, graduates reported an average starting salary of $126,438 — nearly double the national average.
"Because it’s getting harder to find a job, students are more focused on what they are going to do after college," said Christopher Rim, CEO of Command Education.
When asked about the greatest benefit of earning a degree, most students cited "a potentially better job and income," with fewer selecting personal growth or exposure to new ideas.
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