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.

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

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Harvard College
3. Stanford University
4. Princeton University
5. Yale University
6. Columbia University
7. New York University
8. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. 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

"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.