One of the main differences between Harvard and Cambridge is the location of the two universities. Cambridge University is located in England while Harvard is located in America. Although, the location of the two universities is different, both are located in a city called Cambridge. Also, the location of Harvard is in the city, whereas the location of Cambridge is far from the city.
Another difference is that Cambridge is one of the universities that form the golden triangle and it is a public institution, whereas Harvard is a private institution. According to history, Cambridge is the older of the two. The university was founded in 1209 by some learned persons who left Oxford University. In contrast, John Harvard founded Harvard University in 1636. Though Harvard is one of the oldest in the United States, but it is not as old as Cambridge. Another difference is that there are 31 colleges in Cambridge, whereas Harvard has just 15 colleges.