<p>I think when people say “Harvard of the South” it transcends merely an academic comparison. It could also be interpreted as a social comparison of sorts. Vanderbilt, like Harvard, has a reputation for being “old money” and popular with NE Prep Schools. For instance, Phillips Andover had 17 students matriculate at Vanderbilt in the last two years while only 1 went to WashU. Data from St. Paul’s, Groton, Exeter, Deerfield, etc. all show the same trend with many students attending Vanderbilt while virtually none attending WashU. So while both WashU. and Vandy attract bright students, Vanderbilt may be a closer comparison due to the type of student it attracts. However, if the claim “Harvard of the (whatever region)” is being based solely on academic merit – I believe WashU has a strong claim of the Midwest. But as I said before these terms are generally useless.</p>